Research only goes so far, firsthand experience will take you much farther in the road to building something you're happy with. You need to pull the trigger on some stuff, install it, and go from there if you're not happy...
Come out to some shows and hear what people are running and see if you like it. Plenty of shows around Chitown. 19th in La Porte, IN and 26th up in Waukegan.
