Starting out Audiophile separates?

At 16, you are probably ahead of many of us with technology. You will want a set-up that streams from the internet (no wires, correct) or will play blu-rays. My suggestions are either an emotiva pre-amp processor (UMC 200) with a nice used 5 channel amp (you can find tons of great amps for a steal) or, you could just go with an Oppo 103 for $500 which will have built in streaming, plays blu-rays, has a nice volume control and you can hook that straight into an amp. 1 less piece and all you lose is a radio tuner. The other option to the emotiva is an outlaw???
Just my 2 cents. Keep in mind that it's distortion that blows speakers, not too much power. Keep you remote away from your buddies.

I'd also recommend a straight up 2 channel rig. They work fine for video and you are going to be able to get a higher quality sound. You will only need 2 speakers instead of 5, you will also only need 2 pair of speaker cables instead of 5... get the idea? if you have $500 for speakers, you can get 2 nice speakers, or 5 mediocre speakers...

if set up properly, which I bet you will do, when sitting in the middle you won't need a center channel speaker anyway because the voices should come from the center anyways. Someone once told me that the best center channel is no center channel, and I tend to agree.

Even though I currently have a Peachtree Nova Pre/220 combo (bought local for $900)I'm not a huge supporter of Peachtree but... some place is selling the new Nova 125 SE in Rosewood for $1100 or $1199 and that may not be a bad place to start.

Think about resale also. Buy components that you can get your money back out of easily so that if you don't like it, or want to upgrade, you can :)

Another option would be a Parasound Halo A21 here on audiogon for $500, a schiit bifrost uber with usb, and a schitt passive volume control.

I'd go with Blue Jeans interconnects and speaker cables; great bang for the buck and not expensive.

Good Luck!

Well said LIMO, I 2nd!

Congrats on your HEA journey! Don't let any setbacks discourage you, remember it's about the music. If you like a variety of music the Magnepan MMG is your best starting point. The best(sounding) extreme budget amp(I know) is the NAD S300. There not that easy to find but with some patience a near mint(make sure it's spec) unit can be had for <$750. The Denon CX3 series should be easier to find, don't let the micro size fool you these are serious entry level components. The DCD-CX3 is the strongest of the 2 units, no problem with matching the CX3 with the Denon. With cables buy the best Signal Cables, these will survive several future upgrades.

As a followup to my previous post let me ask a couple questions.

What are going to use as a source(s) and for viewing.

Do you have a dedicated room for the home theater? I ask this question because it has been my experience that many who try a multichannel system in a ‘living’ room find that they go back to a 2.1 system. It proves more difficult to get the result desires and at a greater cost. When dealing with a room dedicated to HT the game changes.