Alright I agree with pretty much everything said here, and just for a bit more clarification:
8.1, heck even 7.1 and 6.1.. are *REALLY* new, and there are barely any DVD's using these decoding formats..yeah they're coming, and yeah you're future proofing I suppose, but that depends on your budget. 5.1 is just fine for me, 7.1 would be neat, but until every DVD under the sun starts shipping with 7.1 content, I'll wait, the choice is yours.
As for the Axiom center channel's, the VP150 is a very lovely speaker, it has enough oomph to scare me, and deep voices coming from it can slam into your chest.
As for the 60's, they've lovely speakers, although I haven't experience mine to their full potentional, and I know that, I'm VERY happy with them even in their current state (my room is a little smallish).
Cheers, and good luck!
- D
