I have $3000 Loonies for Home Theatre
$1400 + tx TV Toshiba 36AX61 PIP for the Crazy Leafs and the Struggling Raptors
$500 for Receiver
$1000 for speakers
My living room is 11x19 with too much oversized furniture and with wood antiques which means sound absorption and bookshelf will half to do hang from cieling or on wall or on top of cabinets, Sub on floor above would be centre then TV above that? Not sure on Reciever yet but only have $500
Any Help Would Be Greatly Appreciated
Thanks

Hi Timber Dave

Loonies are those little Canadian Dollars? If so, here's what I would do - find a Technics SADX 940 - 1070 preferrably the 1070. This is a discontinued line that has no right to sound anywhere near as good as it does. I had a 940 (100 watts per channel x 5) which I used only in stereo mode with a pair of Axiom M3Tis and a little 8" Velodyne. I picked up the Technics from Frys a local electronic superstar where the longest lines are the return lines. Cost less than $150 USD. Played around with many expensive receivers which did not sound as good (include Harman Kardon AVR65, HK AVR 310 ...) Finally ended up with a $750 Antique Sound Labs MG S1 15 DT tube amp which sounds beautiful, a bit better than the Technics.

I'd go with a pair of Axiom M3Tis for your front speakers. I'd find a nice used subwoofer, preferrably in the 8" range which tend to be faster and more musical than the big thumpers.

If you want a center speaker, I highly recommend the Merak MC6H center speaker with a horn tweeter. I picked one up for a song (under $50) from ubid.com. I think Axiom (Merak is the lower line offered by Axiom) no longer sells to ubid, but I could be wrong. If you look around you can probably find a used Merak center channel from someone who thinks they've upgraded. Grab it before they realize their mistake.

The key to the system is your source - Zenith makes a wonderful little Progressive Scan DVD player which can be had for a bit over $100 USD, the DVD2381. This wee devil will play DVD Video, Compact Disc Digital Audio, DTS, Dolby Digital, MP3, HCDC and 3D Surround Sound. The Panasonic RP56 is similar goes for less than $150 but I don't think it does HDCD.

Good luck up there where the sun only sets reluctantly during the summer.

Philip
2x6spds

Thanks for the input my good southern neighbor I will definitley check it out