New to the game, looking for help on this system

Thanks much for the info Rushton, I'll be checking the sites. One more specific question I forgot to ask-coax or toslink?

"Coax or toslink" - that is outside of my experience to offer an opinion, sorry. (I'm just a struggling analog person.) Try a search of the archives to see what others may have said on this topic. Or, talk with the folks at The Cable Company.

Holy cow, he's stumped Rush! That's a first. We should all be struggling with our analog like my friend, Rushton!

Ghorton, go with Coax over Toslink every time. Toslink isn't on all gear, so it might limit your options if you ever upgrade. Coax cables can be digital(1 cable) or analog(sold in pairs--i.e. traditional audio interconnects). Make sure that you discuss with the seller what you are hooking up, just to be safe.
One followup on Kimberkable; some of their products are unshielded and meant strictly for audio use. Be careful not to put unshielded cables near TV. Any cable they label for home theatre/video use should be fine. Nice stuff.
Another brand that provides excellent value, especially at the lower price points is www.signalcable.com. They sell direct only. Have fun,
Spencer

Thanks for helping out on this one, Spencer.

Do not get sucked into the psycho-acoustic phenomenon inherent in being a 'connoisseur of coloration'. The only significant issue in electronic playback of recored events is 'distortion'.

Find transparent speakers suitable to the environment they will operate in, power them with as low distortion amp you find (they can range in price from $200 to $8k, and more) and work on the setup/room acoustic problems.

Then as you change components, cables, and tweaks, you seet it is all nonsense.