How do you determine how much to spend on speakers

Get the BEST speakers you can even if you can't afford them. And what makes them the BEST?, only you can make that judgement. No one else hears or gives meaning to what your hearing as you do.

As an update. My primary system is now using a Yaqin MC-30L that cost about $600 with my Focal 836v speakers that cost $3,000. I couldn't be more happy with the amplifier or the system. It is more about individual products and not relative price points.

I know little about digital. I guess I can see how having full range speakers hooked up to a mighty HT Denon could impress. However on a vinyl rig, where you want to hear the horsehairs snap on a bow and the tears in the voice of a treble, I would spend the most on the turntable, then amp, then speakers. Most people don't understand that you cannot get back the detail lost at the source. I have heard top flight rigs with baby Wharfedales blow away bottom heavy set-ups.

... on a vinyl rig, where you want to hear the horsehairs snap on a bow and the tears in the voice of a treble, I would spend the most on the turntable, then amp, then speakers. Most people don't understand that you cannot get back the detail lost at the source. I have heard top flight rigs with baby Wharfedales blow away bottom heavy set-ups.

That is a position that is held by a lot of audiophiles, including some who posted earlier in this thread. However while it is true that you cannot get back detail that is lost at the source, it is also true that the source cannot restore detail that is lost by the speakers, or by any other component that is downstream from the source. Therefore while both points of view are correct, neither has any relevance to how funds should be allocated. A chain is as strong as its weakest link, regardless of where in the chain that link may be located.

Regarding the last sentence in the quote, I don't question your experience, but I would suggest that the percentage of available funding that should be allocated toward speakers can be expected to vary dramatically depending on the deep bass extension that is desired by the particular listener, and on the maximum volume level of dynamic peaks that the particular listener requires the speaker to be able to handle cleanly.

Regards,
-- Al

How much to spend on speaker is same as determine how much to spend on your wedding, her ring, your house, your car, etc..
Make your own decision based on what you can afford and enjoy them. You can put together a better than audiophile system with latest electronic equipment for less than $5k easily. I have a friend who spent $180K on a mix of Japaness, British and French equipment. It sounds the worst among of all my audio club members.