Is your plan to go to seperates...if so, there is soooo much gear that would fall in your price range. You could get a pretty good pre/amp/player combo from around $1500...In addiiton, I recently heard some of the new CEC stuff...CD player and integrated amplifier for $1600 NEW! This stuff was compeating with Audio Research at 5x the price...that being said, don't limit yourself, do your research, and maybe even take a road trip to hear some things that may interest you. You will thank yourself in the long run if you take your time now...or you could just go on an "Audiogon" buying spree, and sell the stuff you don't like...that is what I typically do!
Take care, best of luck,
Ben
Take care, best of luck,
Ben