Home Theatre Question

I wouldn't give up on HT so quickly. Film and music video are starting to come into there own with HD and Blue Ray. I'm guessing your nice two channel system is providing you with sound staging, you have a working knowledge of your room, and this is the basis for your concern.

I have yet to hear what was once a high quality resolving and staging two channel system morf into an HT system, but that's me. If your considering all this in the same room I'd give up on using your S8e's as a part of the HT system. Your two channel ain't broke!

Start the HT from scratch. Keep the display well away from the Spendors, if it must go between them keep it well behind them. Consider a modern receiver with room correction and possibly some directional ceiling speakers (sorry I don't know the brand but there out there) or a set of small sensitive wall mounted speakers. I'm using Triangle Comets which are on the large size for the wall but their sensitivity works great with a receivers power, in my case it's a Pioneer SC-07.

There is very little in the way of 7.1 film audio right now and what there is seems to have been produced hastily, but its coming. For now music video, HD Comcast Paladia are great fun and worth the effort IMO.

The Arcam seems like a fine receiver (class D?) but if the list of features on their website is accurate I strongly suggest looking elsewhere. Does the Arcam have HDMI in's and out's, True HD audio, room correction? IMO these are must haves. I have seven identical speakers and room correction made a huge difference. You'll be using three different types of speakers. In HT if I have a choice between a high quality receiver without these features and a comparably priced receiver with the new features, the features win. It's HT not hi-fi, it's still going to sound real good.

Compared to component video Blue Jean HDMI cables are super cheap and come in one foot increments for a clean installation.

No, just two Eidolons but they are simply outstanding. Hearing them in stores and shows they always seemed sleepy to me and they never changed or upgraded the design all that much over the years. After just a few weeks their presentation became clear to us. Thankfully, my wife gets Hi-Fi so the Avalons look and sound stunning out in the middle of the room.

I consider Vandersteen and Thiel at a similar level of accomplishment for dynamic speakers. I'm not a panel fan but in an HT they could be great. As I understand it the Audyssey system is parametric in nature and the Pioneer is a combination of parametric and graphic EQ.

My new HT sounds way better even using the same speakers (Triangle Comet). Playing music videos we crank the HT up and the class D receiver doesn't run out of gas the way the linear receiver did.