I have a Yamaha RX-V1400, Axiom M60/VP150/QS8 and a Hsu VTF-3R. To my ear, they aren't bright at all, just detailed. The limiting factor is quality of source material, including how it was mixed. With poor quality speakers you often can't tell the difference. With Axiom it's glaringly obvious, even if you don't have a golden ear.
It's true you sometimes hear talk about pairing up receivers allegedly having a "laid back" sound with "bright" Axiom speakers. Harmon Kardon is often mentioned. Whether in a double-blind test anyone can reliably hear a distinctive receiver or amplifier (properly functioning and equally adjusted) is debatable. What's not debatable is whether people can easily identify speakers -- that's been proven many times.
The M60/VP150/QS8 combo is terrific, however IMO a subwoofer is optimum, esp for HT.
I don't see a problem with Yamaha+Axiom. I'd worry more about mundane things like where to put the QS8s, how to mount them, and where to put the VP150 (it's pretty big).
After getting them, if you've never tried surround music, try a DVD-A, which generally has a Digital Dolby or DTS 5.1 track that will play on your DVD player.
