You can definitely lower your dollar costs by buying used, but it will be significantly harder for you to achieve satisfactory results. If you wish to delve into the minutiae of system assembling and room acoustics while you critically listen to dozens of combinations of equipment, then buying used on Audiogon is an excellent way to spend the next year (or two) putting together a system. I strongly suggest you read the following Audiogon thread titled The Secret to A Good Sounding System. It will give you an idea of the amount of effort needed to put together a good sounding system. Alternatively, you could work with a high end retailer and ask them to design your room, system and provide setup.
Regardless of what method you choose, I would strongly recommend you spend at least 20% on room acoustics. You will never achieve high quality sound without addressing the room acoustic issue.
Regardless of what method you choose, I would strongly recommend you spend at least 20% on room acoustics. You will never achieve high quality sound without addressing the room acoustic issue.