Top 10 Snafus to avoid when building a good rig

You will find plenty of misinformation and poor advice mixed into this thread.

You pick your authorities, and you get your results.

Isn't it a big mistake to proceed from the premise that you are the absolute and the components are the variables? After all, our hearing and our moods and our attention all vary with time of day, time of month or time available.
I've found that listening for problems in my system guarantees that I will find some. On the other hand, by just taking for granted that your system sounds great and ignoring those who disagree, you can save a lot of money, frustration and anguish. It doesn't really matter whether your system results conform to an abstract standard or a consensus value assessment. If you decide to like what you have the game is over and you won. There is no absolute in sound. The entire industry is supported by your dissatisfaction. Whether or not you choose to be baited into that scheme is up to you, but no one but you should be making that decision.
If you want to be happy, go ahead and be happy. Don't let reviewers take that choice out of your hands.

using a mortgage or home-improvement loan for major upgrades

I strongly agree with Douglas S's post.

Macrojack makes a very good point. In the current issue of Stereophile one of the writers states that "it's good enough" is the most dangerous thought in audiophile land.