Ah thank you for clearing that up, JohnK! Very good info! I am not concerned with aesthetic perfection either, and if it will save me 10% off, then I have no problem with it!

Thanks for the amp recommendations, akewash. I still find them all a little high-priced for me, but it will still fit into my budget if I forget about a sub for the time being.

I've been trying to narrow down my choices, and I've come to some sort of preliminary list. I wish you guys could give me a good idea of how the following compare to the M3s and why I would want to go with the Axiom:

HSU BB-1

AV123 X-LS

Ascend CBN-170 SE

Hopefully I'm on the right track with this list.