The one thing that I can't stress enough, is the need to listen to equipment before you buy it. Its extremely difficult going by reviews, especially if you don't have much experience with audio. That said, you're not as bad off as you may think. There's a really good dealer in Ft. Collins Colorado, of all places. The Name of the store is Audio Alternative. Its not the kind of place that you have to go to because you live in the middle of nowhere. Its the kind of place you want to go to. If I was in a city like Denver, that has a few high end shops, I would still go there. I don't know how far away the store is from you, but its probably no more than a day trip. He's great at putting together systems that sound great and don't cost a fortune.
Another excellent choice is a place called The Cable Company (www.fatwyre.com). They're not close to you, so shipping will be your only option with them. But what makes them unique is that they lend out audio components that they have demo units of, so you can try things in your system before you make a commitment to buy it. I've been dealing with them for many years and they've always have been extremely reputable.
So, between those 2 dealers, you'll have more quality choices than you'll know what to do with. You just can't go wrong with either one.