I posted this over in the receivers forum, but it belongs here...

I am getting ready to trash our old 5.1 HTIB. The baby has pulled down the rear surrounds a few times now, so I want to move towards a 3.1 system for now.

I've read these forums for HOURS AND HOURS and just when I think I know what I'm doing, I see a thread that makes me think twice.

Basically I've boiled down my receiver to the Pioneer VSX-816. I liked other receivers as well, but after measuring our cabinet, it is the only one that will fit (depth wise).

Would I be able to create a "virtual surround" sound with this unit and a 3.1 system?

Here is where I'm having trouble. I will need to buy 2 front speakers, a center and a sub. I want to keep the budget as low as possible or my wife will kill me. I saw Polk r15's on sale at CC for $24 per pair. I was thinking about getting those as they fit the budget perfectly. What center should I get? Also, what is a good low budget sub? Keep in mind that I don't need anything cutting edge. I just want to be able to match or beat the HTIB (cheap Philips model) for movies and music.

Any suggestions on which speakers will match with the Pioneer receiver best? Bookshelf speakers would be ideal for the fronts as I don't have a lot of room. Also, one front will need to be within 2 feet of the TV, so magnetically shielded speakers are a must I guess. I'm confused because I've read that I should get floor standing speakers instead. Those would be a tight fit at best. Would a bookdshelf system do the job? Maybe I should just get two nice bookshelfs and a nice center and wait on the sub...

Please help. Any suggestions would be more than appreciated.

-Jeff

I would say always try to make sure that the majority of your money goes to your mains. Save up and get a sub later.
Match the three fronts as best as you can. Don't mix brands.

Since your budget is pretty small I would forget the center for now and see how you like listening in 2 channel stereo. You can always buy the center later and the wife might not catch on to the little bit of extra money that you spent because it wasn't all at once.

I've read on this forum about the Velodyne CHT front row system. Would this paired with a VX-10 sub take care of my needs for music and movies in our main family room (20 X 14)?

Im sorry I havent heard that system. I haven't seen too many people talk about velodyne speakers on this forum though. You could try a search of velodyne speakers and see what turns up. My feeling is you won't get much.
They make some great subs, but some of them seem a bit pricey to me compared to some other great sub companies like HSU, SVS and AV123.