The best system I have ever built is the one I am building now. It may be considered modest by some, but I love it and I think it sounds really good in my room - which is the typical American Family Room - 13'6" x 19'. The system is used to play both 2-channel stereo and 5.1 channel DVD Audio and DVD Video. The front speakers are Thiel 2.3 which I bought as demos off the showroom floor. The center channel is the Thiel MCS-1. The suurounds are junk at present, but will soon be replaced by Thiel Poweer Points mounted in the ceiling. This is the only possible location for the surrounds which the CDO (Chief Domestic Officer, i.e., wife) will go for. The amplifer is the Aragon 8008x5, rated at 200 wpc. The preamp surround processor is the Aragon Stage One. The front end is the Denon DVD-1600 DVD/Cd player. I also have an old Pioneer CLD 2090 Laserdisc player connected because I have a modest number of LDs which I love. And a Sony VCR. Routine TV watching is through a DBS satellite with Directv and the Samsung SIR-TS160 HDTV/Directv receiver. The monitor is the Panasonic TH-50PHD5UY plasma display. The HDTV picture displayed on the 50" plasma screen will blow you away to use a cliche. It is unbelievable and I cannot tear myself away from TV shows that I would otherwise probably not watch. AC line conditioning is via the Monster Cable HTS-5000. Finally cables are Harmonic Technology Pro-Silway Mk II interconnects and Harmonic Technology Pro-9 Plus on the front, QED Genesis Silver Spiral for the center channel, and junk for the current surrounds. Lastly, I have isolated the amplifier on a 22" x 26" piece of black granite with Perfect Sound Isolation Cones and Discs. I will also put the granite and cones under the DVD player. I also enjoy FM radio and have installed the Fanfare FM-2G antenna which really works.
I enjoy this system very much - a progressive scan DVD such as "Saving Private Ryan" or "Titanic" on the plasma screnn with even the modest surround system is stunning.
Charley