A 'First' System for my Son

My sons each have a NAD 320BEE amplifier and a pair of Paradigm Titans. The Titans are wall-mounted (with Smarter Speaker Supports) so to tame the boom from the rear port, the port is stuffed with a sock.

Both of them stopped using their CD players quite a while ago. Their source now is iTunes and a connection from their computers.

One guy uses a 2-meter Zu Pivot cable from the headphone output. This cable was a very nice upgrade from a $10 Radio Shack miniplug-to-twin RCA.

The other guy listens a bit more carefully. He has a Muse Audio TDA1543 outboard DAC and a TeraDak USB-to-S/PDIF converter. Cables are by Canare (the S/PDIF cable is 1.5 meters long) except the USB cable. That's by Audiogoner Acreyes.

If the source were to be an iPod and not the computer, I would suggest using a Zu Pivot cable, or one just as good, and a SendStation PocketDock. The PocketDock gives you a line out jack from the iPod's dock connector. It's a cleaner-sounding alternative to the iPod's headphone jack.

More recent NAD amps in the C320 series have a minijack input on the front panel. Using it just means you don't have a cable hanging off a rear-panel input.

I gave my 15-year-old grandson an old pioneer recvr, HK-8350 5 disc cdp, a pair of cheap Dayton Audio bookshelf speakers and a cable for his ipod. He's in audio heaven with this system. Remembering my first stereo I would have loved what he's got.

Tobias and Timrhu already pointed to the two options I was going to suggest. Each has its appeal, and you probably know which your son would like best. The new small NAD integrated (C 316BEE) has an iPod input on the front -- so does the Cambridge 350A and the new Music Hall a15.2. And there are lots of great-looking vintage receivers around. For speakers, the suggestions above are great. I have Cambridge S30s in my office. They're really nice, especially for the price ($219 new, around $125 when they come up used).

Go to Goodwill and get a receiver (Sony, Denon, I've seen Rotel there), a pair of bookshelf speakers, a Y cable to connect his iPod and you are good to go. He can use his DVD or game player for CDs.
I posted a want ad to my audio group for a cheap *turntable and was given a nice Pioneer in the box! by Vir....n.( He posts here, not sure if he wants everybody tapping into his generous nerve.) My son got a pair of JBLs for helping a friend.
I get more calls/texts (he never writes, he never calls!) from my son as he hunts the used record stores, than for fatherly advise- how to pay bills, keep the cold winds at bay, what color beer to buy, how to fight the girls off, which Lps play longest in order to sit next to the girl for a longer time before you have to get up to change the record, or vice...
It's a great way to stay in touch with a kid in college. and I love "visiting" him now that I know all the good used record stores in his college town.
But, although good advise has been shared above, I would not put too much expense into a system during this transitional and exploratory period. You can get some very good equipment for a few bucks and not worry too much if some beer, or ??? is spilled into the component.
*Make sure the receiver has a phono stage.