Regarding my Emo comments, I should not have said anything as I don’t like getting into those discussions on forums (and have refrained from doing so for a long time). They inevitably end up with hard feelings as the brand does have a large internet forum following. As you said yourself, they provide a good bang for the buck. The bulk of folks who search for A/V stuff on the net are looking for just that, bang for the buck.

I think Emo is still a fledgling company. They are trying very hard to bring a good product to market, “a good bang for the buck”. I feel that they are making compromises and sacrificing quality control, beta testing, and manufacturing tolerances to meet that target – bang for the buck. They have had issues with their amps. More so than many other manufactures. Enough for me to see a trend. I do not like their responses to some of the problems I’ve been privy to. I find their blanket response to the M80’s to be unacceptable. They continue to blame the speaker and do not own up to their product limitations. Their audio processors are lacking functionality and I think if you search user comments, you’ll see what I’m talking about. Having said all that, I believe that if Emo can weather the current economic storm, bank more investment capitol and gain a stronger footing in the market of electronics, within five years they will be a product the big boys will have to contend with.

Regarding the M22 verses M60 verses M80 discussion, you need to decide what you want. M22’s are dandy bookshelf speaker. I have a set. With a sub, they sound great for HT or Stereo. But keep in mind that they are a bookshelf. They can’t compete with the towers. It is unfair to put them in the ring together. I have M80’s and have not heard M60’s. The 80’s will blow your socks off. However, I would not hesitate to sell mine and pick up a set of M60’s though. As a matter of fact, that is my current plan. For my HT, the M80’s are too tall and interfere with my screen. I am going to buy M60’s to replace the M80’s and I am not worried about that in the least bit. Now if I was in need of speakers for a gymnasium, I would stick with the M80’s. But in truth, they are overkill for most home owners.

If I were in your shoes, knowing what I know today, I would buy a set of M60’s and find a Denon 3808 or 4308 from an authorized dealer that is trying to move them off the shelf to make room for the new line of receivers. A couple months ago you could find 3808’s for about $800. I currently use a 3808 as a pre-pro. I really have no desire to upgrade or replace it other than a curiosity to try the new height and width speaker set ups. I don’t wear Rolex, but I’m not strapped for cash either. If I really wanted to spend the money on high dollar separates, I would. I’m quite content with my ‘humble’ 3808. I bought the amps to experiment. The differences I was able to hear are not significant enough for me to recommend that anyone buy them unless they have the cash burning a hole in their pocket. The 3808 drives my M80’s on its own without any issue well above a DB level that any non-hearing impaired sane individual can stand. If you go this route, instead of one of the new Denons, the only thing you will be loosing is DDPLIIZ and Audeyssy DSX (width / height). This is a new thing and user comments are mixed to whether it is worth it or not. In your case, with your room layout, height and width sound like they would be difficult to accommodate.

By the way, I am not a brand loyalist. I look for a product that meets my needs, has good customer support and is not plagued with bugs. I look for trends. When I see a product with mixed reviews and user comments, I pay close attention to those. This “hobby” is supposed to be fun. It is not fun spending time and money resolving problems instead of just pushing the power button and enjoying what’s on the screen or coming from the speakers.

I continue to recommend the Denons becuse the damn things just work, and work well.

PS: Thank you for your service. I'm a combat vet and feel for our troops in harms way.