Perhaps we should stick with midfi...

Gong,

I would not worry about things like midfi, hi end labels on gear.

Its good to have reasons for buying things other than just to buy stuff that is "better". You always have to start with getting the right speakers for your taste that can work the room well. Then you go for an amp that is capable of driving the speakers to the max. Then you tweak the source and wires, etc. If you do a good job with the amp and speakers and room synergy, the rest comes down largely to personal preference using most any decent gear.

Gong,

Shh, ixnay on the don't have to spend a lot thing. We don't want that to get around!

You'll spend more than for a boombox and less than for Carnegie Hall with booked acts hopefully.

Stick around here for a while and then let's see what happens. Heck you already have some pretty nice toys to play with!

This site is a nice tweak that tends to lubricate your ears and wallet together by design. You're off to a good start.