is creek5350se best integrated for 1000-1200 bucks

hello, i've just joined here at audiogon, i'm 22 and i've loved listening to music my whole life, and i've lived on minisystems for a good many years, and a couple years ago upgraded to separate components. what a difference! i consider myself an audio enthusiast, but i know very little about building a decent stereo system. i want to upgrade now from my best buy/circuit city setup that i have now ) my budget is about 5 grand, and it will take me about three years to acquire my integrated amp, speakers, cd player, and cables/interconnects. i've decided to build it piece by piece, starting with my amplifier. for cost reasons, i've decided on an integrated, the creek 5350 se. the shame of this is, i have not heard it myself, have only read reviews on audioreview and the propaganda from various dealers across the web. i've compared it to many others in the price range, and i believe it is the best value for the money. for speakers i have chosen psb stratus gold, maybe some blems for under 2 grand, and for my cd player, the creek cd 53 reference. probably could get this unit demoed for a grand or more. if anyone out there, or in here, could steer me in the right direction for a good integrated, can't spend any more than 1500. i don't want to make a purchase like this without some expert opinions. thanks for any advice.