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Relative component value to overall SQ.

There is a lot of discussion about various things in the hi-fi audio component chain and how they affect SQ and as a beginner it would be interesting to see how folks rate the relative value of these items.

This is not necessarily meant to be a hierarchy. What I would like to see is a percentage value for each item in the chain. Total must be 100%.

I realize this is an artificial construct but I think for newbies building a system it would help them know where to start and where to put initial emphasis.

For simplicity I am leaving out the signal source. Let’s assume that the CDP, DAC, streamer, server or TT are delivering an optimal signal of an optimal recording to the system.

I included room optimization since that is also likely critical.

The components are as follows; assign a percentage to each. Total must be 100 :

Speakers
Speaker cables
Amp
Amp power cord
Interconnect cables
Pre-Amp
Pre-amp power cord
Interconnect cables (to source)
Room optimization


n80
ricred1
2,000 posts
 
From my experience most people don't go out in purchase an entire system. We assemble a system over time and gradually try to upgrade components. Based on your question I would tell someone 35-50% should be allocated to speakers. How much money one has to spend would be a factor in how the rest of the budget is allocated. 
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bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,722 posts
 

If it’s a simple answer you want, here it is: A- ignore the percentage paradigm (a word not part of my vocabulary until Michael Green showed up ;-). B- Find a pair of speakers you like the most at no more than half your budget (less if possible). C- Next an amp that is well-suited to driving them. D- Then a source component with the $ left, minus the cost of a cheap passive pre-amp IF it will work within the context of the speaker/amp/gain/etc. situation. If you’re lucky, your listening room already sounds good. If it doesn’t, consider acoustic treatment of it part of your speaker budget---the speaker/room is a system unto itself.

With a system budget of $5,000, one can get a pair of Eminent Technology LFT-8b ($2499/pr) or Tekton loudspeakers, ridiculous bargains with very high price-to-performance ratios. A good tube amp (which the LFT-8b, being a mostly-resistive 8 ohm and higher load, loves) is probably out of reach, so a good used 100w solid state (NAD? Adcom? PS Audio?) will have to do. A fine CD player can be had for a grand or so, as can a passable (for now) LP player. Some cheap speaker wire, and you’re done!

Just as with a first wife, you will most likely look back and see the mistake(s) you made in picking your first system.

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bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,722 posts
 
Now, if the system budget were increased to $20,000, one could then consider a pair of Magnepan MG3.7i driven by a Sanders Magtech amp. In that case, the percentage spent on speakers would be about the same as on the ET's in the $10,000 system. Just a coincidence!
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