If you knew then, what you know now...

Spend the big bucks on the source. Go for the best even if the rest of the chain is worth only a few hundred. Buy second-hand and insure shipping for full value. Listen and read about others' experiences for a long time before buying. Then pay what you have to, to get what you want. Believe that having what you want will make a difference. Pass up a few hot deals if you're not quite sure. Listen, listen, listen and don't analyze the sound as you listen ; pay attention to how you feel instead. When you hear something that just seems to work, make notes on how you feel. Talk about your notes. Make audiophile friends, they're not all component-mad, they're almost all music lovers, and mine are princes.

Tobias, I would have to say that speakers are the most important, with a tip of the hat to Kthomas and room dynamics. Auditioning speakers on the dealers good equipment would be cheaper than buying the source and power only to be unhappy. If you know what good speakers can do with some elses good equipment then you're already ahead. With good speakers that work in your room I would think it would be easier to "get there". But I've been wrong before and thats why I make this comment. Regards.

Tobias: I am not disagreeing with you (the source is very important). But if that source is digital it is pretty hard (for me anyway) to go for the best I can afford at this time due to the SACD cloud that hangs over my head. I am very happy (now in retropspect) with my decision to purchase the Bel Canto DAC which will most likely make a nice companion to an SACD player at some point in the future. I was however in the beginning dissapointed with my decision due to the additional IC, power cord and isolation components needed for the seperate box. In this regard I feel that DAC's for standard playback are still a good focus at this time, unless of course in the future manufacturers decide to include better preformence (for standard playback) in the SACD models offered within my realistic price range. I have noticed a lot of pussyfooting going on as to how good the standard playback quality of even the current model $5K to $7K SACD players is and also notice that people are having the players modified in order to improve this method of playback. The Bel Canto is just my reference in that it is what I own and enjoy the sound of, but I guess that I am endorsing the purchase of any high quality DAC at this time in the event that you will add SACD to your system in the future. This is anyway how I have concentrated on the source in my situation, be it both mental and budgetary.

Go to many stores, audition lots of stuff. The first time i bought speakers, I only went to one store. I didn't have the speakers for very long. Ignore Stereophile's classification system. As a reference, it does not apply well to real stereo-assemblage situations. I also think it's important to be confident, not letting others dictate to you what is good or bad. The first time in a audio salon was a little intimidating for me, and i let myself be led by the salesman. Now, I've found that i get a lot farther by being friendly with the salesman while taking control of the audition/purchasing process. I put too much stock in the reviews, pro and amateur. Doing that can result in wasted money. Obviously, I've made lots of mistakes; thank god for return policies. Having fun is the most important. Screwing up in audio is much more difficult than getting good sound, so just relax.

My most painful lesson in retrospect: I had an absolutely wonderful synergy with some older Luxman equipment which is of course no longer available. I knew that it would eventually fail one day, & so I tried to collect all of the manuals, parts lists, schematics etc. in advance preparation for that fateful event.
When the amp failed after 14 years service I thought that I was prepared - wrong! The 79 cent driver parts that I need can no longer be found anywhere in the world. I considered trying some equivelant semi's, but was told (by a respected authority who absolutely knows his stuff) that it won't sound the same. I've spent megabucks on other components since then, but cannot come close to achieving that synergy with anything else that I've tried. It would have been way cheaper to buy myself a spare/duplicate setup of that Luxman when it was still available. I had considered doing just that many times, but I didn't & now I'm still kicking myself.