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Thank you, everybody who has answered me in this thread. After more reading and thinking I am most likely to go with either HT-RC370 or TX-NR709 and save for an external amp.

cornfedksboy , they all have pre-outs and 7 channel analog input. Can you really hear the difference your 125 wpc Marantz makes vs 110 wpc Onkyo?

I am going to upgrade my old Denon and looking at different Onkyo models. The choice is between 3 of them: HT-RC370, TX-NR709 and TX-NR809. I looked at the specifications on Onkyo site and back panel pictures of all these models, but still can't decide. HT-RC370 vs TX-NR709. The 709 has 10 extra watts of power per channel, which I probably will not need or notice with my speakers, 1 more HDMI in and out and zone 2 trigger. Other then that they look the same. For some reason HT-RC370 has less complains about failures and negative reviews. The difference in price is not significant. TX-NR809 on the other hand has different (better?) video chip HQV Vida and push-pull design. Are these 2 improvements worth spending extra $200? Will I hear the difference in sound or notice better picture quality? It also has more power, but again even my 70 watt Denon has more power than I need.

Willland, unfortunately my BD player does not have analog 5.1 or 7.1 output. When I bought it I was not smart enough to look at this feature. I am currently considering Marantz SR5005 - looks like it has all I need for now (HDMI 1.4a and all new codecs) and has 7.1 input and 7.1 pre-out to cover my future needs. Amazon sells it for $488. Is it a good choice for this money or are there alternatives worth considering in the same price range?

After tweaking my DB player settings I managed to get the sound from the surround speakers. Thus currently I am getting DTS sound from DB disks instead of DTS-HD. Will I even hear the difference if I upgrade to a receiver capable to decode TrueHD? Will it sound better of is it just a marketing trick to keep people buying new stuff? I am not interested in 3-D, but sound quality improvement is important for me.

I have Denon AVR-1801 receiver that I purchased almost 11 years ago. It can decode DTS. I have 5.1 setup and my old receiver did a great job while watching DVD's and BluRay disks. I use a coaxial cable to connect a DB player to the receiver. Lately I have watched several DB movies where I have noticed that my rear speakers do not produce any sound. The soundtrack on these disks was in "DTS-HD Master Audio". I expected this new format to be compatible with DTS but it apparently isn't unless I am doing something wrong. I read that receiver can't handle new HD formats when connected with coaxial cable. Is it a problem I am experiencing? Digital output on DB player is set to "DTS re-encode". Unforgettably my DB player does not have 5.1 or 7.1 analog output, so a can't connect it to the receiver with analog cables. Does it make sense to upgrade a receiver at this point? What would you recommend if my budget is around $500? I want a receiver with 7.1 analog input and 7.1 pre-out, HDMI inputs and able to decode DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD.

Jason, if I ignore the front I do not have to do anything. The grills already hide the problem, but I know that it is there. I have bought this speaker in current condition, but eventually I will need to sell it (when I find RC-7 to replace it), so I want to fix it. Is it possible to buy a black vinyl and use it instead of veneer? This speaker's originally finish is vinyl, I am just not sure I can get it...

I will consider paint and veneer. Although I had no experience with veneer it looks like a manageable first project (I am not talking about covering the whole speaker, just the sides and those little areas where the sides are attached). Should I look for a veneer in a local Woodcraft store or are there well known places online who also sell it?

I currently have an RC-3 with a vinyl slightly peeling of the sides. It looks like it has shrunk a bit and will not cover the exposed area if I just try to put some glue on it. Is there a better way to repair it? Can I buy the vinyl that will work for this application? Here is a picture:

Thanks for the ideas. I have decided to build the stands, working on design now. If everything works out well they will raise the speakers few inches from the floor and will create an angle as I initially intended. I do not want to place them too high risking that kids could know them off.

Right now I have a pair of RB-75's just standing on the floor. I have tried a couple of different speaker stands with them but at 32lbs they are just to heavy and the whole setup does not feel solid enough. I was thinking about building a base to raise the fronts of the speakers the same way it is done on Heresy's. Have anyone tries this idea before? Another option would be more solid stands (I need 22"-24"), but I did not have luck finding a pair of those for reasonable price so far. Anyone can suggest what brands to look for?