I would advise to not sell the stuff your father is giving you. In the past I had sold my two channel system and purchsed what I was led to believe to be a very good "mid-fi" surround system. To say I was dissapointed was a vast understatement. Not to boot thousands of dollars were spent.
My advice would be to keep the two channel system. Spend $1,000 at Best Buy or the like on a surround system and subwoofer with receiver. To do surround correctly with audiophile sonics you have to spend a LOT of money. By the way to those that are laughing at my advice on the $1,000 surround system, I bet the shattering glass and explosions aren't as "realistic" however I personally feel it is pointless (unless integrated into a two channel perhaps) to spend a lot of money on something that will only reproduce effects such as shattering glass and crashes.
Disclaimer: I am a music lover and 2 channel audiophile. I have only heard very few "surround systems" that do music as well as a dedicated rig.
Again, it was just my advice... But I personally would think your father's McIntosh gear will sound fantastic. A $1,500 or so surround sound will do the job. To sell the great gear to go backwards to a Sunfire will sound better than the Best Buy gear, but will most likely not come close to touching the McIntosh gear.
My advice would be to keep the two channel system. Spend $1,000 at Best Buy or the like on a surround system and subwoofer with receiver. To do surround correctly with audiophile sonics you have to spend a LOT of money. By the way to those that are laughing at my advice on the $1,000 surround system, I bet the shattering glass and explosions aren't as "realistic" however I personally feel it is pointless (unless integrated into a two channel perhaps) to spend a lot of money on something that will only reproduce effects such as shattering glass and crashes.
Disclaimer: I am a music lover and 2 channel audiophile. I have only heard very few "surround systems" that do music as well as a dedicated rig.
Again, it was just my advice... But I personally would think your father's McIntosh gear will sound fantastic. A $1,500 or so surround sound will do the job. To sell the great gear to go backwards to a Sunfire will sound better than the Best Buy gear, but will most likely not come close to touching the McIntosh gear.
