New to home audio need some help.

All I can say is I would take the Klipschs over the Polks, but that is just my preference.

fwiw, just another recommendation, take a look at the boston acoustics a360's $360 at accessories4less. they are white with black grills( imo look nice and are well built)these imo are one of the best values for speakers on the market today. you could also pick up the a225c center(black) for$150 and be in same budget .just a suggestion

You want my opinion? Get these. I bought the Polk Monitor 75T's and have pretty bad buyer's remorse right now.

http://www.htd.com/Products/level-two-speakers

I got the 75T's because my budget is nonexistent at this point in time, but I would say they are a decent pair of entry level speakers, but that's just what they are, entry level.

I think they're a bit harsh in the highs at higher volumes, and for me it seems the bottom two woofers are doing absolutely nothing since they're crossovered at 80hz.

But like I said, if I were to do it again, I would go with HTD, or Arx, or something. Being on this forum really opens your eyes, as you see lots of people recommending internet direct companies like HTD, SVS, etc. And it does make sense that without a middle man, they are able to give you the best product for the money.

I have the monitor 70's so I'll comment on them as they sound just like the 75t (70 vs 75t http://www.avsforum.com/t/1456569/polk-monitor-75t-vs-polk-monitor-70-series-ii-review-comparison). They sound good but need a sub. Kinda weak below 70hz. I recommend skipping the towers and use that money on a quality sub and a used pair of bookshelf speakers. Then upgrade the bookshelf when you have the funds. For the sub something like this http://www.avsforum.com/t/1420999/klipsch-rw-12d-subwoofer-only-299-save-70. I do like my 70's but man they need a sub

Both of those speakers are fair at best; not something that I would recommend to a friend.

You would definitely get better sound from the Boston Acoustics CS226 speakers IMO, in that price range.

Another great option would be the Wharfedale Diamond 10.3 tower speakers. Music Direct has a pair of new demos for $499. That would be a very nice deal for the price.

I would get these Energy RC-70s over the Polks and Klipsch.

Actually I just did.

I agree these are great speakers for the price. But now that the Energy RC series seems to be discontinued, finding the matching center channel, the RC-LCR, could be a real pain and/or very expensive. It's important to use the matching center and/or the exact same speaker in the center so that your three speakers in the front soundstage have an exact timbre match (not so important for the surrounds). So while the RC-70s are probably one of the best values for building a 2 channel audio setup at the moment (if not THE best), I'd be wary of using them as a starting point for building an HT setup.

If you wouldn't mind upping your budget to include speaker stands, the CMT-340 SE would be a good choice for an HT setup for movies and gaming, and they are considered a step up from the Polks and Klipsch you linked to.

Yep. Get the matching center. And then watch Newegg for the Klipsch RW-12d sub to go on sale for $299. They seem to run it on special at least once a month or so. Bout the best deal for an HT sub for that price.

When you get your new speakers, try it with and without the Onkyo center. Could very well be it will sound better with no center until you can get one. A weak center can actually detract from the way your setup sounds when your front left/right are very good.

Matching the rears with the fronts is not nearly as important as matching the front three together. I've found that using speakers from the same manufacturer,although different speaker line, can work very well. However, when I've tried completely differently voiced speakers from another company, I felt that the surround effect was not as smooth. Others may have different experiences.