I really don't understand the whole 'everything is the same brand and looks fully sick' theories that everyone seems to work on now.
I spend a quarter of the money on my stereo that others do and it kicks the **** out of their crappy brand name everything stereos. So what if mine doesn't have a brand name on everything and it doesnt have the rice glowing under the blacklight strips surrounding the speakers? Its a stereo, and mine SOUNDS better! Of course I use brand name equipment, but I would never say one is better than another unless they have a technology nobody else has the skill to replicate.
Here's the theory if anybody likes sound as opposed to conformity:
Know what you want, shop around, find out your options.
Find the cheapest and forget it. Judge between the 2nd 3rd and 4th cheapest what features they have (only the ones you will actually use) and then go for the best value!
Remember, with a sound system, sound is the primary objective.