Speakers are the first piece of the puzzle


Hello All!

This is aimed at understanding one particularly prominent posture on mapping out how to proceed in amassing a great audio outfit with speakers being the most significant ingredient, and initial purchase.

From the Audiogon pages alone, if you read between the lines, one can find that there are several approaches for how to erect an outstanding audio system as to which component should be the initial or by some accounts the largest system investment, or both everytime.

IMHO, The predominant system establishing camps are speakers first, amps first, or sources first. in deference to topologies such as panels vs cones, tubes vs. SS, analog vs. digital, as those preferences are options within options.

For the record, I’m not a card carrying member of the ‘speakers first’ organization. And see an eventually proud highly resolving great sounding system as a work in progress which begins where ever and endss when ever.


So, lets get to the lightening round…Questions:

1. why do you feel any system should begin life with speaker s the first building block AND its greatest investment?

2. which speakers were your first system build?

3. How long did you keep them?

4. were later speaker systems brought in prior to any other ‘component’ changes?

In other words, has the ‘speaker first and always’ theme been your blueprint forever, or at some later point, reveal itself as a much better plan?

tremendous gratitude for all the input.
blindjim
A -    I dont think that the speaker has to be the first piece to buy.    when I was putting a system last year, the turntable was the first purchase.    If in the market to put together a system, I am looking for things in a certain price range and if something is there, then I will contact the seller before someone else is also interested in it.

B : those speakers are gone....pair of Klipsch Forte 11's.   gave them away for free....

C  :   had them since new.....1993.    24 years.

D :   no.....

"  In other words, has the ‘speaker first and always’ theme been your blueprint forever, or at some later point, reveal itself as a much better plan?"

speakers are not first on the list.......
Everything is important cables, sources, amplification and speakers, however After many years I discovered that amplification is the most important part at the hi-fi chain .if you have good and powerful amplification it can make miracles even with modest speakers .In my current system the amplification costs more than double than my speakers and the cables cost almost the same as the speakers and I am very pleased with the sound.
Honestly if I will build a system today , speakers first, then the right amp, lately I bought 98db speakers I paired with tube amp, works well.i kept my speaker at least 15 yrs now..,