Building a system around music taste.

[plastic penguin]

Without question to achieve the sound that appeals to the individual, there needs to a period of experimentation, regardless of whether that's done at home or at a shop.

 

[CnoEvil]

A good system will make the quality of the recording and mastering obvious, warts and all.

Whether or not you enjoy the warts is down to subjective preference.

I dislike the word "good", as it's so general and unspecific, as to be almost meaningless.

A "good" system can be accurate, neutral, realistic, emotive, euphonic, transparent, analytical, dynamic etc I have heard "good" systems that didn't over-emphasize poor recordings.