Loooooonnnnnggggg Reply....
Please don't take me the wrong way, Anthem gear is excellent. The pre-pro you are looking at is fine and so is the amp. What I type below is only a suggestion in the effort to help you with what, obviously, is going to be a killer system.
For a system in the realm of what you are assembling piece by piece I would research the Phase Technology dARTS system before making your purchase. The dARTS systems are the finest I have ever heard. I like it better than the JBL Synthesis (which are priced between $60K - $120K) and the Meridian systems in that range as well. For an investment like what you are making it's worth researching it for 30 mins.
Since your budget for speakers can strech to under 2500 each (for the fronts) I think it would be fair (for price comparison) to look at a speaker system in the range of $2100 per speaker or less. $2100 x6 (5 + 1 for the sub) is $12600 before amplification.
There are two Phase Technology dARTS systems to choose from that I would recommend for your room. Both are 5.2 (two subs). The first would be the DP1052FS which retails at $12,800. The other is the DP2052FS and reatila $18,300. Before you think that either would blow your budget you should know that these systems come with a 16 channel digital amp. All you need to do is add the Anthem pre-pro and you're done. There is no sound quality difference between in-room, in-wall, in-cabinet. You can mix and match whatever you need. I also listed pricing for the in-room systems which are a little more than the in-cabinet product. There are all in all 36 different versions of dARTS to choose from. Prices range $10K - $20K. Selecting the right one is easy, though. How many channels? In-room, in-wall, or in-cabinet? Cubic feet in the room? That's it.
Here's a copy and paste of an e-mail Phase Tech (I'm a dealer) sent to me regarding CES 2007:
FromSubject: More great dARTS PR!
Good morning to all:
I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t get tired of seeing the accolades our dARTS systems continue to receive. The Perfect Vision recently published their CES reports in the April 2007 issue, and followed up on their rave dARTS 525 review (March 2007 – reprints now available) by giving us the two mentions in their “Best of CES” summary (copied below). Please note that the Audyssey award is qualified by the inclusion of “…as applied in the Phase Technology DARTS multichannel speaker system,” reflecting our totally closed-loop system where the amplifier and speakers were designed for each other, and then sent as a system to Audyssey to develop custom curves for ultimate performance. Also be aware that the Best Demo/Best Sound winners in the stereo category cost $60,000/pr and $185,000/pr respectively, and that there were LOTS of surround systems available costing many times the modest price of our dARTS – pretty heady company to be in!
We’re very gratified to receive this ongoing recognition. We have a “tiger by the tail” in dARTS, with nothing else like it in the world!
BEST of AUDIO - CES 2007
Greatest Technological Breakthrough
Audyssey Laboratories DSP-driven room/speaker equal*ization systems, as applied in the Phase Technology DARTS multichannel speaker system. This technology promises speakers that adapt to listening spaces, producing great sound for every seat in the room. audyssey.com, phasetech.com
Best Demo/Best Sound
Stereo: The JBL Everest DD66000 and MBL 101x speaker systems. Both give a mind-blowing taste of high-end excellence in action.
Multichannel: Phase Technology’s DARTS 525 self-powered, DSP-controlled speaker system. Think explosive dynamics and uncanny transparency. mbl-germany.de, jbl.com, phasetech.com
* End E-mail *
Ultimately, dARTS won The Absolute Sound April/May 2007 CES "Best Sound" award.
See some of the links below if you'd like to learn more....
http://phasetech.com/darts.html
http://www.hometheatermag.com/floorloudspeakers/1006phasedarts/
http://www.phasetech.com/pdfs/reviews/review5/DP-2000-review5.pdf
http://www.hometoys.com/news.php4?section=view&id=12343597
I'm a hobbyist before I'm a dealer and I am extremely passionate about the dARTS system (if you couldn't tell).
If you would seriously consider it, call Phase Technology and ask for Ken Hecht. He owns the company and designed the dARTS system and fields any and all calls for it. He would be happy to speak with you I'm sure.
Hope any of this helps you in your search for a great system. And, by the way, the projector you're going with is killer!