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Proportion of expenses

How should one apportion their expenses on a stereo system, particularly at different levels of expense? For instance if you have 100,000 to spend should you spend 40% on the speakers 20% on the source 20% on the preamp and 20% on the amp or should it be some other combination (yes I'm making this up - not making a recommendation)?

It might be interesting to see at various price points. Like 10,000, 20,000, 50,000,100,000, 300,000 and unlimited. In some ways the question gets at what component is most important in different price ranges, in other ways it gets at the fact that the price/performance ratio is different among components.

A related question is where do you start in designing a system you want to build. Do you start with speakers and build back or source and build forward? Do you match precisely or get the best you can afford?

I was just curious.
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ebm
9,311 posts
 
My goal is to sound  as close to Carnegie Hall as possible regardless of cost within reason.

mapman's avatar
mapman
22,203 posts
 
Ebm you are not alone.  👍
jafant's avatar
jafant
19,624 posts
 
nab2-

great query for a thread- 10-20% goes to cabling, as it is often, overlooked. Remember, any system is as good as it's weakest link.

Keep me posted & Happy Listening!
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swampwalker
5,138 posts
 
I am not going to argue w anyone who wants to spend thousands on cables, but IMO, start out w decent, neutral, used interconnects and speaker wires.  There is a huge mark-up/depreciation on them, and unless they are poorly made or poorly designed, they should not be as significant as a component upgrade.  If they are, then you are way out the price - performance curve anyways, so god bless.  Not likely to be where a first-timer is. My advice is to think of them as the final spice, not the main course. 
martykl
3,578 posts
 
On a decent budget, (and assuming digital sources only) I'd do it thusly:

Dedicate about 80% of your available cash to finding speakers that sound good in your room.   Do the best you can to feed them (source/electronics) with the other 20%.  There are times this may not work - if you choose speakers with a crazy load, you may not find an amp that can drive them appropriately.  However, that case will be the outlier.

My logic is that transducers dominate a system's sound.  In a digital system, that means the speakers.  This isn't to dismiss the impact of the other components, but it's my view on how to prioritize.  System matching and room matching are important, so my caveats above about appropriate amplification and room matching.

If you want a vinyl source, it gets more complicated.  The cartridge is another transducer and it can be expensive to find the right one and a good home (arm/table) for it.  That skews the budget allocation significantly.  However, if you're going digital - I'd say speakers (subject to room matching) first and foremost.

This approach also anticipates the future.  You're a hobbyist and will spend more as time goes by.  Upgrade source and electronics from that future budget, as needed.  

BTW If you're lucky, the speakers you choose won't eat up the entire 80% you've allocated.  That will make the near term more fun, but - either way, I'd try to get the right speakers first.
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