The most important thing to determine is what sonic attributes are most important to you in reproduced music. For me, the fundamentals are pace, rhythm, and dynamics. For others, it might be soundstaging, frequency extension, instrumental timbre, transparency, and so on. No system does everything well, so decisions and compromises need to be made. In a 1992 Stereophile article, Martin Colloms wrote, "It's ironic that you can have an extended bandwidth, or high sound levels, or great stereo imaging, or very low coloration, or powerful, low-distortion bass, or several worthy combinations of these, yet rarely can you obtain these with a coherent, focused combination of natural dynamics, pace, and rhythm." http://www.stereophile.com/reference/23/index.html
If you can determine at the outset what's most important to you, and build a system strong in those attributes, you stand a good chance of being happy with it. It's certainly possible to assemble individual components, all well designed and well regarded, that speak with different voices and create a system that does nothing well.
If you're fortunate to live in an area with some good hi-fi dealers, put yourself in their hands, try to explain your needs/desires in audio, and let them help you assemble pieces that will work together as a system to deliver what you want.
If you can determine at the outset what's most important to you, and build a system strong in those attributes, you stand a good chance of being happy with it. It's certainly possible to assemble individual components, all well designed and well regarded, that speak with different voices and create a system that does nothing well.
If you're fortunate to live in an area with some good hi-fi dealers, put yourself in their hands, try to explain your needs/desires in audio, and let them help you assemble pieces that will work together as a system to deliver what you want.