I need help putting together a budget system

Thanks for the responses everyone, to answer a few questions

The room is going to be 12x16. It will be my office and mine alone so the gear can look like whatever. I like wood but I also like interesting looking gear. I love the look of exposed tube systems but dont know where that falls in the budget.

I was thinking that my desk would be on one of the 16' walls facing the other, but if that's not a good distance from the speakers than I am up for changing that around.

What I love to listen to most is acoustic music piano and guitar especially live recordings if they are done well. I want to hear every everything such as the incidental sounds like fingers on strings and breaths.

Its funny that you mention the Project debut III I used to have that very model and a Rotel pre.

Thanks again everyone.

alright I guess I really dont know what I am doing. I dont even know what an active speaker is. I will do some research.

Mike

OK that was easy, I guess Active speakers are fine if I have a pre-amp and or a DAC with multiple inputs. With Active speakers can you control volume with a remote? Sorry I didn't mean to turn this into a training session.

Forget I called it an office, it is my office but I want floor speakers.