Best 5.1 complete system under $3000

Anthem MRX520 = $1399
https://www.anthemav.com/products-current/model=mrx-520/page=overview
Paradigm Premier 200B’s (Although Stands are required, but there are many options on the market)= $1000/pr
https://www.paradigm.com/en/passive/premier-200b
Paradigm V10 Sub = $599
https://www.paradigm.com/en/ported/defiance-v10

This can be the start of a great 5.1 system, but we do have speaker options with our MRX520 that would make a true 5.1 system for $3k.

There are two Center Channel options in the Paradigm Premier Series that could be added later. And like many others here in the forum, I would start out with a great Stereo System - but with a great Sub to provide a solid foundation for the main speakers to work with. I’ll put our subs, dollar for dollar, against ANY on the market!

Please check out our Dealer Locator to find your closest Paradigm & Anthem Dealer here:
https://www.paradigm.com/en/dealer-locator

Also, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have further questions.

Thank you for your time and any consideration.

Cheers,
Chris

Used or new is fine
I have a Sony Blu-ray with sacd capabilities
So if I start with a 2.1 system should I use an integrated amp or is it just better to go amp and preamp?  
Thanks everyone for the suggestions

@cbrents73 have you heard that anthem reciever?  How is the audio quality

Hi JayJay75. It’s incredibly good for the money, but I’m biased as I work for the company. It’s just a great piece from a flexibility standpoint. The ultimate question you have to ask yourself is; do I eventually want surround, or will I be happy with stereo”?

The MRX520 will take any Dolby/DTS signal from your movies and downmix to 2.0 or 2.1.

Our Room Correction Software in our receiver will work for Stereo and/or Surround in your room and is the icing on the cake to a nicely built amplifier. Based on your budget, it’s a good building block to start with.

Many people make this way harder than it needs to be and I try to put all of this in simple perspective. Speakers are instruments, and the electronics you use to run them are no different than the musicians who play them, but at the end of the day, you’re working with recorded material. Material that’s been mixed, mastered, EQ’d, engineered, and produced, and there is no way to make a recording better than what it is. Electronics, cables, and speakers need to pass the signal along without getting in the way and that’s what we at Paradigm and Anthem are ultimately trying to accomplish, which is to not destroy the information, or, degrade it as little as possible at any given price.

Just like playing a Gibson, Fender, Martin, or Taylor six string guitar, if you played the same tune on each of them, one of them will have a sound that appeals to you the most. There are tons of speakers out there to choose from. Many brands are sold on name, but as a consumer you have to learn how to listen. The more you learn in how to listen and what to listen for from a good dealer, the easier it will be to make sense of all of this and will also make it easier to identify and separate the good Dealers from the bad.

The uneducated and uninformed make mistakes, sometimes repeatedly, with their choices and it’s harder when they begin to buy different pieces to use as bandaids to fix issues. Basically, fix problems where they exist. If you don’t like the sound of your speakers, don’t buy some random amp to try and change the sound - buy right the first time or replace the problem with the proper solution.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard over the last three decades how somebody got a great deal but they didn’t like...or would like it to...how good of a deal was it if you’re complaining, or in particular, want to change something on your “good deal”? It doesn’t sound like a good deal to me - the best deal I ever got was getting exactly what I wanted, regardless of price.
Sorry, I didn’t mean to drift this much, but these are all things I would tell clients looking for information back when I had a retail store years ago.

I would put our receiver up against many Integrated amps that are under $800. You have to remember, we have 5 channels of amplification, HDMI 2.0a inputs and outputs, FM Tuner, Surround Processing, and full App Control from a mobile device, and finally our Genesis Room Correction Software. We’re an amplifier company first, but there is a lot of other technology that has to be accounted for in that box.
If we licensed our Room Correction Software and built an outboard box where anyone could add it to their system, it could easily be $1500-$2000. So you’re essentially getting $1000.00 worth of Software with our current AV products for free, but the build quality for the price is still what matters most.

Thank you for your time and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything further.

Cheers,
Chris

@cbrents73 thank you for that and how true everything you said is.  It's why there is no perfect solution and there can't be.  I agree 100%
I did look up the anthem and it seems like a great deal.  I just need to decide how to spend my money in the most efficient way based on what is most important to me.  The real issue is the fact that I just need some place to go where I can hear multiple systems and pick one that fits me.  Maybe somebody should think about starting a music store that has a large variety of stuff that you can try out or take home and listen to them lol