Welcome!
Your goal for good sound at reasonable prices is shared by most, the rub comes from defining "good" and "relatively low investment". Like many things, audio suffers terribly from the phenomenon of diminishing returns. BTW I'm an Ascend Acoustics fan too, having owned the original CBM-170's for nearly 20 years and still loving them. Heavily investing in high-end digital sources is not wise as technology keeps marching forward so quickly that the analogy of dog years is laughable.
I find that good sound has never been easier and cheaper to obtain, example:
1.) CD quality streaming ($20/month or less for access to millions of albums and no on-site storage needed);
2.) Active monitors (for instance JBL 305 Mk2, $300/pair, can be used on desktop or to fill a medium sized room);
3.) NAD Node 2i ($550, streamer, DAC, preamp, just add interconnects and RCA/XLR adapters for the 305 Mk 2's, no computer needed).
So for $900 (plus stands if listening in-room) you can have a very enjoyable system.
Obviously I'm big on the importance of the room, IMO most audiophiles way over spend on gear for the given room as most listening spaces are small, ill shaped, shared (not allowing for ideal setup or when you want to listen), not sonically isolated, and not treated. I'd take a decent room with the above system to a $100,000 system in the typical setting any day. For most that can't develop a decent room headphones are the practical, if soundstage/imaging compromised, audiophile approach sound reproduction.
Another huge factor that nearly every audiophile ignores is the inherent in-room bass peaks/dips which can be up to 30 dB. Suggest reading Floyd Toole's "Sound Reproduction" 3rd edition, a consummate audiophile guide to how speakers behave in-room and how to address those peaks/dips.
