$1500 for a whole system, budding audiophile

+1 Lou_setriodes
Not everyone has more money than brains. We should be encouraging more people to get into this hobby at what ever level they can afford to get in at, not mock them for not having enough money to be a "true audiophile".

I have not heard one, but have read nothing but good about the Arcam Solo Music. AM/FM receiver and cd player in one. I have considered buying one of them used for a bedroom system, but it should work well in this capacity as well. If one is patient, they can be found for less than $1000 on the used market shipped. That would leave $500 for speakers and speaker cables. The Solo Music is 4 ohm capable so there are many musically satisfying speakers available and compatible in your price range. The speaker choice would depend on sonic and aesthetic preferences then (floor stander or stand mount, bass quantity vs quality, type of music listened to, intended volume range, etc.).