Hello TonyM,

I too am trying to resist HT decisions based on testosterone response. This is why...

I (used to) have a killer 2-channel system. 450per into 4ohms All-Carver electronics (the old, good stuff) and Klipsch Heresy speakers. Loud and proud. I could easily fill most halls. Unfortuanatly, in 20 years of ownership, I was never required to fill any halls.

One day I visited a lady friend of mine who had purchased one of these 300.00 HTIB systems. It was cheap, installed terribly, had no bass, etc. Many deficiencies.

However, surround sound BLEW ME AWAY! Those 5 crummy, microscopic speakers created a realism that my stereo, for all it's "superiority", could not touch.

So my HT goal has been always to achieve that sense of reality without sacrificing too much in the power/response areas. Oh, and with bass. And I have personally witnessed the fact that it can be done with very small speakers.

I have seriously wondered if an all-M2/M3 system (backed with a sub, of course) would be adequete. I suspect (but do not know) that it would, assuming you were willing to listen to everything through all speakers (i.e; no trying to listen to stereo using just the front L+R pair)

BTW, that killer stereo is being sold to help purchase HT.

Larry 5.1 M22/VP100/QS8/PB1-ISD