I've had great success using a stereo mixer as a preamp for my powered 2.1 speakers--and I've experimented with many alternative setups. You can achieve high quality sound without breaking the bank. (System: SYNic SPDIF/Toslink Switch to connect TV/CD/XBox, Schiit Audio MODI 3+ DAC, BBE Sonic Maximizer--not necessary, but cheap and useful, Mackie mixer, JBL LSR 305s & 310s sub. Using my home PC to play FLAC audio files (in addition to the other audio sources), I have incredible sound superior to systems costing MUCH more for just barely over $1,000 (cables included, but excluding all sound sources like CD player, TV, XBox, PC). It isn't an elegant-looking system, but it sounds great and has a great deal of flexibility.