I think you're right Jeff, thanks. I have really gained a lot from
this discussion and I hope others will too when they find this in the
archives. I think what I will do now with all this information is 1)
have a price range in mind of what I'm willing to spend, 2) go to an
audiophile dealer with some familiar CDs in hand and plan to spend some
time listening to various speakers in my price range - I am gathering
some names on the internet of what I'd like to try: PSB Image B25, Polk
Audio LSi7, Axiom Millenia M22ti. . 3) Visit a couple other stores
and hear what they have. 4) Make a decision on the speaker model I
like most. 5) Look online for the best price on that model, or look
for lightly used. 6) Go back to dealer and make offer.

After the speakers are decided on, the next step is the receiver and
DVD player, and maybe a subwoofer. I think I can rely on Consumer
Reports reviews for these components. The Onkyo TX-SR701 was rated
highest, but is on the expensive side. The Panasonic SA-HE100 was just
below that, though, and is almost 1/4 the price. I think it's only
5.1, but for music I really don't need 6.1 or 7.1. DVD players are a
commodity now and so finding something good for around $100 is not
hard; the Panasonic DVD-S47 was top rated at $100.

Thank you all for your input!
Bryan