Gaining listening experience without spending money

If you’re interested in classical music, start a 30-day trial of the Berlin Philharmonic Digital Concert Hall. It is fascinating to see and hear a piece performed once in 2010, and again with a different conductor in 2017. You may not gain experience about the sound system itself, but this is an amazing way to gain experience about what goes into making the sound that your system reproduces.

You can start off by buying used components. This allows you to affordably find what you like. Later you can buy new components or higher quality used components. Of course, Audiogon is a great place to do this.