What Sound System? - Need connected to mac and seperate system with turntable

Hi,

I am on the market for a new Hi-fi/Stereo (whatever the term is). The market is huge and confusing. I am lost, really, really lost.

I want a sound system that I can put a CD in and play. Also I would like a turntable with it so I can play LP's. I would also like it connected to my mac so I can play my Itunes and other stuff through the speakers of the sound system.

I have no idea where to get this perfect bit of machinery from! But how cool would life be?

What setups do you guys have? Or if you have any recommendations that would be a great help.

First thing you need to do is determine how much you are willing to spend on a new system. Once that's done... add another 50% because whatever your budget is, you'll likely find yourself wanting to spend just a little bit more for the next "step" up.

You'll also need to be more thorough in what you want to do with the system. For example, is this just for music, or will it double as a surround-sound system for watching movies?

It would also help knowing what connections exist on your Mac. If you have an optical audio-out connection, then you'll want to be sure your new audio system supports optical audio (unless you aren't that picky and are OK with converting the analog headphone jack to dual-RCA jacks).