Blipvert wrote:

As a guy that fancies himself having graduated from the world of
consumer-end audio, I initially hesitated when the wife of a friend of
mine approached me with the following situation:

1) I want to get my husband a surround sound system for his birthday,
in two weeks
2) We already have a decent TV, DVD, and VCR setup
3) Here's $500. Will this be enough?
4) What's a stub-waffer?

Notify her that this requires seven pieces of equipment and wall
mounts.

- Receiver
- 5 speakers
- powered subwoofer(amplifier/electronics in it as well)

There is no way to get decent sound out of $500. *Maybe*
if you ditched the subwoofer and got a used amplifier and
something like an Energy take 5.2 system without the sub...

But used isn't going to make any friends. Heh.

Politely ask her what her absolute maximum would be - as
the amplifier is half of that $500 budget already and that
leaves a paltry $50 per speaker and no sub. $800 for instance,
would magnify the choices by several fold. $1000 would get decent
5-6 inch speakers like Tannoy or Mirage/Energy

http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.p...ull&1069904524
That's a good example - a set like this plus a receiver.
Other than used, $500-$600 isn't possible.

http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.p...oni&1072451800
Tiny little speakers, but has a decent sub with it.