If you’re doing well in this economy, and you really want to blow the world away with your audio and video, check out the Marantz SR7005 receiver.

There is simply nothing better on the market right now.

Some people who spend a lot of money on audio/video products will say “no, Denon is better,” but they are essentially the same thing in different cases.

The SR7005 has six HDMI inputs, including one in the front, iPhone/iPod integration/AirPlay receiver, network media (Windows 7 compatible) playing and multiple zones to power speakers in different rooms.

OK so the catch is it’s $1500, but when you figure out that you spend about triple that on speakers, a TV, video game systems, Blu-ray, etc., it gets less scary.

The unit is advertised as a 7.1 system, but I’m very happy using it as a 5.2 system, as it has two subwoofer outputs.

As our friend Kirk Hobbs from South Shore Audio Video Installation points out, if you are going to go 7.1 or increase your speakers in any way, it’s best to start from the front. You don’t necessarily need four speakers behind you. Start with the basic 5.1 system, and add two additional front speakers, set above your first ones. This is especially true if you have high ceilings and are mounting speakers to the wall with the television.

You have plenty of room on the SR7005, because it supports up to 11 speakers in three different zones.

Setup was a breeze. The on-screen menu makes life easier. Plug everything in, then assign the correct names to your devices. Then plug in the included microphone, which automatically starts the speaker setup. Let it run through its paces, and your surround sound will be optimized automatically to the architecture of your room.

AirPlay is certainly one of the best features, especially for iPhone users, you can literally press a few buttons and send music and movies to their television. Windows 7 connectivity adds a similar bonus.

With its network connectivity features, the SR7005 also allows you to access Pandora and similar music services. The only thing I was looking for was Netflix. Perhaps in a future firmware upgrade…

Audio quality blew me away. The unit’s seven discrete, 125 watt amplifiers really do the job. Bass is powerful, high notes are clear with no distortion. Voices sound like they are in the room with you.

It also handles the full suite of Dolby technology: TrueHD, Digital Plus, Pro Logic IIz, IIx, II, Virtual Speaker, and Dolby Headphone as well as DTS features including HD Master Audio, High Resolution Audio, ES Discete6.1, Matrix6.1, Neo:6, 96/24, Express, and Neural Surround.

The unit is also sized right. It’s no bigger than any other receiver. It fits in your rack or TV cabinet just fine with the cable box and PS3.

If you’re looking for a high-quality choice to focus your home theater around, the SR7005 is right on the money.

Sometimes you can just allow yourself to sit back and enjoy the music.

That’s what Blast got to do for the last few months as we tested out the Paradigm Studio Esprit reference speakers.

The front of the system is essentially the three same speakers: the Esprit L/R and C for center. We paired the front speakers the Paradigm’s Studio ADP-590 surrounds bringing up the rear.

We also tested their Seismic 10 subwoofer.

Total price: $6,652.

The speakers have incredible range and sound great in all applications — including CD music, television, video games and DTS audio.

Installation is a worry. Unless you want to dish out $500 more for the left/right stands, you have to mount the speakers to the wall, which ends up being quite a construction feat.

Robert Stanton, co-owner of Connecticut’s Smarthome & Theater Systems and its “head geek” who’s helped me out on several Boston Globe stories, said the system was impressive too.

The most important thing about an audio setup, Stanton said, is that all the speakers are the same brand.

“That’s very important,” he said. “When sound travels across the surround field, you want whatever is whipping by you to sound the same through every speaker.”

We were both most impressed by the Paradigm set.

Pros: It’s the best-sounding system on the list. The front, center, and rear speakers combine to create a realistic surround sound experience, and the subwoofer not only shakes a room but adds deep definition to the package.

Cons: Price is a worry. If you don’t want to drill a half dozen holes in your wall, the stands for the front speaker cost $500 more.

Overall: The Esprit sounds amazing and gets the job done, no matter what you’re using it for.

Specs on page 2.

I have been interested in Anthony Gallo products since before my review of the A’Diva Ti system a few months back. If you happen to be in Las Vegas next week, you might want to try to get near room 29-336 at The Venetian. That’s where Gallo will unveil the TR-3 subwoofer and the unbelievable Reference 5LS, (left) which stands 78″ and will house seven tweeters and 12 subwoofers, which — trust me — you can’t afford.

They will also unveil their new powered subwoofer, the TR-3, (above) which features 300 watts RMS in a cylindrical containment.

“The Reference 5LS is really the ‘big brother’ of our award-winning Reference 3.1,” said Derek Covin, vice president of national sales for Anthony Gallo Acoustics. “While it’s not completely omni-directional, it is the closest any line source has ever come to being omni-directional. This loudspeaker is the culmination of more than 25 years of loudspeaker design research.”

Many line sources horizontally offset their various drivers, but AGA alternates tweeter cylinders with mid-range spheres — vertically one atop the other – in perfect time alignment, AGA said in a statement Thursday. The result means that the phase and dispersion anomalies caused by the horizontal driver offsets are entirely eliminated.

The 5LS can be bi- or tri-wired/amped and can handle high power amps as well as high-quality low power sources.

On the deep end, the TR-3 builds off its brother, the TR-2. It offers clear yet powerful lows from 22Hz to 180Hz. Gallo says the new sub is available in black and silver, weighs 36 lb. and is 10.75" W x 12" H x 13.5" D.

“The TR-2 is a great subwoofer and we’ve gotten a lot of great feedback on that product,” said Covin. “The new TR-3 blends incredibly well with the satellites and creates a big, enveloping sound that allows you to get completely lost in your television and movies. This new sub is certainly not for the faint of heart.”