Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater what to expect from qs8

So as some of you know I have the architectural onwall speakers.
w22s
w150
ep350

I'm getting ready to buy the qs8s. What kind of difference in movies can I expect from adding these surrounds?

Also how many of you use these while listening to SACD music?

Are you going from no surrounds to the QS8s? In that case, you'll notice a vast improvement. I have QS8s that I use for movies and multi-channel music (SACD and DTS-encoded discs). I'd use them for regular music, too, but by receiver is too old and doesn't have DPL II.

They are fantastic speakers.

Yes I am going from no surrounds to qs8s.

I don’t know the model numbers offhand, but if you don’t have surrounds at all, you can expect a pretty dramatic change on some things, and a subtle, but important, change on others. I won’t oversell my experience with the QS8s, as I only have about 5 hours of listening on them (in 2 days). But, for comparative purposes, I have had had many versions of direct radiating surround speakers over the years. My last pair were Klipsch in-ceilings.

Compared to direct radiating, the QS8 is very impressive. For movies they add a subtle but powerful depth to the scene. Direct speakers do the same, but you brain better pinpoints their source so imagery behind you (in your brain) is less vast and more – there is a car running at my left shoulder but nothing else behind me. Much of that can be controlled with good setup, so this is a very general comment. But the QS8 create a very wide image behind you. I have never used dipole or bipole speakers. I frankly feared that you would give up all precision in the rear image for the space created by non-direct speakers. But I was happily surprised that the QS8s did a very good job preserving the important rear imagery, while expanding the rear stage so that those precise sounds now existed on broad stage. Much like good front imaging where the bass player stands out in detail without forcing all instruments on that side to sound as if they are stacked right on top of each other. The stacking effect was more of what I got from the directs. Compared to no surrounds, you will just see the front image pull 360 degrees. In short, you should be very happy with the results.

As for SACD music, I can’t say. But, I can say that Blu-Ray concert footage in DD is stunning. Dave Mathews at Radio City is great, and on my brief (15 min) audition, the minimal echo added to the two acoustic guitar concert makes my small theater feel much more like a small auditorium – not Radio City, but I was impressed. I look forward to further testing.

I don’t think you will regret the purchase one minute.

you will actually have a surround system now, huge difference.

My couch is against the back wall of my living room and the side surround QS8's are mounted on the back wall too (only place to put them). They are spread out as far as my room will allow. They create sounds that come from the left, right, above and even behind me. I was actually pretty surprised the first few times I heard sounds coming from directly behind me even though the speakers are spread out so far and I am sitting against the back wall. I guess the tweeters that are angled send sound effects travelling down my wall and smack me in the back of the head... at least that is the way it sounds at times! This def. depends on the source though. I find some movies lacking surround effects almost entirely but I don't think that is the fault of the speakers.

Yes there will be a huge difference for you, providing the system will be properly calibrated.

Big difference. Surprisingly enough, the place where I notice the best use of surround on my QS8's is during HD NFL games. Watch a game in HD with digital audio. At some point, you'll hear people cheering/talking behind you. It's as if a lone person is a few rows behind you to the left or right. The first time I heard it, I thought someone was over to visit and they were in the next room...

That's very true (sports/QS8) When I watch Yankee games, I can literally pick out the different vendors (they all have unique catchy phrases) and where they are in the stadium.

It's also funny when you here someone to the rear/right yelling "Manny, you SUCK!!"