Why buy cheap speakers??

I don't think there are any "rules". During the '80s the UK HiFi mags were mad keen on the "front end first" paradigm, going so far as to recommend a Sondek-Ittok, moving coil, Naim amp with tiny Linn Kans. The US mags at the time concentrated more on the amps and speakers, combining great speakers with somewhat less sophisticated front ends. Different strokes.

If you can tolerate a lack of deep bass, you can get some very nice sounding speakers for modest amounts of money, and they will shine on a great front-end + amp combination. Getting those lower octaves costs a lot, and the more you probe the bottom end, the better power amps you need to control the low frequencies.

If you are starting off, I believe you will get more enjoyment from cheaper speakers mated to a good source and amp, than having great speakers hooked up to a budget source. Plus your upgrade path is better.

I can listen around the flaws of modest speakers, but the sound of cheap electronics really bugs me.

Regards,
Geoff

Agreed, the old garbage in garbage out debate.
A pair of $10,000 speakers can't restore the sound coming from bad electronics.
I have heard $500 speakers sound great with $10,000 electronics, rarely as good the other way around.
Best to try and strike a balance, but source first always works best, IMO.

Steven... buy something like a ClearAudio Virtuoso Wood cartridge for that turntable of yours and then we'll talk.

Happy Listening!

That makes three of us. If you don't have a good source and amplification chain, you can't pick the right speakers for your room.

IMO, speakers are very personal and have the most variability in sound. Or put another way, there are more trade-offs to be made at the speaker level than the electronics level. So nail the front end, based on reviews, listening tests, friends systems, etc. You'll likely get much closer to a sound you like for a long time than with speakers.

Of course, be sure to take a systems approach and no matter what you spend for your speakers make sure the impedance and sensitivity match the electronics.

Steven,

Of course you are absolutely right given the extreme examples you listed ($300 cables $300 speakers) but some have more money than sense and honestly have the right to spend their money however they like.

I can't say for sure what is the best budget percentage for speakers but for sure you really should build a system around a good room and your dream speakers rather than your favorite speaker cables and interconnects. The room/speakers are where most of the rubber hits the road.

I have no problem with $500 speakers in $20K systems in a 12 by 12 attic space with low odd shaped ceilings but I try to warn newcomers to this hobby that they should primarily consider room acoustics and speakers FIRST.