Notes:

- the room is quite small and irregular in shape
- rarely to never listen at high volumes
- about equal time listening to music/movies/television
- not a lot of space, particularly for rears (will have to mount high on the rear wall, which isn't so much behind as above)
- currently have very old set of JVC mains and another set of low-end JBL bookshelf speakers, if you think these could be utilized in any way (okay to not use them at all as well)

These will be driven by a Yamaha RX-V3300 receiver.

Many thanks for your recommendations.

-Larry

I would say that you are at a good price point to get a complete HT speaker package from a reputable company. I haven't spent a whole lot of time listening to complete systems, but one of the better I've heard was by Velodyne.

http://www.velodyne.com/pages/productsp/Deco-pg.html

I heard these set up in a "high end" audio shop, run from decent equipment. They sounded better than any of the other "home theater in a box" systems I've heard before, but they were probably quite a bit more expensive than other stuff I've heard. I know the system can be had for under $1500, including the sub.

Jason

Your budget gives you a number of alternatives. There's Paradigm , Axiom , Definitive Technology , Boston Acoustics , or Klipsch -- all of them make systems that would fall within your price range. The new Rocket speakers will probably fall outside your budget if you also get a decent sub. I won't mention SVS subs, since you mention that space is at a premium.

Personally, I've been very happy with my Paradigms, although I do use the Reference line (which would probably not work with your budget). There are a number of other satisfied Paradigm users around here, as well as Boston Acoustics, Axiom, DefTech, and Klipsh users. Any of them would be worth a listen at a local shop (using some of your own music or movies as demo material).

Other suggestions...?

------------------
gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

I’ll come at it from another angle, (and consider me OFF the deep end on this). Having recently completely replaced a 5.0 with a 6.1. If budget is such that it would allow to add-to over the next year or so. I would budget the majority of the amount towards 2 new mains or fronts and a center. Use your bookshelf in the meantime for the rear surrounds. (and live with an initial 4.0 or 5.0 setup).
My purchase of a 950 sent me (a little lulu) off shoehorning larger speakers into a very small space. (with wicked intents to shoehorn more).
The addition of such a capable prepro made me yearn for better speakers desperately, as the 950 whilst improving the clarity and performance of my original small satellite’s, also highlighted their inherent weaknesses glaringly.

My recent personal experiences are that when listening to 2-channel, - budgeting as much as possible on the mains is highly advantageous. And when I’m listening to HT. You really do still have the majority of the experience centered in that front area with the surrounds adding ambiance. Looking back over what I recently did myself and knowing what I know now about my journey, if I had to budget building a 7.1 up. I would focus on the expenditure across the fronts first. Using whatever hodgepodge fill-in’s for the surrounds I could come up with. If the goal is more enveloping HT I’d then prioritize adding the SW next, (a must for effective HT with smaller speakers and helps with the load many action DVD’s place on your speakers) then turn towards replacing the surrounds in pairs over the next year or so.

One current recommendation for demo for a pair of fronts would be the Vienna Acoustic Bach's. For all around musical satisfaction and excellent rendering of voices very fluid and musical. . I really currently love the sound of the entire line. These speakers (1500 pair at tweeters- and I would get them down 10%) are extremely compact for floorstanders with a very small footprint and narrow cabinet (for smaller rooms) but pack an amazing body of sound for their size. Mozart’s (larger brothers) I do not feel are worth the extra 1K(2500 pair). For the difference in total output to price ratio these are favorite picks of mine at the moment particularly if your listening is divided between categories as you state.

http://www.absolute-sound.com/bach.html

It is fun to come in the door with that new timber matched 5.1 / 6.1 etc. However you go enjoy the hunt!

Build your own. For $1500 you can get a lot more speaker if you DIY. This can be from a complete kit that includes cabinets and crossover all the way to building everything from scratch.

Also, follow Lena's advice and concentrate on the front first. I've built front and center, but am still using some dinky 15yo BA bookshelves that I'm in no rush to replace, not even with my old mains.

To find out more, do what everyone else does: www.google.com.

Also try www.madisound.com as they have lots of kits.

(BTW, my fronts are Proac Clones from scratch and center is the Audax design by Joe D'Appolito from a partial kit)

Lena:

Are you from that "other side of the pond"? I haven't heard anybody using "whilst" around these parts.

I would love to be so exotic as to live else that I was born, but Nope, I’m a Texan. Just (was) an avid reader and you never know what word will float out. (Including the current slang I hear around here or some of my words that I decide, - should be words.) It’s possible for me to slaughter English in any numbers of novel ways!
Alas, I have a poor memory. (Otherwise I might know something by now if I had been able to retain a 10th of what I’ve been through) I picked up Gonk's read today ‘Footfall’ and 20 pages in during the minute I had earlier tonight, I’m pretty sure I’ve already read it (frequent occurrence for me). Luckily my past trend of devouring books faster than capablity for retention, I do believe (right now) I’ve forgotten what comes next. Just vague premonitions of plot, left behind.
...I was at the local ‘best’ spot to pick up DVD’s the other night they had the empty slot for Superman with only SM III right next to it. I keep hunting!

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who reads without retention. Reading for me still ranks as my number one source of entertainment (but this HT stuff keeps rising). I can still remember turning the _last_ page of a Heinlein book and as I was turning it all fell into place and I knew I had read it a few years before. One of my all time DOH!!! moments.

This will tell you how varied my personal choices are.

If you're going for just 2 channel listening first, go listen to some Sonus Faber's Concertinos or Concertos. They really blew me away after listening to a bunch of speakers at around the same price point.

For a five channel system, my M&K K-5s still blow me away. I use them in the front three channels and you could add K-4s to fill in the surrounds. The only catch with these is that you would definately need a subwoofer.

To be fair, the best thing for you to do is to find your local hi-fi shops, take along a favorite cd or two, and have fun listening to as many different brands as possible.

Here's another option.
Mirage Omnisats 5x Sat + subwoofer system.
MSRP $1700.oo but can probably be found for less.

http://www.wegivesoundadvice.com/sndadvice/showdetl.cfm?&DID=8&Product_ID=653&CATID=15

A few comments from Home Theater Fourm web site.
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htforum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=103327&highlight=omnisat

[This message has been edited by Steve_C (edited February 08, 2003).]