Just an FYI. I have an all black MXQ box with a v1.2 20150520 system board, Realtek 8189ETV WIFI chip.
I downloaded the 8.0.1.a-HD18q version to try first. Burned it to a 16gb SD card and booted with the toothpick. No problems whatsoever. Since it was OK I did not bother trying the 8.0.1.a-MXQ version.
WIFI connects, was able to calibrate the screen and installed Confluence to make life easier. Installed the few addons that I need and everything is a go. The remote doesn't seem to work, but in my case it doesn't matter since I am using a Logitech K400R keyboard with trackpad, which was recognized by Libreelec on first boot.
I actually tried LibreElec before with Jarvis on the MXQ but went back to Android as there was no real improvement. This build is fantastic and gives the MXQ another lease on life.
Thanks!
Greg