How do you determine how much to spend on speakers

Krazeeyk:

Get a used pair of Infinity Intermezzo 2.6's with stands and a matching Intermezzo 1.2 subwoofer. I saw a guy on Audiogon offering these for $1,250 obo. These are rated Class 'A' by most audiophile magazines in the world.

The Intermezzos have built-in 250W bass amps, so they're easy to drive, and they sound splendid with vacuum-tube electronics, which is the only way to go. Also, you won't have to spend much money on room acoustical treatments, because you can tune their low frequency response to suit your listening room.

Buy the Prima Luna Prologue Two integrated amplifier and the AH! Supertjoeb 4000 from Upscale Audio for circa $1,345 and $1,250, respectively. Buy the P.S. Audio UPS 200 line conditioner for $500.

Now you've got $655 left for cables. For an interconnect, look to D.H. Labs Revelation or Nordost Blue Heaven. For speakers cables get Nordost Blue Heaven with gold-plated Z-clip bananas (I've seen many used Nordost Blue Heavens on Audiogon.) And get your power cables from Frank at Signal Cable.

You'll have just enough left to take your Sweetie for a hot fudge sundae.

Good luck,
Jay

A good rule of thumb would be 10 to 15 percent of your net worth. At least. Maybe more.

Krazeeyk,

IMHO there is no set point as to what to spend on what. With 5K to spend. You can put together a sweet system SS or tubes. There are a few speakers in the 750-1500 (DynAudio) range that would easlilly foot the bill. That leaves 3500-4250 for an Integrated, a Digital front end and cables. Let your ears choose.

If I were to suggest a system in your budget:

Musical Fidelity X-80 or X-150 Integrated $1000.00
Musical Fidelity X-RAY CDP $1000.00
B&W Signature 805 $2500.00 (Maby less with the 805S out)
Synergistic Research Alpha Active IC 1M $200.00
Synergistic Research Signature 10 Active 10' is $800.00

Ok I am over by 500.00 but I am a firm believer in cables and that does not include stands.

Michael

I think Douglas Schroeder is using the "DeBeers Equation", heheh.

Personally, it's not the loudspeakers as much as the equipment behind them. I've heard reasonably priced speakers, (4K a pair), THAT I didn't care much for, sound superb with $22K of preamp, mono blocks, and CD player. My own experience proved that. I spent most on speakers, not front end. Consequently, not only did it become frustrating, it was costly.
Front end first, as much as is your budget to do. That is the priority.
Loudspeakers second - and here you can start low and move up with almost a new system each time there after.

The only other point to consider is synergy. Throughout a system, it is important. Details like sensitivity, size, price, resale, cosmetics, (not a high priority but important) should not be discounted.
I like the idea of powering less efficient speakers with big power amps. . . but it's costly. The 22K & 4K system I heard that blew me away was top of the line THOR preamp, blocks, and Shan Lings top CD player, p[utting out 30 wpc into a pair of von Schweigert VR 4JR's. pretty impressive sound came out of those little 2K a copy loudspeakers. (audience & HT wires)