To tivofish,
Hello, I was in your boat about 2 months back, I had a Sony DE845 receiver with a set of JBL N series speakers for my 5.1 setup. I got the upgrade bug, and have since acquired a pair of Axiom M22ti, VP150, and a SVS sub, as well as a NAD T762 receiver.
Let me explain why I chose those pieces:
1. I chose the Axioms for their great reputation on the web. I wanted the VP150 because I use my home theater mostly for movies and other DVDs. I chose the M22s because of space constraints, and I didn't get any QS surrounds yet because I haven't figured out how to mount them yet.
2. I wouldn't call the Sony receiver "a piece of crap", it had a lot of great features and power for its price when I picked it up 3+ years ago. But, with my somewhat inefficient JBLs (89db), it was always on the verge of distorting or running out of power, even in my small (12x12x8) living room. Don't believe the 5x100W power rating, the receiver only has a 220W power supply, that should tell you something. The Sony also didn't have component video support, which I needed to take advantage of progressive scan dvd support. Finally, since I was set in my speakers choices, and the VP150 required 6ohm support, the Sony couldn't support it for the center channel.
So, those were the main reasons I upgraded my receiver. I never got a chance to do a A/B comparison with the 2 receivers and the same set of speakers. So, take my advice with a pinch of salt.
Yes, I think the Sony will not allow the Axiom speakers to reach their full potential. However, that has more to do with the great potential of these speakers; I think they wouldn't reach their limit till you get into the realm of pricey separates. So, if the Sony sounds fine to you, then you can probably leave it alone for now. I felt the need to upgrade mainly for more features. If your budget is pretty tight, then go with the speakers first, and save up for a good receiver, the Axioms will do justice to some very pricey components.
Keyang
PS, after some time with my new system, there is 1 new feature that I have come to really appreciate that the Sony didn't have, Dolby Prologic II. It does wonders for normal televsion broadcasts and some of my video games.
