7.1 HT under about 3k

I would avoid 6.1. I would also look at the suggested speaker placement diagrams on the Dolby web site for a 7.1 set up; e.g., you do not want rear speakers placed in the center of the back of the room.

7.1 is better than 6.1 but 6.1 is better than 5.1 if you're watching Star Wars or something. Also, he actually might want rear speakers placed in the center (or near center spread out a bit) of the back of the room. Check out the suggested speaker placement diagrams on the THX web site. They recommend something different from Dolby. Just so you know, there are different ways to set up your system.

This shouldn't really be a big deal. Aragon STage One feeding some used 5-7channels of amplification, used, at under $1500 for amp, and $1500 for pre should not be a problem. You could also go Anthem AVM20 used at $1500 range maybe, and I'm sure others. $3k should be easy on the "used market" for separates

Howie,

Interesting, I had never looked at the THX web site for speaker placement suggestions. My comment on not going 6.1/not placing rear speaker(s) in the center of the back wall was to avoid possible front to back image reversal. There are a lot of postings on this at avsforum.

I also noticed on the THX web site their speaker placement suggestions seem to be for THX ASA and THX EX processing. I was recommending going with DPLIIx and/or Logic 7.

Thanks
Bruce

Bruce, I see what you're getting at now. In the case of DPLIIx and/or Logic 7, I'm not quite sure what would be the best way of setting up the rear centers. I have a THX Ultra2 capable receiver so I set it up according to their directions. I tried having the rear centers spaced out, but found them better closer together (my receiver had auto calibration so there were different settings for different rear center distances). DPLII sounded find either way I think. But if the original poster is going to be listening to multichannel music, I think it makes more sense to have them spaced further apart.

"... My comment on not going 6.1/not placing rear speaker(s) in the center of the back wall was to avoid possible front to back image reversal. There are a lot of postings on this at avsforum." (Bruceomega)

For the record, as someone who does acoustics, I think anyone reading the above might be getting some mystical acoustical pheonominon worries here, that simply aren't going to happen in any real world scenarios! Basically, distances and delays in the system, acoustics in the room, recording mixes/delays are going to make what Bruceomega's infering a near impossibility, as a problem!
I've done hundreds of systems/installs over the years in 6.1 or more, and this is not an issue, trust me!
From gathering what Bruceomega is talking about, again, all the right varriables, elements, adjustments, acoustics, and recorded material would have to be in precise allignent to make you think you were hearing the back info in front, and the front info in back! You'd also likely have to not only have lousy acoustics (in which case, you can forget about good sound anyway), but you'd probably need to have the processor in your system set to "Concert Hall", er "Stadium" or whatever!!! Last I checked, most people doing discrete dd/DTS use very little additional DSP modes with their sound! It's already mixed as well as it needs mostly, if you do things right...you needn't even go there!
Anyway, as long as you have either some diffusion or absorption either on your back wall, side walls, or front, and preferably a combination of those, you'll never encounter any mystical problems like what's being infered above, I assure you.