I agree with the 50% or more rule of thumb for speakers
If I was in the market or I had my time again Id buy one of these
http://shop.emotiva.com/collections/.../products/umc1
With this to power the fronts & centre
http://shop.emotiva.com/collections/.../products/xpa3
& this to power the rears
http://shop.emotiva.com/collections/...roducts/xpa200
Ive got an emotiva pre & power amp in my stereo & they are unbelievable for the money.
Those fella's that say you cant tell the difference in sound quality, you will with this gear & its not that much dearer than a good quality reciever.
Ive got a pioneer reciever SC-LX 83 that cost me $2500, they were $3,600 retail. The emotiva gear shiits all over the pioneer, the sound quality is awesome.
Dont discount buying second hand stereo gear for your home.
Audio heads tend to really look after their gear & upgrade a lot. There are plenty of bargains around