1.have fun with the whole thing. In a sense hi-fi components are tools for enjoying music but they're also toys. when you take home that piece, you should be excited and happy (like a kid at xmas), not anxious and worried about how much $ you just spent. decide how much great sound is worth to you before buying.
2.audition stuff at home as much as you can, with your own components and room interacting with the auditioned piece
3.use your favorite music (stuff you've heard a million times) to audition things - that way you'll be aware what a system or component is doing (or not doing) - the "wow, I never heard that before" effect
4.audition things in a relaxed situation, take your time, then put the thing-to-be-replaced back into the system at the end of the audition to see the contrast again
5.find a dealer who 1) has stuff that sounds good to you and 2) you can trust (i.e. will let you take things home to try without charging your credit card). you'll pay more to buy from 'bricks and mortar', but until you're educated and confident about this stuff, the information and help the trustworthy dealer gives you will be enormously useful
2.audition stuff at home as much as you can, with your own components and room interacting with the auditioned piece
3.use your favorite music (stuff you've heard a million times) to audition things - that way you'll be aware what a system or component is doing (or not doing) - the "wow, I never heard that before" effect
4.audition things in a relaxed situation, take your time, then put the thing-to-be-replaced back into the system at the end of the audition to see the contrast again
5.find a dealer who 1) has stuff that sounds good to you and 2) you can trust (i.e. will let you take things home to try without charging your credit card). you'll pay more to buy from 'bricks and mortar', but until you're educated and confident about this stuff, the information and help the trustworthy dealer gives you will be enormously useful