Complete 2.0 System for Under $3k?

Gehrm,

tell us the room size, what you listen to and how loud and if you want floorstanding speakers (and how far from the wall you can put them) or need to put them on a shelf.

typically buy the speakers you like, match the amp to them and then buy the source.

good luck,

For starters, you could do worse than an all-Rega setup:

RP1 $460
Brio-R $895
RS3 $1295

Just heard one, and I could live with it!

Hi, Elizbeth:
"The MAIN thing is to buy what you find, instead of a list you have to buy"
Okay, but the gent may not have a friend like you hanging around, so... given your well-known expertise, how about some more specific guidance for him? - e.g., what would you be looking for in a good set of phono stuff, what relative portion of your budget would you expect to spend, say, on tonearm vs table vs cartridge in this discounted price range; would you even consider buying a used cartridge as a novice, and even, god forbid, not in list form, what are some examples of good deals you might have seen around in the past?

Sorry for the typo above. The Rega RP1 is $640 with the "performance pack." Not sure how big a difference it makes, but that's how I heard it.