The speakers will be the most critical & if possible try to audition in home with your other gear. I'm guessing you are only going to use a CD as source, so my suggestion is an AMC CD8b, which is an excellent 24/96 player for the money. You can pick up a demo for $169 at AudioAdvisor. As for power, I would go with an integrated to start with. Again, I recommend AudioAdvisor, as they carry the Musical Fidelity line & you can get some great demo deals there. Additionally, they have a 30 day in home trial, so if you decide you don't like or want the stuff, you get to send it back minus the shipping. I've bought & sold about $8,000.00 of used gear using this site, AudioShopper & the old Audio Review & have been extremely satisfied. Most of the people you deal with at these sites are all here for the same reason & can be trusted. This site offers feedback & if you have doubts you can use COD. There are also some good dealers who can be trusted. Again, refer to their feedback. As for cabling, that will take some experimenting. There are so many good cables out there-for example MIT has some good entry level stuff that won't set you back too much. There is also the Absolute Power Cord that can be had for $50.00 new. Hope some of that helps & if you can't find the links & are interested, email me & I'll send them to you. Good luck.
new system for beginner
i am not terribly familar with hi quality stereo equipment. i am looking to build my first system though. i am mostly interested in buying used quality equipment. i do not have a lot of room to fill and i only listen to cds. i am wondering what the good brands are to with. speakers are the area of most concern and i haveno idea what to look for. if this is too novice of a thread i understand. my knowledge is limited and i have to start somewhere. thanks for any help.