Originally posted by: JE78
Are you saying the 4100 is better out of the box than the SS2300 or for future upgrades? I just don't understand how a system with no HDMI is better than a system with HDMI when there is a PS3 system involved that takes advantage of the HDMI bandwidth.
It's better out of the box and for future upgrades.
Out of the box the receiver is more capable(with the exception of HDMI) which has more inputs and more power. It comes with a power subwoofer which is a significant step up from the HTiB passive design. In addition it uses a 8" sub instead of a 6".
For future expansion:
You can use the receiver when and if you choose to upgrade to more expensive receivers until you find it necessary to upgrade that as well. It again has more inputs which will allow you to connect game systems, DVD players, TV's etc.
The only advantage the Sony system has is, as you mentioned HDMI. The only advantage that gives you is the lossless audio formats. If you were looking into a more expensive system then I would definitely recommend spending to extra money to get that feature. However, as I mentioned before, I doubt that you will notice the difference between the DD and DTS tracks the PS3 can output and the lossless audio tracks with the speakers the sony system comes with. Also as I mentioned before, you can't upgrade the speakers on the sony system so if you wanted to get better speakers to better justify the lossless audio, you would be out of luck with that receiver.