My biggest recommendation would be to get to a local dealer and listen to some gear and ask for some advice. Maybe even one with a good selection of good used gear to help maximize your budget. A good local dealer can be worth their weight in gold. Many have a wealth of knowledge and experience which they share with anyone who is willing to spend the time to ask. Also if one isn't happy with a system the dealer will most likely CONTINUE to work with them to make it right by asking questions and offering solutions.

Audio components are NOT appliances like blends, toaster, and washing machines to be purchased on specs/Consumer Reports write ups. Purchasing speakers without listening is like buying a car without even test driving a similar model. Many years ago Consumer reports did an affordable speaker round up of 10 speakers giving each a two or three paragraph write up. Every single word in the write up praised the sound of the Paradigm Titans which finished dead last and every word of the write up of of the #1 speaker which was a POS $99 Yamahas (which I did hear BTW) was either negative or slightly negative. The reason that the Paradigm finished dead last was that the writers felt it was "too expensive" at $219 since all of the other speakers were $99-150. Yet it beat all of the other speakers in their survey in all of the categories on their chart EXCEPT price. Sometimes the best BARGAIN isn't the best VALUE.

Plus isn't the shipping from the US to England going to add dramatically to the price?

Quote:

...am I going to have to go through that effort?...

...I'm a huge music fan...

Yes.

Hi

Do you have a richer sounds anywhere near you ?

They carry specific designed systems at great price points. They use good components and the systems are very well matched, they start at like 300 quid for a resonable system and for like 600 you can get something very good.

I would definetly tell you to avoid buying US product for a UK system, it will be bass heavy and boomy in a typical UK house. Ive been in the US for 10 years and there is absolutely an American sound, this is not a negative its just that American houses and UK houses are totally different.

An example :

http://www.richersounds.com/information.php?cda=static&cst=hifisystems

Check out the 450 pound system, that would be nice, if you called them im sure you could upgrade the speaker for a few quid to a floorstander

Where in the UK do you live ?

Hi

Glad to see you live in God's country, even if its the wrong end !!

Its going to be nearly impossible to find anywhere to seriously audition equipment at the price levels your talking about. Dont worry about spending all your money on speakers, the basic fact is garbage in garbage out !! 200 for an amplifier is not high at all, 300 pound speakers with a 100 pound amp is not the way to go. Have you picked up a copy of What hifi ? its pretty commercial but they have great recommendations for starter systems.

What will you be using as a source ?

Alan