"suthep" wrote in message
...

" I'll restate my original advice: get the latest issue of Consumer
Reports
and read up on the newest TV technology since it sounds as if that will
be
by far the single biggest item in your budget. Each technology has its
pros
and cons and you have to consider the question of getting high
definition
now or later. Screen size is not as simple as it sounds since you need
to
consider how far away you'll be as well as how much off-axis viewers
might
be.

There are plenty of good receivers - Onkyo, Denon, Harmon-Kardon,
Pioneer,
Yamaha, Kenwood, etc. - get one with at least 80 watts/channel RMS all
channels driven. Most receivers are tested using 8 ohm impedance
speakers
which are the norm. However, a few speakers may be as low as 4 ohms and
that
can cause problems for some receivers. Get 6.1 or even 7.1 but bear in
mind
that means either 6 or 7 passive speakers plus a subwoofer will be
required
to get the benefit. Speaking of subs, you'll want a powerful one for the
low
frequency effects in DVD movies - Hsu makes some exceptionally good
value
ones. I happen to like their Ventriloquist speaker set too but there are
plenty of good choices for front, center and surrounds. Decent DVD
players
are pretty cheap these days. You can even get "universal" players with
DVD-A
and SACD playback for as low as $100 if those music formats are of
interest
but then also make sure your receiver has the correct inputs for the
individual analog cables those formats use. If you have a turntable
requiring phono inputs, make sure you have them on your receiver - many
don't anymore.

Thx , this is what I am looking for , some basic advice. One question.
Since
I will want to listen to music perhaps even more than watching movies, are
there any further pointers you would like to give me?

That's kind of the boat I'm in too. I think the typical advice is to get
full range front speakers assuming your music sources are CD, turntable or
cassette played back in normal stereo. These will tend to be large and will
have a lower SAF (Spousal Approval Factor) than an entire system of small
satellites. I went the satellite route myself and am happy with that but you
may want to go with full range fronts. When I say full range, I don't mean
they have to have huge woofer elements to get down to 30 Hz or below -
that's what your sub will be for. A lot of front speakers are in a slim
tower design which eliminates the need for stands of any kind - it's best to
have mid and high range drivers at the same height as your ears while
listening.

Even with music, you'll appreciate a good sub with capabilities down to 25
Hz or less (Bach organ music especially). You'll want adjustability in
crossover some of which may be handled by the sub electronics and some
handled by the receiver. There is also an art to sub placement relative to
the listener; much depends on the room itself. Also the size and nature of
the room as well as your own tastes (loudness levels) will influence your
audio choices.

If you're into music, you may as I did want to dabble with the new formats -
DVD-Audio and SACD. These provide superb high quality musical sound in a
surround format. Some people consider them gimmicky, you have to have a
special DVD player to play them in optimum format, the titles available are
fewer, and they're a bit more expensive than standard CDs. Still, I like the
surround sound - stems from my youthful desire for a Quadraphonic system way
back in the 1970's, I guess.

Crutchfield has some general info too
http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/le...RmlqNori/home/

These are just some random thoughts I have on the subject. I'm still
learning too.