what he said. The problem with LDS's that people don't often realize is that the Scuba Industry is set up almost identical to the car industry in the US. I.e. you can't go into your local Scubapro shop and ask about Aqualung products and expect an unbiased answer, just as you can't go into a Chevy dealership and expect unbiased information about Ford.
If there are particular products you want to ask about, odds are there are unbiased reviews or at least discussions on here and this is about as good of a resource for proper reviews as you can expect.
Now, this forum is HEAVILY biased towards what the industry deems "technical equipment".
That means BC's that will be recommended are backplate and wings, and for a damn good reason imho, but that is what to expect. Cost/performance/value leads against standard jacket bc's. Sidemount is also a fairly heavy leaning on here and if you are interested in sidemount, I'd really really recommend going and taking a sidemount class at Cave Adventurers. You won't have to purchase any equipment before the class and can try everything while you're there to make a decision based on what YOU think instead of what others tell you to think.
Regs are also largely technical biased, so swivel turret first stages, preferably with a 5th port on the bottom that makes hose routing best for backmount singles, doubles, and sidemount. There is also a large bias towards wanting to be able to self service regulators which shows up in the regs that are recommended.
I'm also a massive fan of buying used equipment....
My money right now?
$500 for a DSS bp/w
DeepSeaSupply - Complete Rigs
$500 for a Deep6 reg set
Single Tank Regulator Package - Regulator Packages - Regulators
Roughly a grand for top of the line gear, yes D6 is new, but the company that builds them is not so parts kits are not going to be a problem, the first service is free, they are VERY nice regulators, and very soon there will be a TDI class so you can learn to service them yourself. Class and tool cost will pay for itself in 2 service intervals, not including the knowledge you'll have.
So what are YOUR diving goals?
What are your diving interests?
What is your budget?
What gear are you currently looking at and what do you want to know about them?