http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-High-End-Audio/dp/0964084961 http://www.amazon.com/Science-Hi-Fidelity-Kenneth-W-Johnson/dp/0840322976

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereophonic

You should definitely reference our own Reference section on the Stereophile website

from this section, JA's

Getting the Best from Your Loudspeakers

is pretty top notch.

Former Stereophile reviewer, and current Editor-in-Chief of The Absolute Sound, Robert Harley, wrote a brilliant book called: The Complete Guide to High-End Audio.  Highly recommended!

http://www.musicdirect.com/product/89341

Mark Evans

However, Ariel is right in suggesting the reference section. Believe it or not, critical listening is an aquired skill and becomes sharpened with experience. That's both a blessing and a curse. Toss in the natural change in taste as you aquire that experience and the love  of audio becomes more of a journey than a destination, so don't let the quest for perfection keep you from enjoying the very good.

One of the most common mistakes in entering high end audio is becoming paralyzed from all the conflicting opinions and information about choosing gear. That's your conscience telling you that you don't have enough information to make an informed decision with any degree of confidence. Hopefully, you'll have a good dealer to help you sort out what will work for you based on what you need the system to do and your room configuration and budget.