Noob, need help please

You can get a higher end AV receiver for less than $1,000 US on sale, or refurbished. My Yamaha was $900+/- retail, but found a refurbished one with warranty for about $425 US. I then found and bought a used respected dedicated 2 channel amp for about $385 (a great deal) which I use to run my fronts when listening to stereo (and also power the fronts when running in 5.1, which takes the load off the rears, center, and sub receiver amp). My AV receiver is actually capable of 7.2, but I don’t need that. Be careful of paying more for a receiver with bells and whistles you don’t need, and will only compromise its overall performance (which it already is).

Thus, I spent about $800 for both an AV receiver and a well respected 2 channel amp that sounds much better than the receiver in 2 channel. In other words, you can spend less than $1,000 and get better 2 channel sound than any receiver is capable of alone for that budget, and still a have home theater setup where the overall sound is not as critical compared to listening to music in stereo. You simply must get an AV receiver with separate pre-outs available, and the lower end receivers do not have that capability.

I run Vandersteen 2CE Sigs as my fronts, Vandersteen 1C’s as my rears, a nice ELAC center and a sub. The Vandersteen’s are not nearly as efficient as your Klipsch. My dedicated 2 channel 140 wpc amp drives the 2CE’s easily, and the receiver drives the others easily in HT mode. I don’t think your Klipsch need much power to drive vs my set-up. But power isn’t the most critical factor, sound quality is for me when listening to music, so I like the option of driving my fronts with a separate amp that satisfy the quality I want, and can upgrade that amp again if I desire. The sound quality of HT via the AV receiver isn’t as important to me, but it does sound pretty good.

Since you only will be using the AV receiver for the center and surrounds you can purchase one at lower cost. Use most of the $1000 for the 2-channel integrated.  Look for a used 5.1 receiver. You will need the remote with the receiver.

I use a AV receiver to augment TV/movie watching in my living room. Only use the L, R, and center outputs. Don,t feel the need for surrounds at all. 

You might find that the 2-channel integrated used in 2-channel mode for video suffices. 

Not sure why he would need an integrated if he can pre-out to a dedicated amp, using the AV receiver as the pre. That is what I do, and over time have attempted to take my Yamaha out of equation completely, only really using it as a pass-thru and ‘switcher’ between modes.

The reviver will already have what an integrated provides. A separate amp will help obtain better sound in 2 channel.

Yes the use of a better amplifier may help, however one would still be passing a signal through a multichannel processor as part of a budget AVR. I believe the OP is interested in starting with a 2-channel system and adding the video system later.

@millercarbon

"Home theater advice only really pertains if you are truly setting up a home theater with a lot of seating. In other words hardly anyone in the sweet spot. That's the real reason for all the channels. Because without the center channel people sitting way off center will hear the dialog coming from whichever speaker is closest instead of from the screen in the middle. Also all the effects coming from left or right, they will only sound right from the sweet spot, so everyone else needs the surround speakers to try and even things out.

It never works. No matter how many channels or how they are processed or how wonderful the speakers or how perfectly placed still no matter what it only ever sounds really good in the sweet spot. All you can possibly do by adding all the channels is degrade and debase whatever quality was there to begin with. Because that is the inevitable result of running it through anything multichannel.

I know. I tried. Been there. Done that. Satellites. Full range surrounds. All kinds of A/V receivers, and processors, and separates. Absolute total waste of time. And money.

Which according to the OP, $1k budget, you can afford to waste very little.

But hey, don't take my word for it. Seriously. Do not take my word for it. Go and listen. Go find the very best A/V receiver you can possibly afford. Then ask to compare it side by side with any integrated amp they happen to have in the store. ANY. If it takes you more than a nanosecond to realize the AV is crap then by all means buy it. Its what you deserve.

I mean that literally and not as an insult. No one should pay for performance they can't hear. Go and listen."

I have to politely/respectfully/whole heartedly disagree... and no offense/insult taken.

It is possible to set up a good "do it all" system.  It may not compete with TOTL equipment using separates and monoblocks...  but a properly set up HT system can perform very well.  Even when not in a dedicated room.

To me... it's amusing when company is over, watching a movie, and they start looking around, (even out the front windows), when they try to determine where a particular ambient sound came from, (bird chirping... horn honking... etc.)

It's also enjoyable watching people relax and veg a little when getting into the 3D holographic soundstage when listening to music.

Granted... I'm cheating a little by using 7 omnipolar speakers... but I would also debate/argue that a 7 channel system is harder to set up properly... especially when not using room correction software.