Best budget system in your opinion

Dear Sirs,
I’m a new in high performance audio reproduction as my experience is limited by several High End exhibitions, Introductory Guide to High-Performance Audio Systems by Robert Harley (truly mindset changing book), and ears that have a mixed blessing to distinguish something good from something mediocre which has resulted so far in dissatisfaction and fatigue from all but $30K+ systems like Macintosh that I have listened to in the shops yesterday and frustration sourced from the fact that this is far above my budget.
 
In short, I need to build a system from scratch. The prerequisites are as follows:
 
Usage: Stereo for audio listening and watching movies in stereo sound (no multichannel necessary if it deteriorates sound quality and/or significantly increases the budget)
 
Music styles: various (in order of importance: Jazz, High quality karaoke, Classics, Rock, Electronic dance music. No metal.)
 
Listening room: a big hall of 60m2 approx., lots of windows (the biggest wall actually is all windows), concrete building. Not so much furniture, wooden floor – no carpets, not so much furniture. Some echo is present while talking.
 
Budget: let’s say $3000 more or less for source, amplifier and loudspeakers.
 
Source: computer is not an option. Ideally to have cd / sacd / dvd source.
 
Loudspeakers: other things being equal preference is to smaller options (but off course the sound is the key priority).
 
What do I want: Lively, balanced, enjoyable (non-fatiguing) reproduction with smooth and detailed treble, realistic instruments and vocals, articulate and dynamic base, clear soundstage. I.e., the best possible for these conditions J . I would rarely need to go to extreme volume pressures so if we can gain in quality in exchange for power – it should be a nice deal. Though we plan some occasional dancing it won’t be a real rave dance party, off course J .
 
Questions to the professional and highly reputable audience of TAS:

 
1. 1. Do you have some recommended systems for me? (ideally full sets that are tested together or some components that are best buy within my budget)

 
 

2. 2. I understand that the materials I need are within annual Recommended Systems feature of TAS. How can I get the Issue 198? (December, 2009) Ideally in electronic version, as I’m in Russia and postage could be an obstacle.

 
 

3. 3. Best Buy guides – sources, I already downloaded, I saw loudspeakers section to be available to GEC and is there something on amplifiers? Should I become a GEC member to get these guides?

 
 

4. 4. What would you do with the room? (some curtains are already there, but I don’t know if it will be enough. Maybe something more? What are the easiest transformations possible minding it should still stay a dining room)

 
 

5. 5. Yesterday the best of what I listened to was the system with T+A amp and player and ProAc loudspeakers. This is above my budget but though it seemed to have the most lively aristocratic sound but still there was some fatigue which I felt with relief when we turned it off. Have you auditioned these components? What is your view on them?

 
 

6. 6. Such things as cables, power conditioners, etc (I don’t know if there’s anything more to add) – should I consider this in my situation? If yes – what is your advice? Can I use a simple UPS for power or it will not give any improvement on sound quality?

 
 

7. 7. The only thing that left me wanting to continue listening to the music non-stop was Macintosh system, which was $30K+. Is it possible to achieve that kind of sound for 10 times less money or I should drop this idea?

 

 
Thank you very much in advance for all precious knowledge you could share with me. As I’m from Russia I feel a great lack of objective information regarding high performance audio reproduction so I thank for anything you could share with me on my subject.
 
With best regards,
Alexey Adamov