Serious Question, really inexpensive home theater system needed!

Video Asylum

TVs, VCRs, DVD players, Home Theater systems and more.

I feel a little silly asking this, as I have been an audio reviewer for several years now, but I haven't looked into home theater stuff at all. This request is a serious atempt to get opinions.
My older brother is remodelling his family room, and when it is done it will be 25 x 23 feet (hardly ideal dimensions). He wants to retire his very old Marantz reciever and Advent speakers to a different room, and set up a 5.1 home theater system in the new room. The difficult part is that it has to be very low price. He and his wife saw a "home theater in a box" system at Best Buy for $400, which I'm sure is pretty bad (no center channel speaker, the salesman told them that 5.1 meant four speakers and a subwoofer).
So here are the strict limitations:
1. Main speakers must be small, and have to go against the wall. Surround speakers will be mounted to the side walls.
2. Powered suboofer included
3. "Home Theater Surround" reciever to handle 5.1 sound
4. Be able to fill a farily large room
5. No used equipment
He already has a DVD player and the TV, and will budget for a phono preamp for his turntable later.
And the final limitation...$Probably has to be under $700 for everything, including stands (if the speakers don't get mounted to the wall) and cable. Under $600 would be easier to convince them. The contractor doing the remodeling plans to prewire the room using low priced Monster cable.
I know this sounds out of place in this forum, and I'd have a hard time poutting together a nice 2-channel audio system for that price (though it can be done). Any recommendations would be appreciated.
Thanks to anyone who responds.
Steve

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Topic - Serious Question, really inexpensive home theater system needed! - Steve L. 21:07:33 05/17/03 (9)

Re: Serious Question, really inexpensive home theater system needed! - Jason 20:00:48 06/28/03 (0)

Re: Serious Question, really inexpensive home theater system needed! - kjweiss 19:56:50 05/21/03 (0)

Updated info - Budget has been increased! - Steve L. 23:31:03 05/18/03 (1)

For the money ... - Dalancroft 10:02:41 05/19/03 (0)

A few suggestions - Doublej 17:53:11 05/18/03 (0)

several ideas - rtbarr 17:26:51 05/18/03 (0)

buy used -- really - chris e. 03:22:08 05/18/03 (2)

Re: buy used -- really - Steve L. 15:23:01 05/18/03 (1)

another possibility -- close-outs - chris e. 01:15:20 05/20/03 (0)

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