Audio Systems: Reciever, crap btw, baileys crossroads

Question
Hi, how are you?  My name is Mike, I'm a junior at ames Madison University.  Since I came back for the Winter break I have been asking my parents to look in to new audio equipment.  They have a 20 year old JVC R-X300 reciever.  Today I took the screens off the 2 bookshelf speakers they have hooked up to the reciever and found that they were both blown.  My parents are definately going to get new speakers, but do you think they need to get new reciever?  The equalizer on the reciever did not work with the current speakers, but I'm not sure if that was because the speakers were blown.  Adjusting the sound is not like modern audio equipment where you just set it to rock, jazz, classical, etc...  You have to adjust it all manually.  What do you think?
Also, if they are going to get both a reciever and a set of speakers should they get a combo set, or should they buy them seperately?

Thanks,
Mike Keating

Answer
Dear Mike,

What do your parents want? (Since I have children who have long since graduated from college, that's a fair question.)

Okay, first, I love Harrisonburg and the Dukes. We live in Fairfax County and are thinking about relocating to where you are in our (soon to come) dotage. Lovely country. University town. Smack dab in the midst of the Shenandoahs. What more could you ask for?

Which is not what you asked.

No, seriously, what do *they* want? If it's something modest, then I'd suggest a small Sony A/V receiver (starting at $200) and a couple of PSB Alpha speakers (www.psbspeakers.com to find a dealer--tho' the closest to JMU that I know of is Sound Images on US 50 in Baileys Crossroads (Fairfax Co.)) at around $250/pair.

I do *not* recommend one-box systems (with the built-in "classical", "rock", etc. equalizers) or equalization of any sort. If you get good speakers, equalization isn't necessary. Honestly, the one-box systems are all made of plastic and sound like crap.

BTW, if speakers are truly "blown", then you'll get either a loud noise or no sound at all.

Good luck. And thanks for choosing allexperts.com!

Kindest regards,

Kevin