FYI I have removed the stand and speakers and wall mounted my 247 now!
The stand is removed by unscrewing the black plastic cover, which will reveal the actual metal stand behind it which is secured by much beefier screws. Next, the speakers can be unscrewed and removed after disconnecting a small connection to the TV on each side. Now you can unscrew the metal mount and then she's free!
I went with a Peerless ONE-TP modular mount for my set, which is a good bit of overkill but I needed the ability to span studs that were spaced very far apart to mount above our fireplace. The wall mount supports my full weight so I wasn't squeamish about mounting the TV to it

In the end, by the hand of god or something (maybe measuring 52 times,) the bottom TV is about 1/2" above the mantle when tilted down about 10 degrees and is perfectly level. Woohoo!
I will snap some pictures after I get home from work today.