+ 1 on what audionoobie said (good advice).
My suggestion is to build your system in "stages," so that you can buy the best of what you like and can afford at that particular time period. Doing things this way will satisfy your itch to upgrade your system, which affects most of us in this hobby. I consider it a bad year if I don't either upgrade a component or (more likely) add at least one meaningful tweak to my system. So.....
STAGE 1: buy your components (I'm assuming you'll start with an integrated amp, speakers, CD player and/or turntable).
STAGE 2: high quality interconnects, power cords and speaker cables.
Rule # 1 - never pay full price for these items. There are so many good options in the used marketplace (including Audiogon). Plus, there are some manufacturers that will sell to you direct at a significant discount; so, do your research there. An additional benefit of buying used cables is not having to deal with the break in period.
STAGE 3: Power conditioning and/or possibly a separate DAC or subwoofer. Perhaps you'll get lucky and find an integrated amp with a built - in DAC that you like and can live with for awhile.
STAGE 4: Let the "tweaking" begin. Whether it's for component isolation, RFI/EFI noise issues, connectivity, etc, you can get as immersed in this as you want and at a very affordable price. This would include tube rolling, if you end up with any tubed components.
Doing things this way will probably take you many years, which will keep you passionately involved in this hobby. You'll be researching all kinds of things and constantly learning about this wonderful hobby (same might say affliction). There is a great group of people on this site, so continue to read the daily forums because you will learn a lot.
Bottom line: good luck in your search and happy listening!
My suggestion is to build your system in "stages," so that you can buy the best of what you like and can afford at that particular time period. Doing things this way will satisfy your itch to upgrade your system, which affects most of us in this hobby. I consider it a bad year if I don't either upgrade a component or (more likely) add at least one meaningful tweak to my system. So.....
STAGE 1: buy your components (I'm assuming you'll start with an integrated amp, speakers, CD player and/or turntable).
STAGE 2: high quality interconnects, power cords and speaker cables.
Rule # 1 - never pay full price for these items. There are so many good options in the used marketplace (including Audiogon). Plus, there are some manufacturers that will sell to you direct at a significant discount; so, do your research there. An additional benefit of buying used cables is not having to deal with the break in period.
STAGE 3: Power conditioning and/or possibly a separate DAC or subwoofer. Perhaps you'll get lucky and find an integrated amp with a built - in DAC that you like and can live with for awhile.
STAGE 4: Let the "tweaking" begin. Whether it's for component isolation, RFI/EFI noise issues, connectivity, etc, you can get as immersed in this as you want and at a very affordable price. This would include tube rolling, if you end up with any tubed components.
Doing things this way will probably take you many years, which will keep you passionately involved in this hobby. You'll be researching all kinds of things and constantly learning about this wonderful hobby (same might say affliction). There is a great group of people on this site, so continue to read the daily forums because you will learn a lot.
Bottom line: good luck in your search and happy listening!