1. do i need a panamax? can i get away with just a surge protector? if i need one, which type of panamax...i've been given inconsistent advice from salespeople. (magnolia)
Not sure where you live, but you may want to speak to a local custom dealer which may be able to give you similar pricing, but a much more experienced installation.
As you can read here, there is a wide variety of opinions, but most lean towards the investment in a decent power console to be a reasonable purchase. I would tend to side with the concept op spending at least a couple hundred bucks on a decent console as well. There is a fair bit of difference between a basic power strip and a home theater console, and most sites agree that they tend to be pretty appropriately priced for what you get. The basics of the power strip vs. the power console is the same. But, there is far more in a power console to take protection and a clean image much further.
2. as for subs, they recommended martin logan dynamo at $600. Any recommendations? prices? websites, etc??
I think that is almost 'inexpensive' for a good theater. I have a hard time thinking that you can have to much GOOD LFE in a room, so if you are thinking that's expensive, I would disagree personally. There's lots cheaper, but lots that are way more expensive. I think it's a solid brand and likely a solid product, but there are plenty of options... hard to say which is best for your environment without seeing it.
3. Whats a good remote and price? they recommended a very expensive one.
Spending less than a couple hundred for a programmed remote is a rarity. There are three mainline options that I consider worthwhile...
1. Harmony remotes - very good for do it yourselfers and they work well. Not as customizable as other remotes, but typically solid.
2. Universal Remote Control remotes (URC is a brand name) - Typically programmed on a PC, and they are very good remotes for most people. I had a client who liked his Harmony, but traded it in for a URC remote for added control. The level of control he needed was beyond a URC though, so I actually took him up to...
3. Crestron/AMX - These are the most expensive, and typically require about 8 hours of programming minimum for a home theater. Brand new they cost thousands, but there are some options which can get people into this for less than $1,000 for a fully programmed remote. Which may sound like a lot, but when you can hand the remote to your wife, and she can turn your system on to DVD, Cable, etc. without ever getting it wrong, it goes a long way to making a product sell itself. 99.9% reliability is the key behind these remotes doing so well.
