SK, welcome. You really shouldn't be feeling a lack of confidence regarding the receiver and player, because if you spend say $500 on the receiver and $200 on the player you really can't go wrong. Receivers and players in those price ranges have reached a level of excellence in general performance and a decision between those available should be made on the basis of the features that you want. The receivers mentioned by Tom and Jack in that price range, e.g. HK, Denon, Yamaha, etc. would all be suitable and the choice between them shouldn't be a matter of great concern. Likewise for the player, but I'll specifically suggest that you don't overlook the convenience of a megachanger, such as the 400 disc Sony models, especially if you have a large CD collection.
