How do you determine how much to spend on speakers

A couple of speakers you can get on the used market, like here on Audiogon, that I have in two of my three two channel systems are: 1) Platinum Audio Solos (under 1 grand now) - they are small but have tremendous bass, image well, and have very good clarity. they are power hungry as they have low sensitivity but this is a kicking speaker via my Coda 250 wpc amplifier and parasound budget pre-amp (for a couple of hundred bucks the parasound pre-amp sounds much, much better than it has any right to), 2) Spica angelus (there is not much bottom end so you will need a subwoofer but voices are stunning in their clarity and imaging is excellent, 3) Triangle speakers - I have some on my two home theatre set-up and like both pairs a lot. A buddy has them on his main steroe set-up and raves about them. I have listened to them via my two channel systems and they are very good and don't cost a bunch on the used markets.

Good luck.

I have spent thousands since 1979 on speakers, i.e., Bose 601's floorstanding, Fried floorstanding, three other pairs up until 2001, Jamo D830 currently on stands; all in the search for what best reproduces classical period and modern instrument CD's. Am now trying to sell my Jamo's so I can buy a pair of B&W CM1's coupled with a Sunfire subwoofer as my listening room is less than 250 sq. ft. Associated equipment: Magnum Dynalab MD-308 integrated amp; Magnum Dynalab FT-11 Tuner; Rega Jupiter CD player; all connected with Kimber Kables. I probably spent more on my LP collection which I sold in 1990 than speakers. Since than I have spent at least $4000 on classical CD's. It is the source of your music and not the equipment that really makes a difference! Every professional musician I have talked with has confirmed this opinion, these include musicians from both the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra and Chicago Symphony Orchestra. I am not saying you should not try to find those speakers you like, I am saying make sure you spent a good percentage on your source material as well. If the music was properly recorded than it is going to sound good when it is reproduced despite your equipment. Good luck finding those speakers - I'm afraid it is a process more than a percentage!

If the music was properly recorded (than) then it is going to sound good when it is reproduced despite your equipment

IF the music was well recorded. But usually one buys the music and the musicians playing the music -- not recordings.

Thanks for correcting my English Gregm. Your absolutely correct, I buy the music and musicians. This is why I just purchased a Taddeo Digital Antidote so I can stand to listen to Reinhard Goebel and the Musical Antiqua Koln on the Archiv label at a decent volume without the violins hurting my ears. This is coming through a Rega Jupiter CD player analog outputs to a Magnum Dynalab MD-308 integrated amp. I am using Jamo D-830 speakers, which I have currently for sale in the classifieds. Am looking to upgrade to a pair of B&W's. What in your opinion are the best bookshelf speakers for classical music?

What in your opinion are the best bookshelf speakers for classical music

Fred -- that's a difficult question to answer. The BBC type speakers maybe? Or monitor types like the ATC (great midrange driver!). Maybe a Sonus Faber...
There was only one small B&W I liked called something or other "silver" (which doesn't help much, sorry).

Goebel is worth suffering for:) BTW, a have a few Koln cd's (more on vinyl) -- but they're not that bed sounding (true, a bit shrill). Cheers