Question: What are some of your best pieces of advise to someone new to the hobby?

However you go about it ( listening to as much gear / systems as possible, with your favorite music, is the best way, ime ), you will need to determine " what are your listening preferences ", those qualities and characteristics in recorded music, you enjoy the most. Eric_squires, as he states " be true to your own ears ", is great advice. Understand, we all are different and unique in what we like. This, is your journey. Enjoy, and, my best. MrD.

Don’t be put off by sticker shock. Get something that gets you going, then start researching. I think everyone can attest after a long and thorough search, adding a new piece of gear into the system, is one of the great joys in life. 

Auditio, audition…audition. Listen to live acoustic music. Read Harley’s book. Always stretch for an audiophile component. 

An entry level system and a very good room is better than a great system in a crap room.  Get the room right and you can really surprise yourself quality wise.  

Listen to a wide variety (technology and price), and don’t forget ’bang for the buck’. For example, your friend may fall in love with exotic speakers, but find that he can’t hear much difference between expensive and adequate amplifiers with those speakers. Conclusion, valid for him: "Don’t spend much on amps".

That’s exactly where I was when I got started: I couldn’t hear the difference between budget DIY electronics and ARC. A year later, that changed, but in he mean time I had legendary speakers, Magnepan Tympani 1A, immensely suitable as an anchor around which to build..

Now I’m in pretty deep and still can’t hear much difference between interconnects - so my investment in these remains very low. It’s a valid option FOR ME. YMMV.