... cause I do not believe it either . Quincy Jones + Studio Level speaker mfgr = quality I do not expect at a value I could never get through normal channel . I be not a audiophile , but these create a better sound space than my local movie theater . I do not plan to add surround sound to my flat-screen till I find these , but now I actually look forward to sit down to the sound as much as the picture with my new flat screen . for the first few week , we turn around on several occassion think someone might be in the house , when we hear a particularly clear back noise . it be eerie . on the older silver line set that I own , lab analysis show a nice , even sound across all bandwidth except for a narrow drop off just below the voice range . when I first buy these I think I could hear that difference play the same song back and forth with my home audio system . now I do not hear it , but I think I have just get use to it . of course my home audio system can not touch the clean simplicity of the high on ribbon technology speaker . as a point of comparison , when I sit in the comfy leather chair at Best-Buy to watch they top of the line set up , the sound be a little bit richer and beefier than this set up will deliver . still , these be not toy themselves . at 110 pound there be a lot of mass in speaker magnet . when I come home to this I be very satisfied with this sound . it be way beyond the cheese-factor of a typical home theater in a box , convey movie sound track and football game well enough to entrance -lrb- too well - I have gain 20 pound -rrb- and the sense of thing move in space be believable and real . for I it be clear enough that I have save hundred on movie I now watch at home instead of in the theater . I think the way they can do this so cheaply be by not chase the most recent audio format\/standard on the receiver . you 'll notice Dolby do not say `` dolby-hd . '' note too that there be no build disc player , etc. . just sound stuff : a tuner and a amplifier . to my ear the quality of these speaker contribute a lot more than anything in the latest dt or Dolby standard and , with good speaker , I can not tell the difference . if you ear can tell the difference deliver by the most recent standard you may want to upgrade the receiver at some point and keep the speaker , or you may be able to hear thing I can not and need to be shop in the 3-5k range . I love mine just as it be . they clearly have find a affordable way to harness ribbon technology too . I remember in the 80 's giant ribbon tech speaker be ultra high-end . note too that there be no hdmus pass-through connection on the back . that may be a deal breaker for some , it work fine for I . I just connect the optical port out of my tv to the optical in on this receiver . so , for blu-ray disc my bd player connect directly to the tv with hdmus and the tv connect to this receiver via optical . Works for I . the lack of hdmus pass through be probably another way they manage to keep the cost this low . I have trouble believe you could get sound this good at this cost . if I have not find the audio response datum , I would have assume the positive reviewer just do not know sound . I take a risk and be well reward . I be no audiophile myself but my sense be I could get this quality , more connection , and maybe a little more volume if I be willing to spend about $ 2k on something else . Hope that help .