After seeing the pic, I agree you would be better off with a direct firing surround speaker if they are going to be that far away
Potato:
Please keep in mind that the couch in my setup has the center seat almost aligned with the pantry on the back kitchen wall. When looking at the photo my couch would be scooted toward the wall by the hallway and back toward the kitchen.
If you flip between the photo and the floor plan you can get an idea where my couch will be in relation to the one shown on the photo if you use the back kitchen pantry door as a reference point.
With that in mind, do you still think it looks too far away for a QS8?
The general consensus is that if you are more than 4 or 5 feet away, you don't really need a Q. You could absolutely bump up the receiver volume on those channels to compensate, but that Q will be trying to fill A LOT of space between the wall, the high ceiling, and you. I know the Q's have a certain cool factor, but if you don't need them you're just spending extra money. Where I normally sit watching movies I have one Q about 24 inches from my right ear, and slightly behind. It is about 4 or 5 db below the Q on the other side, but when it's that close the Q makes sense (and it sounds good, too).
If it's possible you may have a loveseat or other seating in another area, you may want the Q's. If it's just you and the wife in the primetime spot, you can go either way.
