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?
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.
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.