Curious .. What is the compared price of your tt vs spkrs

"Inna, Spending as much on a cartridge as on speakers would not be my approach, that's for sure."

What is your approach? Do you have a formula? I have never really thought about it that way. If I hear something that sounds great and has synergy in my system I will usually buy it. I have three primary cartridges. Each one is about 1/3 the cost of my speakers. So based on what I have done, without thinking about it ahead of time, is that each of my turntable/tonearm/cartridge stumps cost about the same as my speakers, not including tonearm cable or phono preamp.

I would be interested in your thoughts on this.

I don't have a formula but I have a few rules that I try to follow.
Analogue front end should be very strong or all will be for nothing. I believe that the table itself is the most important part of it, then the arm, then the phono and then the cartridge. Good $350 MM cartridge sounds excellent in $1500 arm and $4000 table through $1500 phono. That's what I have. One day I will upgrade the catridge and the phono, preferably at the same time and preferable to something about three times more expensive.
The speakers. I keep them for a very long time, 15-20 years, so they must be good. I don't think that there is anything under $10k that I would really like to upgrade to, so for now I keep my 17 year old speakers that used to cost $1500 new.
I buy everything used except cartridges.
So yes, as you said, whatever sounds great, taking the cost into consideration.

Inna, your rationale makes sense to me, especially the table and arm importance.  For me, the most difficult choices are analog front end and especially speakers.  I believe my dealer did me a favor years ago with my entry into analog getting me into the Basis line of tables.  I have since moved up the ladder with Basis and can't imagine why I would switch.  Also, I have always been a fan of Thiel speakers since I heard the 3.6 way back when, I think the mid 90"s.  I have tried /owned other speakers but once you get so accustomed to a sound it is engrained in the head.  

I will in all likelihood  always have Basis and Thiels at the front and back end and everything in the middle is up for grabs.  I am also getting too damn old to be moving 100+lb amps around so I am hoping great things start coming in smaller packages!

I am enjoying this discussion .. For me i truly believe as difficult as it may be at times in our lives switching rooms or houses, that it all starts with the room then the source ( just like i mentioned my guitar) then downhill just my opinion it all matters and syncronicity of choices are key i have heard 1k spkrs sound amazing and 25 k spkrs sound weak 

Every heard the same performer at different venues they still slep all the same gear