Percentage to spend on Amp and Speakers

Jim I think you've proven my point for me. Buying excellent speakers at the $2000 range will leave less reason for upgrading in the near future. Thereby freeing up money, allowing for upgrades in componentry later. To trade in your speakers down the road without considering doing the same for most of your other equipment seems awfully limiting to me. I recently built amy first "Hi-fi" system around one of your suggestions....The Martin Logan SL-3. I put together an excellent system(IMHO) for the same price range as Miked was looking for. After a few months of listening (and AWE factor wearing off) I realise that I have two weak links that I can upgrade as money becomes available (a dedicated CD player and I'm going to try a tube pre). I realize the value of upgrading equipment and the difference it makes , but I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference (and lost interest) if I had built the system the other way around. Not to mention I wouldn't have been able to afford the speakers.

Fellas, get a grip. $2,000 (and there are many fine speakers out there on the resale market for this price) will buy audio "nirvana"... for a while. This isn't about the near term, but what's best in the long term imho. We all want more later on. No??? I maintain that it's best, in the long run, to build a system from the inside out. Joe, if upgrading speakers "throws your system off" I wonder what you are using as the guts of your system??? I've purchased many amps/pre's at various price points and NEVER have they "thrown my system off". What exactly are you referring to? If your speaker are that discerning I would think that you would have a clue relative to the importance of your upstream components. I would understand trying to match a OTL amp to elctrostatics being a problem, but I don't think that's what we're talking about here. What mismatch are you talking about? Please enlighten me. Amp/speaker "mismatches" are not so common unless... well, I don't want to accused of being "crude" again. Most of us like a particular "sound" and tend to choose our components along these lines. Really high quality amps/pre-amps don't turn in to "mismatches". Low end/mid-fi stuff does -- and untimately show their weaknesses with better, more revealing speakers. And, this is what most of us aspire and migrate to eventually. Joe, you're probably the kind of guy that would buy a Lotus Esprit with the normally aspiriated 4 cylinder engine. Looks good, doesn't go. Then you have either "upgrade" or buy something more suitable. Now do you understand "figurative"? This isn't about budget -- what I am suggesting can be done on a budget. I'm just saying that 75% (as some folks have suggested) on speakers is a short term move that will cost anyone who wants MORE a whole lot more money in the long run. If long term mid-fi is OK, then I guess this doesn't apply. Anyway, my intention was to offer Mike advice for the long run. I don't know about you guys, but I've known many of us who have "matched" components for the "here and now" (and current budget -- although I still maintain that decent speakers with excellent electrontics will sound better that decent speakers with decent electronics), only to upgrade EVERYTHING when the jones hit them. Build from the inside out and you can upgrade the peripherals. That's my take. My apologies in advance for all that I've offended.

Yo G13! How've you been? Started in this hobby when I was 8(my dad gave me a junk reciever - may have even had a built in 8 track?!? and some LOUSY speakers), and still don't think I have gotten it right. Not too far away now though. That is, at least to my tastes(which others might not be enamored with). Glad we both have experienced the magic of having silver in our eyes(and ears). I think people who think they have all the answers don't know what they don't know.

Jim, once again, I believe that changing speakers frequently runs a high chance of throwing your system off-balance. Remember that the soundwaves you hear are produced by your speakers, not by any other part of the chain. I think a number of us have given you sound arguments as to why speaker choices are the most critical, and a good place to start. If you do not want to be convinced, so be it. But hopefully other newbies here will see the sense of it. And by the way, I still don't understand your use of the word "figurative", actually less so than before. Or let me give it a try: you're the kind of guy who would first select tyres and then go out and buy a car ?

If you short yourself on the front end you can spend 50k on the rest and it will still sound lousy. If you spend 2k on your front end and 5 k on speakers will it sound better than a system you spend 4 k on the front end and 3k on speakers.I am willing to bet the system with the better fron end will allways sound better. Speakers first is the biggest deception in Audio.When dealers tell you to put the biggest% here its because they make the most margin mark up on speakers.If you have 5k to spend and put 3k into speakers the dealers makes twice as much money as if you where to only spend 2k on speakers and the rest on front end and amps. To many people rush out and spend 5/10k on new speakers when spending 5k on a front end would yield better sonics with their old speakers than with the ones they just laid out a fortune for.Sorry to be so long winded. The amp amplifies and the speaker reproduces.It only makes sense that the better the input the better the output.Garbage in garbage out.Even more so as the amplification and speakers become more revealling.When you sit and voice something you want it in its best voice.So put a fortune in the front end to start and your on your way.