Welcome,
In the internet age it's gotten hard to find hi-end audio stores, so finding a local club can be your best option. If interested, let us know your location.
Audio shows only give a vague idea, best to veto companies/gear versus finding what you want.
Internet research takes lots of time to find informative writers who's tastes agree with your's and are reviewing the pieces you're interested in.
If you can find a good store, take a handful of your favorite (well recorded) CD's that represent a wide cross-section of your musical interests. Take notes - this forces you to really listen. Limit how much listening you do per day to avoid listener fatigue. Realize that probably 20% of what you hear is the room. Pick the speakers first, then look for the equipment that matches up best to them. Speakers first because their design, size, bass output, and voicing make bigger differences than the properly matched rest of the system and have the toughest job fitting into your room/domestic constraints.
