want to learn about audio

how much do you want to spend? Do you want big speakers or smaller?

is your tv hdmi? You could try to find a old receiver at a thrift store for maybe 10 to 20 bucks and cheap speakers, or could buy a home theatre in a box kind of product. The problem with home theatre in a box systems is they aren't always upgradable. Some sony home in a box systems use 3ohms when a lot of home speakers are 8 ohms. I hear that some people like sherwood receivers and others don't. Some of them are under a 100 bucks on amazon.com. Sometimes best buy has good deals certain weeks. If you sign up for newegg.com newsletter they send you 24 or 48 hour offers sometimes in email. I have seen good deals on receivers and speakers on the site. It is the summer and you might find a big pair of old stereo speakers that someone doesn't want anymore for 20 bucks at a yard sale. Do you have a cd player already?

If you want 2.1, you probably want bass management. I would look for deals on New Egg, if you can raise your budget a bit. If not, I would look used.

I would personally not go buy the lowest end gear, like the Yamaha 300 series, because I think that stuff is too compromised.

If you buy speakers used from a thrift store or craigslist check the woofer surrounds to see if they look dry rotted or look like they might need replaced soon. Any brands of speakers that you like the sound of? maybe you can hear some stuff at a best buy hh greg or a hi fi stereo store. some hi fi stores sell bookshelf speakers for a little over 200 bucks and up. they have the 5,000 dollar speakers also though lol.

Michael what about one of those sony mini stereos for him that have the subwoofer with it? I see it at kmart and walmart? Would that sound good?

what about this and use 3.5mm jack that can be bought at dollar tree running through aux port
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sony-MHC-E...ystem/14026086

30 x 30 feet is not considered a small living room.

If your budget is $100-200 you need to look for used equipment. A receiver, two speakers and a sub will be tough to find for $200.

IMO, step up to a sound bar until you can afford a bit more, and take your time piecing a system together. A receiver and a pair of front speakers to start with (about $500), add a center later, then a sub and finally surrounds. That is a large room, and I don't think you would be happy with a super budget system.

Good luck!

I have a better idea go to freecycle.org the first post you have to give something away. the second post they let you ask for something. You could say wanted working stereo receiver and speakers. I gave away a book that I no longer wanted in my first post, but nobody wrote for it. freecycle is nice because of instead of the stuff ending up in a landfill people can actually use it. i have a rca mini stereo system that the cd player doesn't work. The radio still works on it. speakers came with it. I use the 3.5mm chord that I bought at dollar tree and put the red and white cables to the aux port on the receiver. I hook the other cable to the headphone port. I can hear internet radio on my computer. It is pretty cool. I got the stereo from freecycle.

People use sound bars to re create a surround sound experience. Some people like them. some don't like them. some Bose stuff sounds okay, but I feel like they over charge for some products. I think other speaker companies can sound good for less then what a lot of Bose stuff sells for. Are you in a major city or rural? used receiver or speakers disadvantages would be that it may have problems. research the model receiver to see if it has known issues before you decide to buy it off Craigslist. Craigslist has a lot of shady sellers be careful. I think a receiver and two bookshelf speakers or two floor standing speakers are a good start. if you want to add a sub woofer later on get a receiver that has a sub woofer output. Some receivers that don't have a sub woofer output can still use two speaker wires from the receiver to the sub woofer and two speaker wires from the speakers to the sub woofer. not all sub woofers that I know of allow this connection. our ears each hear things differently in speakers. I may like the way that one brand sounds like, but you may not like them. It is good to hear some of this stuff. I make the Craigslist sellers let me hear it first at there house to see if somethings wrong with it first.

i guess they changed freecycle rules. Sorry about that Chris. It was a long time ago since I signed up.

if you buy from a thrift store know that Salvation Army doesn't allow refunds on electronics. it's as is. Goodwill changed it's policy recently. If you buy with cash you get a gift card. It has a 7 day return policy. If you buy with a credit card, I heard they refund it back to your credit card if you return within 7 days. Community Aid won't let you return Electronics even if they don't work. I am not sure about everything else. I don't have a Saint Vincent De Paul thrift store where I moved but sometimes they have good prices and other times expensive prices.

buy a soundbar from walmart that you like. if you don't like the sound return it within 14 days I think for electronic stuff for money back. hh greg has soundbars also. I don't know what brands though. I forget if they have restocking fees. best buy used to. I don't know if they still do. People do say that soundbars aren't as good as regular surround, but still sound okay as simulated surround sound.

maybe one of the stores could hook it up to a tv to let you hear if you like it.