Clear sound, Smooth appearance, Great value

none

Prior to purchasing these surrounds, I was using my old two-way JBL 4408 bookshelf speakers for the surrounds. When I purchased the QS8s, I put the JBL's to the back and the Q8s went to the sides to make "7.1 surround".

I think the buyer should be aware that if you are going from front firing speakers to these non directional speakers, the sound is going to be quite different. At first, I did not think I liked the sound difference. I believe the technicians call the sound that the Q8's deliver an "envelope". I found myself going to the speaker test on my receiver to see if they were on. The biggest difference I found in the sound is when there are direct side noises (such as a car horn). It is not right in your face, but instead, the sound is more disseminated to that side of the room. My comment is not so much about quality of sound, but about listener taste, expectation and what they are accustomed to. With that said, I have had the speakers for about six months now and have grown accustomed to the sound difference. With an upgrade in some of my equipment I have really grown the love these surrounds. My friends and family think the sound is incredible.

The great thing about buying from Axiom is the 30 day home trial. I believe this is the only way to truly test a set of speakers.

The appearances of the speakers on the wall really look professional. I will most likely purchase the same speakers for the backs to replace my JBLs (my wife cant stand the bar stools they sit on :).


The people at Axiom Audio are very knowledgeable and were instrumental in my decision to go with these surrounds. Prior to buying the QS8s, I had bought their EP500 subwoofer. The technicians quickly gained my trust with their helpful advice as to my entire HT setup, not to mention that the sub is simply awesome.

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jbl, denon, yamaha, oppo, sony, mitubishi

Excellent surround imaging.

Cable attachment not as versatile as it could be.

These speakers are about the best value in surrounds to ge had. Unconventional design that creates an enveloping sound field. For the money I can find nothing to criticize for movie soundtracks. As stated earlier, connecting speaker cables is a bit tricky and it could be easliy remedied with a different terminal orientation.
I find the a previous reviewer's "weakness" laughable. "kinda heavy"?, jeez buddy what a piercing insight into speaker performance. I hope your arms aren't getting tired.

Customer Service

Excellent and knowledgeable

They sound great even if you don't have exact Dolby-Lab specified location possibilities. I had to mount mine at different heights and you never hear the difference.

I have to upgrade my receiver so I can get two more for 7.1!

I thought these little surrounds could never live up to the hype - but they really do. I was blown away by how much more real the effects sounded that with my previous system. The sound is so full-ranged, and it places the action exactly where the director intended it. I now understand what people mean when they say 'panned seamlessly from side to side' - the QS8s do it all.

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I've never seen anything that comes remotely close

Good sound and build quality, compact size and easy hook-up.

None at the price I paid.

I have been listening to 2-channel music on varying systems since I was eight years old and to home theater since it was offered in 1985; a combined total of almost 50 years. When it comes to music and sound offered in surround sound or the newer DD technology, I am what my wife refers to as fussy or picky, (I prefer perfectionist). The reason I’m telling you the reader of my audio make-up is to assure you that the review I am about to submit, is a direct reflection of my personal tastes. Still, yours may very. The first I had time I even knew Axiom speakers existed was on the main page of audiorevie.com. I usually avoid reading ads related to audio gear of any kind unless I’m specifically looking for a new addition to one of my stereo systems. For some reason, this time I clicked on the ad. I’m glad I did. I drive my wife crazy with the number of pre-existing speakers in our basement, in addition to the ones I use daily. My wife understands my compulsion for perfection in both 2-channel stereo music and Surround Sound sources. She had a room built in our basement just for my music and movie enjoyment. Two systems reside therein: a 2-channel system and a home theatre setup that has evolved into a home theatre system I had previously only dreamt of owning. I was in Hi-Fi heaven. However my wife was unable to share this enjoyment with me as she is more or less confined to a wheel chair. Although I suggested that I set up another small surround system in the living room, her response was no. She said “You are not going to clutter up my living room with more stuff for your hobby”. We eventually reached an agreement. I could put in a DD system as long as everything was hidden or at the very least unobtrusive. We recently purchased a 52” TV and entertainment center. I bought a Surround Sound amplifier and I use a pair of Infinity book shelf speakers for main right and left speakers. My center channel speaker is by RCA. I got rid of the original front and surround speakers. They have been replaced by a pair of CS-8’s from Axiom; the difference between the old speakers and the CS-‘8’s is as different as morning g is to midnight. I am happy because they deliver great sound from two separate tweeters (providing clean and crisp upper frequencies). Two midrange speakers provide equally clear and smooth midrange frequency response. Two woofers fire in opposite directions; one fires up and the other down. I’m happy with the woofers output. I also have a small subwoofer, but unless you’re really into low frequency sound, the Axiom speakers probably will satisfy you. Axiom also provides stands which allow for the sound waves emanating from the woofers to travel freely without being blocked by obstructions. The CS-8’s blend in nicely with both the Infinity and RCA speakers I mentioned above. I got the CS-8’s with an oak finish and matching grill covers. I’m totally satisfied with this speaker. I am sure you can find better speakers out there, but not at this price. These speakers are great. They have the sound I want and they look so good, my wife is happy with the way her living room looks. My wife has never been a music listener or movie watcher. More than once she has told me a good system would be wasted on her because she that she doesn’t have an ear for sound. Since listening to the CS-8’s, she has told me that she not only enjoys the sound of the speakers, but has said that the system really adds to the enjoyment of a movie “as long as it’s not too loud”

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This is the first product of this type I have ever used.

Ability to play LOUD. Very clear sound. Spreads the sound everywhere. Location is not obvious to the ear.

Kinda heavy, could be too loud in small-middle sized room watch the levels

Originally I bought a pair of Axiom M3s for my surrounds but I liked the M3s so much I moved them to the bedroom as a stereo pair and replaced them with the QS-8s. These are really neat as they put the sound everywhere around you and yet you cant really locate the source. The QS-8s can play very loud in a middle size room and are very clear and clean. I was surprised at the bass even though I have them crossedover at 90 hz. I think that the smaller QS-4 would be fine for me and most others but I have the M60s and the VP150 and I wanted to keep the same drivers - 5 1/2 inch and 1 inch tweeter.

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Nothing similar to the QS-8 but the QS-4

Great Sound Great Looks Last pair of surrounds you'll ever buy.

Binding post location, but I don't see anywhere else they could have been placed.

It would be difficult to find any substance in a statement calling axiom a poor speaker manufacturer. I recieved these for christmas and have been more than happy with the value they represent. Looks: The QS-8 design isn't something new to my eyes but the build quality is exceptional. The speaker is covered mostly by the cloth speaker covers, but the remaining exposed surface acts as a trim that you can color coordinate to match the style of your room, very nice. Sound: I'm no audiophile, but they sound great. I haven't really turned them up yet but I haven't heard any indication that I've came close to their limits. Functionality: The speakers included mounts create a very solid bond with the supporting wall due to 8 (?) screws attached to the "T" shaped braket. The down side is that it blocks any sort of easy access to the binding posts. Axiom does offer floor stands that would solve this problem, but they don't offer any color choises for these stands which may be a turn off people off who like blend their home theater in with the rest of their furniture. It is also important to note that you can't place these on a bookshelf due to the down firing woofer. I would like see some nice ceiling mounts as well. Conclusion: Probably the last pair of surrounds I'll ever buy. It's nice to know I never have to think about upgrading my surrounds.

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Bose, Sony

Sounds great, looks great, Axiom is a great company with great costomer service.

NONE

Having Axioms M60s for fronts and the VP150 for the center, I went looking for a pair of surrounds. After my first two purchases from Axiom being so outstanding, there was no doubt about where to go to get more speakers for my home theater. The choice was between the QS-4s or 8s. I knew for surrounds I didnt want the direct sound from the M2s which wouldve been my only other choice. I liked the concept of four speakers firing in four directions, none of which is directly at you. This seemed like a sound idea for surrounds. The sound of these speakers is wonderfull and really rounded out my home theater. The sound is very natural and the quad polar effect is outstanding as I had hoped. I expect to see more speaker companys following this concept in the future. These are some heafty speakers, eleven pounds each, theyre like cinder blocks. I used the included mounts to place them on the wall. Mounts are very stable and secure. If youre using heavy cables, (Im using 12 AWG) It can be a little tuff to get them flush against the wall. Im going to drill a whole in the wall and run the wires through so it wont be a problem. Also you cant use banana plugs unless you bring the cables through the wall as the posts are angled kind of odd. You can look at them on Axioms website and see what Im talking about. Anyways I just used spade connectors to the speakers and slapped em on the walls. I chose the QS-8 over the 4s because of the reviews. The 8s were reported as sounding fuller and more natural. Also the 5.25 inch woofers were the same as those I have in the VP150 and M60s and I thought it would help to match all of the speaker in this way. $470 for a pair of surrounds seemed like a little much, but considering there are actually eight speakers in these two boxes and cost includes 2 day FED EX shipping, it didnt seem so bad after all. I would highly recomend this product.

• Enveloping sound • Efficient & very clear at reference volume • Sounds great in almost any placement • Continues to sound great even at a very low volume

Can break if you drop one from 8 feet up. :(

I listen to a lot of SACD's and DVD-Audio's, and these surrounds not only sound awesome for these formats, but for movies too. Along with Axiom M50's up front, these beauties can place sound anywhere around me, even straight up... it's amazing. I accidently dropped one, and damaged one of the 5.25" drivers (speaker didn't look damaged from the outside, but played a buzz through one of the drivers). It was one of the early models of the QS8's - one where you couldn't replace the drivers - so I had to order an additional one. It was sad, but I gladly replaced it. The newer QS8's have all removable grills (the older one's you could only remove the tweeter grills), so replacing a driver on the newer ones shouldn't be a problem. The sound between the old one and the new one matched perfectly, btw.

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Great sound, excellent value

Binding posts - can't use with banana plugs if mounted on wall- no big deal

I have had these little beauties up and running for about 3 weeks now and all I can say is wow. They definitely are a vast improvement over my old direct 2 ways. They definetely fill the void. Don't let their little size fool you. The highs and lows are quite clear and precise. Overall you can't go wrong with them.

Superb imaging. Superb surround sound effects dispersion. Easy to place in setting up a sweet spot for listening. Easy to mount (stands or walls). Excellent finishes. Typical Axiom quality and style. Very decent price.

For the QS8s, i can honestly say i've found none. Perhaps their smallish size although this is questionable. They put out large sound even for little 11 pounders.

I actually had the opportunity to compare the QS8s to Axioms own M22s as surrounds. The QS8s won me over, hands down. They carry the signature sound of Axiom speakers with a twist. The quadpolar design really disperses the sound in directions away from the listener. It actually has a top and bottom firing woofer along with 2 tweeters angled offset within the half hexagon cabinet. That is a huge twist. I did not find this version of the Axiom speaker to have any of the brightness shared by the other models but instead, the pair produced beautifully rendered effects which, by design, was very effective in 'fooling' my ears while trying to localize a sound source. Clapping and instruments appeared to come from the left or the right or the front of the room instead of ONLY directly in front of the listening position. Coupled with the M60s as mains, these surround speakers performed incredibly well in forming a sweet spot with ease. The position of the QS8s were far less finicky than trying to setup a proper listening spot when compared to the direct radiating sound from a pair of M22s. The aesthetics of the QS8s are superb. Not only do they come in all the finishes offered by Axiom (black, maple and boston cherry), but the oddly half hexagon design adds an almost artistic piece to my entertainment room. For the price paid through the Factory Outlet, i am completely impressed and thoroughly pleased with the Axiom QS8 speakers as surrounds!!

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Axiom M22s, Realistic Minimus 7s