Help me put a system together for under $1k.

I think that an NAD integrated would create the sound you are looking for rather than the Cambridge.
On the other hand the Cambridge line has just been updated with new DVD players and upgraded CD players. The discontinued ones can be had cheaper.
Another speaker line to look at is Celestion. THey work well within their low-cost price range. THey do not give you the last word in high frequency resolution or low frequency extension. They are not difficult to listen to for hours though. THeir biggest floorstander retails for $600.

Good luck!

Um, Dad? Don't be a dinosaur. An iPod or equivalent will almost certainly be his primary source--if for no other reason than that downloads are probably the best way for a kid "to discover different types of music." As for the turntable, a decent one will chew up a third of your budget, and really constrain speaker choice as a result. Does he even own any LPs? Has he any real interest in spending his weekends scrounging the used bins? (He's unlikely to be shelling out premium dollars for new vinyl anytime soon.) Does he listen to the radio? If so, you should be thinking receiver, not integrated, despite the audiophile preference for the latter.

In short, I think you're asking the wrong people about this. You should be asking him what he wants, what he's interested in, what his goals are (as if he had any, right?).

And whatever you do, don't pick out his speakers for him. It's his ears, not yours, that matter.

I agree. ask your son. Chances are he knows what he wants and what will work in the life he lives in. The best place to start is with respect.