If you're lucky enough to have a large room, we strongly recommend selecting one of the better A/V receivers and a large satellite/subwoofer package or a carefully assembled group of speakers. The main/front speakers should have at least one 4.5-inch woofer; floor-standing models are the way to go if you want to play the system at fairly loud levels. Big rooms soak up a lot of bass, so you'll also need a hefty sub; look for a model with at least one 10-inch woofer, powered by a minimum of 150 watts.

With all of that space to fill, it might make sense to purchase an EX/DTS-ES receiver. These 6.1- and 7.1-channel models add one or two extra rear-surround channels over the standard 5.1 array, creating a truly enveloping soundstage in large rooms (see CNET's quick guide to surround formats for more details). High-quality HTIBs may be acceptable in large spaces, but you'll sacrifice loudness and dynamic range potential.