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

It is a marathon so don'tbe impatient.  This is one of the things in life where the journey may be more fun than the destination.  

As long as we're giving advice here, my advice to someone who's brand new to this hobby and wants to get their absolutely biggest bang for their buck ... the is pretty bold but bigger than anything anyone has mentioned yet ... is to save your pennies until you can score a nice used Lyngdorf tdai 1120. Of course, you'll need a source also ... but one nice thing about the Lyngdorf approach is the way you can utilize the different optional modules as needed for streaming or phono.

Two other nice things about the Lyngdorf approach is that their Room Perfect software will immediately, and to great effect, remove whatever "room issue" you will have otherwise. And it will make (literally) whatever speakers you decide to use sound as those speakers were meant to sound by the manufacturer.

From there, you can figure out your position on the cabeling issue and save your pennies to improve your sound. But it will already rival a lot of the people's systems who're commenting on this thread.

Thanks for the question, mmcgill829,

Starting fresh in our hobby, I would first consult with a professional...one experienced in tuning rooms for 2 channel stereo and sound studios.  I recently established contact with James of GIK Acoustics in adding a diffusor/absorber/bass trap to my studio.  Even with much prior tuning, the results are stunningly good.  I would also suggest reading "Good Sound" by Laura Dearborn...seemingly dated, but continues to be some of the clearest, useful basic advice available.  In print, used copies are also available on Amazon.  

Nearly 5 decades into better sound, like some have mentioned here, the loudspeaker / room relationship is the starting point.  Money spent tuning the room for audio is the most cost effective and sensible way to begin.  Once in place, ALL efforts to better your sound will play out.  

More Peace!   (bold print for old eyes)    Pin

I realize that Hi-Fi stores are getting harder to find... But maybe a friend, or a store, will let you bring in the music, and media you want to listen to for auditioning (it will influence your decisions). A serious audio store will have ideas about entry level, after all, they want to see you come back, and back... Audition speakers first they are the biggest percentage of the sound quality, I think, and can be the biggest initial expense. An integrated amp, a decent turntable (literally hundreds of quality NEW turntables for under 1K), then a CD Player, (most manufacturers source from the same suppliers, when they don't you will see it in the price jump). Everything does not have to be new, but use common sense, if you see "no returns accepted", keep scrolling.

Then when you get going, upgrade according to your desire. A good Headphone will give you an idea of what can be accomplished. Unless you have run out of ideas on how to spend money and you think Hi-Fi might be the answer, then just throw your credit card at it and bask in your new found glory.

Focus on good not perfect or accurate. Accuracy and perfection are illusions in this field.

Realize that you'll probably never stop wanting more. Most audiophiles are never done building their "perfect systems." It can become an obsession and sometimes you have to step back and change your focus from the gear to music, or learning, or experimenting. It's generally a healthy obsession but it can be frustrating at times. Be prepared to walk away and do something else if it becomes more stressful than fun. When you find out your room is as big a factor as your speakers you might get depressed. It's okay. You'll almost certainly get over it.

It's subjective. There's no right or wrong. If you like something, that's probably all that really matters.

If you want simple hardware advice - start with speakers, and don't be afraid to buy used equipment from anywhere that you can audition it first.