Quoted from FatPanda:

I was trying to get away from buying a receiver, but understand that it might be necessary if I want to have a proper setup.
I've got a 5.1 HT system in my basement, but didn't want to have to duplicate it for our living room too. We do watch movies and listen to music in the living room; I guess I'm looking for great sound but don't need thunderous bass from a subwoofer.

Quoted from Goronic:

I would recommend using a sub for most sound purposes. You can always turn it down to remove the thunder effect but still have a nice low dynamic range.