Originally Posted by
JustaSheep
First off, Thank you for your service, QuackAttack. I am amazed and humbled by the selflessness of our military personal. It's because of men and women like you that we are even able to enjoy such a hobby. Thank you for your sacrifice.
As for Ascend, I think you've made a good choice. If quality and service is your number one concern, you're in the right place. I just received my Sierra Towers last night and the whole experience has been a pleasure. There are many knowledgeable people here (not me) who will help you along the way and an active forum like this tells you a lot about those involved with Ascend and the satisfaction of their customers.
I just got an Onkyo 809 (my first Onkyo) and really like it. It is feature rich and the sound is an improvement over my much older Denon. This is not at all a knock against Denon, it was an older lower level model...not an apples to apples comparison.
I can't say much about the bookshelves you are looking at yet, but I will be ordering some myself to fill out the surround sound setup.