I feel the rear surrounds depend on your room and seating position. I had a 6.2 system before going to a 7.1 (replaced 2 16-46pc+'s with a PB2+ if you're wondering). My seat is about 3' from the back wall and I was using a direct firing speaker. I found it too distracting. When I went to 7.1 I switched to QS8's for the sides and QS4's for the rear. I like this setup much better. My opinion is that if you are seated about 8-10' from the back surrounds then direct are the way to go as they have enough room for the sound to disperse a little, but if you are seated close to the surrounds (as in my situation) the QS series might be the better way to go as they won't be so noticable. It is all personal preference because some prefer direct's as the side surrounds also. I used to have directs as the side surround and the axioms blow them away. They still have the ability to anchor the sound in any given direction but allow it to "float" a little to fill the room and make for a more realistic effect.
