Where do you live?
There are many former Klipsch owners on this forum, including Klipschguy, who really needs to change his screen name.
I can tell you that from owning many brands of "retail chain" speakers in the past like infinity, polk, etc. That your not going to find anything at a Best Buy that will compare to Axiom speakers.
One of my best friends is a regional manager for Best Buy, and even he will admit Axiom is a true Audiophile grade speaker.
Which speakers you decide on depends on many things. What are your listening habits, music vs home theater? How big is your room?
Also, keep in mind you can order form Axiom's factory outlet and save 10%, plus another 5% if you order 5 of any items from Axiom.
Why do you think you need an external amp? That AVR would most likely give you everything you would ever require. An efficient speaker like Axiom having say 95dB efficiency only requires 1 watt to achieve that 95dB at 3ft distance from the speaker, that is pretty darn loud.
