Onkyo 605,705 or Elite 91TXH,92TXH

[Jim L]

My mini-review: Here

A great receiver.

Now, for speakers. I take it your budget is $1000-1500 for all.

• It is important that your speakers be voice-matched. That means the same make/series as each other. This is essential for the front Mains and Center Channel. Preferable for the surrounds and surround back (if you have one) The subwoofer can be any make
• Speakers are much more subjective than other components (like say a receiver, DVD player, etc.) It's not all about specs, but how you like the sound and how they perform in your listening environment.
• Don't cheap out on your speakers. You may build your system gradually. I bought my mains first. Later my center channel and used an old sub and surrounds until I could afford better.
• Look at your listerning sources. Are you into music, movies or both? Some speaker brands perform better at one than the other. Some are a compromise.
• Some kinds of speaker/amp or receiver combinations work better than others. A receiver that is characterized as "harsh" or "bright" can be fatigueing when paired with speakers that emphasize that quality.

If you decide to go with a complete system, I would say that Klipsch, Boston Acoustics or PolkAudio can fill your needs within that price range.

I would advise people to steer clear of Bose. I don't want to offend anyone, but they are a great marketing company with over-priced products.

I would advise you to visit some of the forums of speaker manufacturers. You can learn a lot from others' experiences and knowledge.

Hope that helps somewhat.