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What is proper ratio of money spent on amp/preamp/integrated vs speakers? 1:1?

Lately I'm finding more of a difference in SQ as a move up the chain in the amp/preamp/integrated market and not so much if I try to upgrade speakers.  Plus, buying and selling (and shipping) speakers is a PITA.  But having just upgraded from Devialet D200 to the dual mono D400 and loving it, it feels odd having $8000 (I'm in the used market almost exclusively) worth of power running $4000 worth of speakers, Dynaudio Contour 30's. 

I'm now wanting to upgrade again to the Expert Pro 440, but then we're taking about $10,000 and even more of a skewed ratio.
What is the proper ratio?  Thoughts?
mjmcubfn
mjmcubfn OP
37 posts
 
Free speakers!  That’s the solution!  And my wife would be so much happier too!
harrylavo's avatar
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harrylavo
344 posts
 
Elizabeth -

A pair of Outlaw 200wpc 2200 monoblocks can be had used for $500.  They will hang in their well into the upper reaches of amplifierphilia.
mikapen
31 posts
 
"Still, more power never hurts."
Perhaps. There are examples of higher power amps from the same manufacturer's line that just sound worse with some speakers. 
Then I think of the old Crown DC300's we used to sell, compared to the "lesser" DC150's. The 150's sounded better with every speaker we paired to.
As they say, "It depends."

An earlier comment mentioning "trophy systems" was a great phrase. It's often torture when "invited" to hear the latest trophy.

But my pet peeve is phase shift, and many fancy systems just cause too many detrimental phase interactions.
That's less dollar-related.
glupson
7,842 posts
 
Long time ago, I was told that it should be half of the budget for speakers and half for everything else. I am sure it is far from solidified truth, but have had hard time not calculating it in the back of my mind.

At that time, "everything else" was a record player and an amplifier, maybe a cassette player, too. All this trickery with cables and room treatments was not on the radar quite yet. I am not saying it is not important, but it was not part of the equation when I was told the secret formula.
tlinkie
107 posts
 
Free speakers! That’s the solution! And my wife would be so much happier too!

Wife happier with no speakers.Or maybe invisible speakers.
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