How do you determine how much to spend on speakers

i bought a VPI MK3 with a Morch Arm,and with the money left over purchased a Grado Reference The Reference Phono Cartridge.You would be very hard pressed to find any CD RIGsound like this one.Of course I can always upgrade the table a little more with an Aries Platter,SDS,and outer ring clamp.
You can try to get an Analog Table like this.With everything mine cost me about $1,500.00 counting cost of cartridge.My spekers cost a little more the Martin Logan Quest Z.
Happy Hunting
Don

I always ask my wife......

My plan of attack was to purchase "A class" 7.1 electronic equipment and then to purchase a borderline high end 5.1 speaker setup. This allowed me to get equipment I won't have to upgrade for a long time, while allowing me the time to save up for the "A class" stereo speakers that I can add to my setup to complete a 7.1 system down the road. The borderline high end speakers are close enough in quality to bring out the best in my equipment without me having to sacrifice in any area while I save the cash to complete my setup.

I subscribe entirely Swampwalker's opinion:

"In other words, high end speakers driven by average electronics will NOT sound as good as good electronics driving average speakers."

I had one system where the weak-link were the speakers: they were too good!!! Superb detail and transparency showed all the limitations of the source, amplifiers and cables!
I've only found two ways of making that system play enjoyable music: Replace all the electronics and cables by much more expensive ones (5k source; 11k amps; 4k cables); or replace the "high-end" speakers by normal "hi-fi" speakers.

From my personal experience I have also found out that for most balanced systems, the largest sum of money should go for the amplifiers, and not the speakers:
1. Amplifiers
2. Speakers
3. Source and cables

Sony I agree that better electronics are more important than better speakers. The issue I would have with your statement is that the amp is more important than the source.

What is the better amp going to add back into the music that the lesser source did not get off of the LP or CD? Everything lost at the source is lost forever. The source is far and away the most important piece, but all things are important!