Well I'm getting bored of having a 3.0 setup, it seems to get any decent advance in my kit will cost me a fair bit, so I was thinking of (next pay day unless there is a decent bargain on somewhere) getting a full speaker package. (I was going to buy myself a ps3 but going to hold off a while longer as I can't see myself using it right now)

I have been looking at a few packages, they include:
Boston Acoustics Soundware XS http://www.richersounds.com/product/spe ... -sw-xs-blk
Q Acoustics 2000 http://homeavdirect.co.uk/2000-cinema-p ... er-package
Q Acoustics 1010i (If my local RS has stock) http://www.richersounds.com/product/spe ... i-5.1-pack
Canton movie 80cx (Again if they have stock) http://www.richersounds.com/product/spe ... -80-cx-blk
Jamo 102 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/156095?ut ... m=products (They are old but cheap and have a good set of reviews behind them)

As I have a reasonable set of bookshelf speakers already I would probably be selling those and the centre to replace them with the new ones (might as well make a bit of money back, unless the bookshelf speakers I have seem better)

Any other suggestions on what to look at/avoid?

Would be the only one I look at in that bunch - but still fear you might actually lose more than you'll gain. You'll get a distinct "dip" in midrange performance with any of these sub+satelite deals.

What's the rest of your setup? Since you're running a centre I'm imagining you already have an AV amp? What are the speakers you have at present?

Although I'm still very much on the side of having full-range, equal-output, voice-matched rears for surround sound; (what with my purely optimistic thinking that movie sound mixes should fully utilise the surround channels) the truth is that's typically reserved for BIG movies - and the surround channel information in most "other" movies is considerably less-pronounced and demands a lot less of your hardware (which is why you've still got the wall-of-sound effect in cinemas where most of the audio comes from the screen and the rest is played through significantly smaller satelite speakers)...

So what'd be my advice? Well assuming you've the AV amp, save your money on a complete re-equip and buy some surrounds, something like these say:
http://www.richersounds.com/product/bookshelf-speakers/tannoy/f1-custom/tann-f1-custom-dkoak

Then when budget allows, consider adding a sub;
http://www.bkelec.com/HiFi/Sub_Woofers.htm
(the Monolith if you can afford it, but any of these are better than anything in retail-stores, their budget Gemini model for VFM/SQ especially.

Doing so would then allow you to free up headroom in your fronts (turning them down from "large" to "regular" or even "small" in your AV-amp's speaker setup) to get more from them... then, once that setups' lost it's glimmer, upgrade the front pair...

then the centre...

then the amp...

then repeat...

I already have a pair of Gale fronts and centre, I was looking at the package as the current centre is really a bit too big for me compared to the smaller ones.

Thats not a bad idea, although I would probably get a nice set of fronts then shift the other ones to the rear

Might actually just wait till I get round to finding a new place as I'll be able to get a feel for it then, and judge what I can get away with

I'd keep the "big" centre. They're all to often get overlooked in starter surround systems - since they don't hold the great appeal of a pair of beefy fronts. But they (centres), in a way, are the most important speaker - certainly for movies where the majority of dialog comes from the front, and the centralised position helps "steer" the panning between, and focus the delivery of effects, between the main fronts.


That's a v.good idea - killing two birds with one stone is always ideal.

Surroundings have a big effect; I recently swapped a nasty glass-topped coffee table for a large wooden one and have noted a "dulling" of over-bright treble in my setup already.... so yes, waiting (and saving) might be best.

well swmbo said to get the boston soundwaves so I did

Tiny speakers but decent sound, might use my bookshelves as fronts and go 7.1 though