Re: $1500 dollar budget for speakers and a/v receiver
Receiver i would go with either the 663, or the pioneer 1018, which you can pick up for under 400 from the factory until the 27th with a coupon! I personally will be picking one up soon after a long debate between that and the 663, but imo, the 1018 wins hands down.
Speakers is all about research though...there are many, many choices. I would try and get some nice floorstanders in the front, and a matching center, and then maybe skimp on the surrounds. That could be your first upgrade point down the road. Elemental designs is a good brand, and they have a set of very nice floorstanders for ~500/pair. You could even do the Infinity Primus 362's that will be on sale for 99 bucks each...which have actually gone down as an amazing speaker, especially for 100 bucks. They require a little work to get them to sound good, but worth it IMO, which is why i'll be buying a couple sets very soon.
Here is my breakdown of my HT that i will personally be doing very soon!
pioneer 1018 receiver: 400
HSU STF-2 or SVS PB10NSD sub:450
(4) modified Infinity P362's for mains and sur: 400
mod PC350 for the center: 200
Like i said, its all about opinion on speakers. Do your research on each speaker that is within your price range, and what you will be using them for, and you should get a good idea of what you want.
