Hi will
welcome
an option that isn't quite as much of a gamble as buying second hand based on random bits of advice is pop down your local ritcher sounds, they have a clearance section of ex display and stuff with tatty boxes, I'm fairly certain that way you could have a listen to complete systems and get a good deal...
Not that the random bits of advice from a place like this would be bad... In fact you have chosen quite a good forum to ask such a question, in as much as there is a lot of experienced people here who actually use their ears ... But like John said if you go to a dealer you get to listen before you commit to anything...
http://www.richersounds.com/clearance
going to various dealer might help you decide what you like more too if you do decide the second hand route is for you
a little bit of random advice from me - I recently bought some s/h usher s520 speakers for £160.. They might be worth looking at as I think they sound "fun"... They certainly do in my system!

Oh and don't read what hifi, they are often biased by the wrong things