Your friend has lots of options really. I bought a friend some Paradigms as a birthday gift to get her started on a HT system. I think I got a pair of Titans and a CC-170, found them used (demos) for about $180 each. Add some of their dipolar surrounds and a sub and you've got a nice system for about $1000. That leaves you another $1000 for a receiver and cables.
You could also try Energy or Mirage for their packages.
You could also try Energy or Mirage for their packages.