Hi Chris,
That old horse has been regularly beaten for years now!
Nope, the QS8s will work just fine on stands, even at the rear rather than the side. I just try and steer people to the theoretically ideal setup. As you know, every room is different and my experience living in different homes and apartments suggests that multipolar surrounds are the most versatile and accommodating to eccentric or asymmetrical placement. A lot less "fussy" to position and still get a good sense of envelopment.
Ian, on the other hand, uses rear placement in several locations and the one setup that I've heard was entirely convincing. So experiment a bit and choose the locations for the QS8s that seem to immerse you in the soundfield best.
Regards,
