Hello stereophile readers,
It's a pleasure to be joining the ranks of audio experts. New to the audiophile world, I'm looking to all of you for some direction and guidance with helping me create my first-ever audiophile home audio setup. I'll be moving into a new construction high-rise condo unit in April '07. The challenge? To create the best value audiophile quality system for ~$3000. Here are some constraints:

-Listening Area (Living Room) Size: 17.5' x 15'
-Stereo Set-up (two channels only)
-High Quality Digital Audio (lossless) stored on Computer - output to high-end speakers

Having only spent the last month or so weighing my options for playing computer-stored music, I'm still unsure as to the best combination of devices/technology that will result in the highest quality home audio sound, given my budget. Is it better to invest in a USB/Firewire DAC, for example, or a "nice" receiver with a built-in DAC? What are the best speakers to use for this set-up (I'm considering floor standing B&Ws)? Will having the computer in the same room affect contribute to noticeable "noise" in the audio system? As I move forward, I'm sure that some of your opinions and recommendations will help me identify the best value audio system for my new condo. Looking forward to your ideas, thanks!
jr314