Not a particular fan of Bose myself, where do you think they get all that money for advertising anyway?! They're over-rated (by the average consumer, not necessarily the audiophile crowd) and over-priced. Don't get me wrong, it's good stuff, and if you're set on Bose, find a Bose Outlet or something...
The set-up at my previous house was a 5.1 with all Klipsch speakers. They rocked quite nicely and were pretty affordable. Very nice quality.
My current home theater is a dedicated 9 seat (staged, 5 seats above 4 seats) with a 50 inch Sony Bravia XBR, Yamaha DSP-A1 amp with a 400 DVD changer and high def cable box (both of those are HDMI'd into the TV). 7.1 in wall speakers; 5 up front (2 main, 2 effects and center channel), 2 in back and a giant stand alone 500W sub. All of the speakers are Polk and they just flat out pound.
Theater level listening volume is right around a 1/4 volume, a 1/3 is ridiculous and at 1/2 it lifts the ceiling tiles and actually hurts. The lobby scene from The Matrix is unreal and Blackhawk Down and Saving Private Ryan are likewise awesome. Didn't see my friends all that much until I got that little project completed, no they won't leave...what's up with that?!
) , then Im sure they will go home.
