Home Theater Suggestions

[Kill Me Sarah]

I know this doesn't fit in to the typical Help & How To, but it's no Monkey Business either! I finally jumped on the LCD TV bandwagon and got myself a modest 42". I'm looking to upgrade my sound now. I went and bought myself a Bose Cinemate system, then took it back a couple days later, being a bit underwhelmed by it and not wanting to be underwhelmed by something I spent $500 on and couldn't add to or adjust in any way. So now I'm going the build-it-myself route and looking for suggestions. I still have about $500 to throw at it, and am aware that won't get me all the way there, but would like to get started. I'm in an apartment now, so only looking for a 2.1 or 3.1 system for the time being. Some guys on CNET suggested using the bulk of the money to buy a decent receiver, then buying some okay speakers to go with it that could be upgraded or added to later. One person actually suggested getting a nice used amp for around $250, then getting these and this. Thoughts? Suggestions?

[Rabid Garfunkel]

For researching (and cruising the discontinued/returned discounted merchandise!) crutchfield.com is a good place to start exploring.