Complete newbie needing guidance/purchase advice

If you are just starting, then buy starter equipment. The phrase you used 'critical listening' tells me you may have already been influenced by the guru folks. I can only recommend what I own. POLK lsi15 $700 used. HK 3490 receiver $279 new and Marantz CD 5004 $349 new. If you have to have sacd, then the Onkyo CS5vl $369 new. A lot of people advise newbies based on the equipment that they have accured after 30 years or so, but whatever you buy it won't be the last system you own. Remember, a CD / LP containing music that makes you happy , will make any system sound great. Forget the 'critical' stuff. By the time you get through being critical, Beethoven's 9th will have finished and you will have missed it.

Pretty overwhelming amount, and variety, of information isn’t it? There is some really good info here. I’ve been going through this process for the last 2 years and have learned a lot from this forum, and my own trial-and-error process. Here is what I have learned…hopefully it will help you in your quest.

1. Each person values different things in music, and thus the system they assemble. For instance, my friend Bill really wants to hear the hi-hat cymbal shine and a really deep, textural, bass. Whereas I’m not as concerned about that as much as a beautifully smooth mid-range. Neither is right nor wrong…just what each person values in the music. You have to keep that in mind when reading reviews, or opinions from others.
2. Listening to as many speakers and amplifiers as possible is incredibly valuable. I’ve listened to probably a hundred different speaker/amplifier combos in the last 2 years. I had preconceived notions of what I was going to like…mostly based on reviews and forum opinions. It was a random visit to a stereo dealer in Salt Lake City, while on vacation, that I happened upon the speakers I would fall in love with. Speakers I had never even heard of before…the Totem Rainmakers. I absolutely love these speakers in my 2.0 winter system, and I never would have found them had I not made a point to stop in everywhere I could to listen.
3. It really does matter where the speakers are going to be used, and for what purpose. I have three speaker setups, and each one is very different…because of the intended use and location. Keep this in mind when choosing your setup. My home theatre setup is Mirage OMD-28s, with matching center and surrounds. These speakers need room around them, and ample power, to really shine. In that setting, they are amazing. My office setup is very different, with Gallo A’Divas as the satellites in a Cambridge Soundworks Model 12 system (with tube buffer of course)…as they are 6 inches off the back wall, and the only speakers that I found that work well that close to a wall. Your room is a huge factor in your setup.
4. Trust your ears…not people’s opinions. You will find those that think anything other than Tube gear is garbage, and those that think tubes are junk…you get the picture. My buddy hates tubes; I like them in the pre-amp stage, but not in the amp stage. I like class D amps, while others hate them. Listen to different systems to discover what YOU like.
5. Try and fail. I have bought things and then discovered I didn’t like them. I sold them here to people that loved them. You can buy and sell on here with little cost. I bought my Rainmakers on here, and they are in great shape. It’s a great way to try things out in your home. Don’t expect to get it right on the first try.
6. Lastly, you don’t have to spend a fortune for really wonderful sound. My main system wasn’t cheap…but my winter system cost around a grand, and is incredibly satisfying. I can listen to it all day with a smile on my face. It is easy to get wrapped up in pursuing the absolute best sound possible, but I choose to just enjoy the 95% of that I get from my system. After all, perfection doesn’t exist in the world, so why pursue it?

Hope this helps in your journey. It may get frustrating or overwhelming, but in the end you will have a system that will bring you enjoyment for a long time. Have fun with it!

Mot

"Lastly, you don’t have to spend a fortune for really wonderful sound. My main system wasn’t cheap…but my winter system cost around a grand, and is incredibly satisfying. I can listen to it all day with a smile on my face. "
Awesome post Mano!!

R-man9 - Don't apologize for your budget. It is what it is. You can put together a satisfying system on a limited budget at almost (almost) any price point. So what if it isn't equal to the ultra-bucks systems posted here. You won't be a-b'ing at home. If you enjoy it, comparative performance becomes theoretical. Nobody has to like it except you. On the other hand, if you are so inclined your "ear" can be educated. You've received a lot of good input so far. If you haven't already, definitely check out "budget minded systems" on this site. Listen a lot- especially (if you can find one) at a friendly audio dealer who has your best interests in mind and is more interested in cultivating a long term customer rather than making a quick kill. Buy used. Before you buy anything, however, it might help to have an idea about your "ideal" but realistic (total $-wise) future system in mind...that is have the overall system in mind from the start and build towards it. Personally, as a first step, I'd probably upgrade speakers. Follow up with a better amp, then source. That might not be orthodoxy but it is how I'd go. Amp/speaker pairing can be an interative process (actually, over time, the entire process is). One change leads to another. FWIW - my first glimpse of "good sound" was from a Superex headphones and an HH Scott receiver back in 1970. Kid in high school. No money and my folks weren't about to buy a stereo for me. Spent a lot of time listening to "underground FM" back in the day. Good luck. I'll be interested in reading any future posts as to what you end up doing.

PS - Dude! My apologies!! An oversight on my part. I did not completely read your post. If you've been working in the biz that long, your ear probably don't need no educatin'. Trust it!

OK - posting additional opinion and further cause for immolation by the audiophile-elite that reside here, I'd recommend working towards efficient 2-way floor standers and an integrated tube amp. Integration of a sub w/monitors can be a PITA. "Used for all" is the operative phrase.