Want to setup basic home audio system

diripio,

I was not kidding. I suspect that many Audiogon members have an extra amplifier in the closet. Not necessarily a brand new D'Agostino, but something still reasonably good that they have not touched in years.

Unfortunately, the amplifier I would happily get my karma points on is inaccessible to me now so no karma for me.

Do not forget, once you consider smaller/bookshelf speakers they will have to stand on something. Those stands, even really cheap ones, will set you back a hundred or two, but more likely three.

My office setup is a pair of B&W 602’s (1st Gen) and a Marantz M-CR611. Works great, and used you can easily do it under 1k. CD, all streaming services etc. plus the option to add with other inputs. 

I have a relatively modest pair of AKG K701 open baffle headphones. I can also hear what’s happening outside of the headphones as though I don’t have anything on my ears.
These AKG K701s are an older model now, I found a new set on Ebay for $205 + tax and shipping.

You could play music through open baffle headphones and hear what you’re playing at the same time. Adjust the levels to suit your instrument?
I don’t know if this could work for you, that’s something you could perhaps look into?

If it does work, you could get a whole lot more quality for the outlay of your money with an open baffle headphone and headphone amplifier than with a $1000 speaker / amplifier / interconnect & speaker wire set / source setup I think.

Mine are nowhere near the best, and your budget could certainly get better and leave money for quality DAC and amplification.

Hi, as one of the choices of affordable acoustic I could recommend Pioneer SP-FS52 Andrew Jones Designed Floor Standing Loudspeakers. The speakers are pretty good for the price and definitely would be In your system price range. 

Watch the audiophiliac on youtube, he does these videos all the time...systems under 2500, under 1500, under 1000, etc....