He is correct. Start shopping for a high-end surround receiver, or mid-grade receiver with a separate 2 channel amp, depending on the efficiency of your speakers. $8000 is a large budget, so you should be able to put together an ultimate system in that price range. Timber matching is important with surround sound, and finding excellent sounding stereo towers isn't easy when you must incorporate the surrounds. If you find the towers you absolutely love for music, then getting their surround counterparts should be a walk in the park. I highly recommend a full 6.1 or 7.1 setup for movies. DTS ES Discrete 6.1 just isn't the same in 2.0 stereo. With a high end surround receiver with multiple zone controls, you can eventually put two ultra high end towers in one listening room, and run a surround system in your theater room. Some even allow both rooms to play at once. Visit your local high end dealers and start listening to your personal cd's. You'll notice differences in speakers right way. The best way to demo speakers is to cross them off your list if there is something you find wrong or missing. They'll all sound good, but only a few will match your musical tastes.
