I think the original poster's point is that it provides an opportunity to set up a system with a fully spec'd receiver, real speaker cable and five speakers for about the same amount that one would pay for a HTIB. The difference is that you can upgrade from there, letting experience drive your priorities between adding a subwoofer, upgrading the front speakers, getting a new receiver compatible with a new digital format or i/o that appears in the future, wiring your walls with speaker cable, etc. I think it's a pretty smart package. It might even end up good enough for a small room.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
I think the original poster's point is that it provides an opportunity to set up a system with a fully spec'd receiver, real speaker cable and five speakers for about the same amount that one would pay for a HTIB. The difference is that you can upgrade from there, letting experience drive your priorities between adding a subwoofer, upgrading the front speakers, getting a new receiver compatible with a new digital format or i/o that appears in the future, wiring your walls with speaker cable, etc. I think it's a pretty smart package. It might even end up good enough for a small room.