oops, i didn't finish. i am so long winded...comes with age and i'm pushin 900.
u really need to spend some time listening at ur local shops and friends who have whatever. surround...definitely outlaw.
speakers: the above plus mirage,maggie,b&w,celestion, heck, there are like 400 spkr companies or some such. listen to em all. first listen to some accoustical live stuff somewhere. 'save that info in your head and use it as a reference...take your own familar material to compare...don't let the salesman play something you don't know or haven't heard before. also go listen to a live lectric band...it won't be perfect but it's completely uncompressed and analogue; well, not really...you won't know what they did to the sound...just go listen to what ever you listen to. the joni mitchell concerts are incredibly and meticlus-lee set up, as are mary chapin carpenter and neal young to name a few. make a game of it...and then listen to the boxes...you'll know which one pleases yer ears. after that ya gotta get a sub!