Kind of late in the game, but here's my question and David F's response:

Q:
"With 170s as surrounds in 5.1 setup, 90 deg directly L & R and 2-3ft
above listener, would I still point them directly at each other for movies
AND multichannel music? Or, point down toward listener? I'm trying to make
it good for both multichannel music AND movies."

A:
"This is a good question.. The only time you would want the speakers facing
forward is if they are behind you. For home theater and music, having the
speakers on the sides, aiming towards each other (at the listener) is ideal.
However, for music, you *might* be better off having the speakers at
ear-level while for movies, 2-3 feet above the listener is preferred.

It is a toss-up. If your intention is more movies than music, keep them at
2-3 feet high. The difference in music with the different vertical heights
is subtle."

So, sounds like what y'all are doing should be ok.