How much does power amplifier really matter comparing to other hi-fi components?


What is the best ratio (out of a total of 100%) in terms of money to put in a high-end hi-fi set containing:
1. CD player/DAC, 2. Pre-amp, 3. Power-amp, 4. speakers.
(25% will be assigned to each if the 4 parts are equal).
Can we take this as a reference to distribute the budget when buying power-amp?

Looking forward to learning experiences and technical information from audiophiles including hi-fi dealers.
cclee2022
SQ is not proportionatel to expenditure.  Allocating expenditure by percentage is not likely to give you the best bang for the buck.  Pick components whose sound you really like.  Be prepared to dive in deeper if required and spend less on other areas where you don't discover a stand-out for you.

That said, I mainly agree with Pani.  Transducers are the area that influences SQ the most, that is record players, digital players and speakers.  Money spent there will have the most effect.  Then look at amplifiers.  For some, room treatment is a must, but it is best not to listen in compromised rooms, some of which remain compromised however much is spent.  Wiring comes last.  Whatever Miller says, it cannot influence SQ to the extent active components do.

Foolishly, Miller advocates equal expenditure on room treatment and wires.  That means you only spend 16.67% on players and on speakers, when if you were more sensible it would be 25%,  That's a stonking 50% uplift.

If I had to decide in the restrictive manner proposed by OP (and did not have a compromised room) I would go:
30% speakers, 25% player, 35% all amplification (less if you go integrated), 5% room, 5% wires.  And that's generous on the room and wires.

If you are digital believer and only run digital, I would drop expenditure sharply on the player (incl DAC).  True converts know that if you have sorted jitter, clock error and have a good DAC, bits is bits, so any decent player will do.  Read errors are almost non-existent on every player.

The strongest part of any system is it’s weakest link. …or something along those lines
50% gear/cables, 50% room treatment and speaker/listening position placement.

That is not COST, it is the importance and true perspective of a TOTAL system.

The cost of gear and cables can be 100% of the cost, but it's still only 50% of the sound. By putting 5-10% ($$) in room treatment you can reduce your gear cost buy 50-75%. The sound can cost a lot of money or VERY well spent money. The well spent money part, usually comes with a lot of poorly spent (learning) money through the years. :-)

I look at it like this TOO.. 300hz and down gets a certain kind of control system (bass control system) fed from an active preamp (integrated or separate), power amp (class Ds), cables and speakers.

300 hz and up gets a very well made versatile valve power amp for 8 months out of the year and class ds for the HOT summers where I live.

When I was finished with one system I was still under 10k and everything was new or freshly gone through and or moded up.. Room included. The front room my wife's system.

I could add in 15K speakers that I have, but the 1500.00 speakers with the brand new cabinets I purchased for 200.00, work as good because of the room size and type of speaker. I could add a 8K preamp I have but the C20 that cost me 1700.00 total with a complete rebuild, and on and on and on....

The NUGGET from all this is:
I can build a 60K system or a 8K system. I have both... 50% is still the room.. at 5-15% of 8K. LOL :-)

ROOM first, speakers second. I'm sorry I work backward than most people. Then the power amp matches the speaker and the room temp issues.. It's a BIG issue where I live..

Source is source pick what ever you like for your Karaoke Christmas hootenanny. :-)

Regards
It all matters...if you did a mashup of all the above posts you would find that "it all matters".  

Assigning percentages to components is a fool's errand, you may like to think about it in those terms, but you'll never match it as you move forward.

My simple rule of thumb is that any component that is a transducer requires more dollars.  That would be speakers (signal to sound), cartridge (squiggles to signal), cd/dac (digital to analog). 

After that you pick the order of spending, but it all matters!

Regards,
barts
This guy trying look for good advices and you send him out like drunk girl looking for quite place to sleep a frat house. but it not your fault because op give very little information.
take money you pay for speaker- Raidho and how much you have leftover. That the question is what do you have after purchase the Raidho? That good speaker I have that in workshop system I just cover that tweeter when use machine because ribbon no like dust.