Good advice above. I would definitely go listen to gear before you buy if possible - if you live in the hinterlands, even if it means a dedicated trip to metro area or waiting until you are in town for other reasons.
Tip 2 - listen to really great gear well set up as a benchmark, and then go to listen to gear within your budget and try to put together a combination that approaches what you heard in the $$$ room.
Tip 3 - or, more of an alternative suggestion, if you have time and interest, you could do some Internet research and start buying used gear online, trying it in your home in different combination. Synergy of gear is what it is all about, and often lesser investments can outperform greater investments if the less expensive pieces are well-matched.
Finally, if you have been out of the market for a long time, you will be shocked at how much you can spend on audio gear now... another reason to look at used stuff.
Tip 2 - listen to really great gear well set up as a benchmark, and then go to listen to gear within your budget and try to put together a combination that approaches what you heard in the $$$ room.
Tip 3 - or, more of an alternative suggestion, if you have time and interest, you could do some Internet research and start buying used gear online, trying it in your home in different combination. Synergy of gear is what it is all about, and often lesser investments can outperform greater investments if the less expensive pieces are well-matched.
Finally, if you have been out of the market for a long time, you will be shocked at how much you can spend on audio gear now... another reason to look at used stuff.