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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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kingharold
304 posts
 
brf1 wrote, " Front end - house mortgage
Application - Midsize Car
Speakers - Children’s college education "
Very funny comment.  Reminds me of an old Rodriguez cartoon in Stereo Review in which an audiophile husband is saying to his wife,  "Yes dear, I know $40,000 is a lot for a pair of speakers, but if  we both sell a pint of blood every couple of weeks I think we can swing it."
m669326's avatar
m669326
330 posts
 
I vote for speaker first, and amp second, and then whatever. Personally, my speakers are worth more than twice as much as my amp.
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
My favorite Rodriguez had the old guy listing off in detail every stereo component from 20 years ago concluding with, "That was with my first wife, what's her name."
verdantaudio's avatar
verdantaudio
1,499 posts
 
I have spent wildly different amounts depending on the system and have ultimately learned that it depends on so many factors, it is tough to come up with a definitive, rule of thumb.  It will also depend on whether you are looking at floorstanding vs. standmount and sub speakers.  You will likely spend more one floorstanders.

I am definitely of the opinion you start with your room, pick your speakers that fit the room and the look you want, then amplification and sources at the end.  If you have a 12' x 12' room, you are not going to use a huge, floorstanding speakers.  

That to me is the obvious way to go.  I am going to end up with a wildly different system driving horns (Avantgarde) vs. cone and dome (Vivid / Wilson Benesch) vs Planar (Maggies) vs Omnidirection (MBL).  I might use the same sources (DAC, Server, Turntable, Phono Stage) but I am not going to use the same amp to drive Maggies and Avantgardes.  

Certain speakers only work in certain rooms.  And, aesthetically, they can dominate a space the way other elements of a system do not.  That is why I am always speaker first. 


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