House SurroundSound System...

[bruuen]

so this isn't a recording question, but since lots of you guys are self-proclaimed audio experts ...i'm curious to know your input on a pretty good surround sound system for my living room. kinda open on price, around $500US-$1500US. i've been looking at wharfedale and cerwin vega...share your input

 

[bleyrad]

PSB Alpha B's.
Very neutral sounding, nice response across the board, not too big or too small. I liked them better than the more expensive PSB's for some reason. They blend very well with a 10" Velodyne sub I have at 80Hz.

I didn't like their center as much though, so opted for an Energy C-C1 there instead, which sounds great.

In reality no home speakers in this price range are going to be made with exceptional drivers or crossovers, so there are always compromises... I think this setup is about the most "neutral" compromise you can get.
For a cheap surround receiver, Pioneer seems to be the only brand with their act together in the budget range as far as using good-sounding converters, power supply and opamps. Again, it will never be anything more than neutral sounding, but at least it will never negatively colour the sound.