Go wit the Veritas'. You state that they would be harder to place, I don't think so. The Veritas surrounds are switchable between monopole, bipole, dipole and corner. And also you can blend the amount of bipole-dipole (two 3-inchers, one each side) in relation to the drivers (one tweet and one mid-woof) on the front panel. Energy calls this the Soundfield Management System. These speakers will work in most any room, and sound wonderful. I have the Veritas 1.8's in front, Veritas center and surrounds and listen to SACD's and I must say, this is the most overwhelmingly smooth and full sounding speaker set-up I've heard, and I go back to mono tube FM systems. Do a google search on the veritas line as one of the rags did a good write up on the surrounds and thought they were the best they had tested.