I would go for the 477 considering the greater amplifier power than the 300s series, also got full 5 channel banana plug speaker terminal at the rear. Last year I bought the 477 for RM1799, it was a quick last minute decision because I was about to buy the 377. About gadget features, I don't really use them

For home theater the center speaker is the most important follow by front than the surrounds. Of course not to forget about sub. Movies cannot be without sub 😜

1. Budget is too low for discrete equipment. Only enough for those All-in-one package.
2. Unless you have proper space to put and wire the surround sound speaker/placement, i said forget it, and look for a soundbar instead.

If budget is limited, I suggest step by step investment in your setup. Much better than investing in cheap product one shot.

Buy the most important equipment first, then add the other equipment later.

Firstly, get a receiver and player. Try to find the good quality center, left and right speaker from the same model. This 3 channel is the most important channel in home theater. (Don't set surround speaker as NO in your receiver if you want to hear more detail). Now you can enjoy the movie.

Secondly, get a pair of surround, also if possible find the surround speaker from the same model like the front speakers. Standard speakers (aiwa, sony, etc) also can be use as surround, just to add surround effect. Normally surround speakers is not to be set as loud as the front speakers.

Thirdly, find a good subwoofer. While waiting for subwoofer to came in, you still can enjoy the movie with good sound quality produced by the 3 front speakers.

For your budget of 1300 + 1200, the Sony HT RT5 (RM2.2k).

Will actually sound better than that craptacular Denon 1312 set.
Alternatively, you can opt for a Yamaha NSP40 system which is at least more decent than the Denon.

Again, I don't suggest you opt this route if ultimately you are going to have a full HT setup. You will lose more money in the end.

It's actually a very simple choice for your budget which I'm not sure why you are still pondering on.

2.5k budget breaks down to:
- 2x Sony SS-CS3 floorstanders (RM1200)
- 1x Yamaha V477 AVR (1.4k)
- Top up RM100

You might be asking, wth no sub?!@#!@$
The real harsh truth is that all those cheap subs you see in HTiB or AIO systems are horrendous. The CS3 floorstanders can produce bass way better than any of them, with ease.

Your path to upgrading is pretty much only limited by your wallet after this, rather than replacing EVERYTHING.

Wow, very good info. Thanks 

Bought the sony sscs5 speakers, any recommended budget amp/receiver to go with? The cheaper the better, <500 preferred