I decided it was time to upgrade my Sony home theater in a box.  They were a decent set for the price, but I was looking for something better so I picked up a Harman Kardon AVR-247 and a set of Aperion Audio 7.1 4 Series speakers.  I had read some really good reviews from CNET about Aperion Audio, even though I had previously never heard of the company.  They are a small company based in Portland, OR.  I gave them a call about what I should select and I was able to talk to a real person, not some computerized recording.  I don’t mind automated systems, but a lot of the time the computer tries to figure out what you want and fails.  In some systems it doesn’t let you call the operator and you are just stuck.  With Aperion Audio being a small company,  I was able to get to a representative right away and they were very kind and helpful.