Newbie to the awesome audiophile world

@retsameht01....You've already received enough advice for a lifetime. ;)

Take you time, and some music (cds') with you.
Leave your wallet in the car to minimize rash moves.
Spend more time listening to the equipment vs. the salesperson.
Nothing is Perfect from the start, so start simple; one can always use 'headroom' to learn what one likes and How.

Enjoy the journey....mind the rocks 'n roots on the trail. 
And have fun.  It's supposed to be Fun.
Don't fear mistakes.  We've all made some.

Good variable factors, 
J

Have you looked a Schiit audio many people have great things to say about their equipment and it's American made. Not sure if you are looking new or used, your money will buy lots more on the gently used market.

OP, If your head isn't already spinning, I'll add this to the fray;  Consider that most gear is just one economic downturn away from becoming a doorstop. At least half of the companies whose gear I've purchased have gone belly up. Now this doesn't mean that the gear is instant junk BUT you may or may not want to own stereo equipment from a company that is out of business. There are members here who look for older gear from defunct companies. Oft times they represent a bargain as typically the value tumbles after a company closes their doors. Case in point; Snell speakers. I bought a pair of Type B's for the insane price of $675.00.
I'm OK with this as I'll replace my own drivers and crossover as needed.
You need to think if you want to be in the fix it yourself camp or not.
  Next, I've read it countless times here and elsewhere, people refer to their stereo as "investments". Our equipment is NOT an investment! It's money we spend on something we love. If you can get your head around the fact that you're going to enjoy yourself and not go nuts when something you own breaks or goes belly up you'll be happier for it. Good luck! Joe

You are correct Joe.
Investment is 99.5% of the time the wrong term.
Expenditure is the correct term.
On a hobby you can have a love/ hate relationship with also 99.5% of the time.
😁😁

This can be daunting, and AGON members have all sorts of budgets and incredible passion (meaning many will stretch their budget to get the next better thing). Not a bad thing, but can be confusing for the newcomer. I believe it wise to think about your sources- advice given many times by others on here. If streaming, that can solve many issues around budget. If vinyl, be prepared to expand your spend considerably. Again, these are choices and each have sacrifices. You can start streaming with a phone and a simple DAc and get reasonable sound for little money. I have a high end older Cd transport and DAC, but for streaming I have started with a simple Raspberry Pi and DAC hat that sounds just fine. And do not forget the room effect on sound. Eventually put some money away to improve the acoustics. Many will tell you to start here, and it probably makes sense- but without some music the room changes are just sitting there.

You are fortunate to be near a big city- lots of used gear on Craigslist. I saw a variety of interesting speakers- Martin Logan, Vandersteen, ESS, and Thiel. The 2.3 Thiels currently for sale are great speakers but slightly less efficient than 90%. I like them because they can play  all types of music well. Ditto on the Vandersteens.  Also saw some nice integrated amps- Luxman, Adcom, etc. Having done what you are attempting to do, I started with speakers- a signature piece, and built around that. Speakers are what you hear and their voices are very different. They also will determine your amp. Now the reverse is also true- if you buy a flea watt tube amp it will force you to buy an extremely efficient speaker, but IMHO you hear the speaker voice, so I started there. The rest of the system is critical, but again, if you love the speaker you can get the rest of the equipment to accommodate as long as you don't go too radical on inefficiencies.

One word of advice- there will always be good deals- don't buy because it is a good deal. Buy because it meets the voicing you are looking for.And don't rush. Time is your best friend. Enjoy the music.