Hi cb,
Yes, thanks for the correct spelling (for Canucks, there used to be a brand of apple juice in Canada with the spelling "Allen's Apple Juice). .
No, there are no visible blemishes, unless you get close with a big magnifying glass; even then, most can't seen any.
Go with the QS8s--larger woofers, better power handling and a better match to the W22s.
Yes, you can audition the W22s before cutting a hole, but keep in mind that there will be signifcantly less bass until the W22s are placed into the wall. But they do have a self-contained ported enclosure that isn't dependent on the wall cavity. The increase in bass when they're stuck into the wall comes from the boundary reinforcement of the surrounding wall surface.
You will be thrilled with the neutrality of the W22s compared to the Paradigms you look at. The Paradigms are good, just not AS good as the W22s.
Regards,
Alan
