Why do folks spend more on electronics than on speakers?

@Ryder In general, I think your assessment is pretty accurate.

Regardless of cost or allocation of costs, I think, aside from one's overall budget, some important things to consider:  

1) Matching your speakers to the size, aesthetics, and overall function of the space they will be used - a dedicated audio room/space or to be shared with other interests of the home. What types of music and at what volume levels will they be required to perform.

2) Match the amp/preamp or integrated amp to the speaker's output, impedance and and expected performance.

3) Make sure all is approved and sanctioned by the boss (I'm lucky to have an understand ing boss) :-) ..........Jim

These "what is the most important component" threads put me in mind of the question, what is the most important your shoulder, your arm or your hand.  It takes a whole system to let you hug your wife.  Everything matters.

A system is a total of its parts and the end result hopefully would be positive but I am from the camp that speakers are the most important purchase and should be where the most money should be invested. I have had audiophiles over and one told me that he thought that I could put any components on them and they will sound good.

to say the speaker selection/purchase is the most important and most impactful towards the goal of great sound in the room being used is true... but it is not the same as saying the speakers need to be the most expensive component in the system... 

best not to conflate a vs b...

10 years spent seriously building a ‘budget’ system on mostly used equipment, I ended up with a 10% speaker (LS-50) that really isn’t worth upgrading, yet.  Along the way I went through 5 amps, 4 pre-amps, three sets of speakers, three brands of cables, 4 DACs, tubes, transistors, old school, new school, you get the picture.  
 

None of the equipment was cheap, or bad for that matter.  But the one thing that was apparent was that speakers made the least difference.  However, the best speakers had the greatest intolerance for poor quality.  Components that sounded great on cheaper speakers sounded bad on really good, resolving speakers.  Conversely, all the speakers sounded good on good equipment.  And full range is never cheap, so I live with the sub for when it’s needed.
 

Most importantly, once a certain quality threshold is met, price and performance are not as coupled as one may think, which is why few end up on the same path when it comes to price for a particular component.