I currently am using a 15-year-old mini-stereo system on AUX to stream music and internet radio on my Mac via an Apple Airport Express router, which has an audio-out port. (I also occasionally use the stereo's built in radio to listen to news and NPR.) Convenience is fantastic but the sound is definitely not. I'm trying to learn about options for a replacement system (total budget around $1400) that would include a receiver (or integrated amp) and floorstanding speakers. (No bookshelf speakers if possible.)

My living room is an L-shaped living/dining room. The ceiling is 8'. The LR is approx. 12x24' and at one end it flows to the 9x9' dining room. The end of the room where the DR meets the LR has a 12'-long (5' high) window.

I'm looking for bang-for-the-buck for a system which is probably never going to deliver analog sound -- no LPs, no cassettes, just radio, streaming radio and high-bit MP3 and AAC files. I listen primarily to indie rock (eg Apples In Stereo, Flaming Lips, Ted Leo, Spoon) and news/podcasts. Some jazz, a tiny bit of classical. I'd want to be able to continue to stream from my iMac, which has over 25,000 songs on it, as well as be able to plug in an iPod from time to time.

I was attracted to the reviews (and price, and look, and technology) of the Magnepan MMG, but several reviews state unequivocally that placement is difficult and a rectangular-box room is much preferred for Magnepans, so I guess those speakers are out. But I'm pretty open to just about any other brand... and I'm not experienced enough to know models and brands.

I don't know what the proper money-allocation of speaker-to-receiver (or speaker-to-integrated amp) should be, so I'm not sure what % of my $1400 total budget should be dedicated to speakers.

Any ideas?