Why buy cheap speakers??

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.

On the other hand, I can recall getting really great sound from a cheap Sony cassette deck and a cheapish turntable (AR with MMT arm and Monster Alpha MC cart) through Acoustat 2+2s with custom-built tube servo-charge amplifiers.

So in my view, the amp-speaker combo is equally important as having a decent source. In fact I find cheap speaker/amp combinations are even more irritating and limiting than having a modest source with a great amp and speakers. Cheap speakers usually have so many problems and limitations that the best front-end in the world cannot hope to redeem.

There is some good stuff above. Me, I lean towards speakers and equipment in general being very personal. I've worked in construction all my adult life. I have a very slight mid range hearing loss. I've designed my system to compensate for that fact. Everything may appear to be overly bright to other people but great to me.

As in most areas in audio, there are many different ways to achieve the desired result, and it matters little, as long as you get there. In my case, I never really started making headway until I acquired some very fine loudspeakers, (Dynaudio Contour 5.4's), which allowed me to make real positive improvements, really for the first time. I could more easily discern positive changes, and wound up with what became a very rewarding and satisfying system. Now, ironically, the only thing I am changing is the speakers, as I felt I had unfinished business with Tannoys, so to that end, I am in the process of having custom 192lb (each) enclosures built for some HPD 315's (12" Dual Concentric) speakers I acquired on Ebay UK. Should have them in the system in a couple of weeks. Not planning any other system changes other than that for now. Gonna be fun.

Best regards, enjoy,
Dan