Amp first approach to build a system. Anyone did it ?

since I often buy used, a great deal often determines buying order...

mrdecibel, amp first approach is only if you just really want to use particular amp or preamp/amp, normally it's either speakers or source first, of course. As for the room, well, yeah, unless you move frequently.

jl35, that's a good point. In fact, I was thinking of upgrading speakers first soon but couldn't resist getting VAC amp when I saw it. So now it's amp first and speakers later for me.

great deal on a VAC would be hard to resist

inna I did  the same thing pretty much back when I started I was obsessed about tube amps so focused on amps first and speakers later. I now would do that totally backwards and was fortunate to end up with a well balanced system.

I could easily see being in that position.

I have been upgrading my systems for fifty years.

After a few years in, I had taken out my very first bank loan for $5,000 ($19K in todays dollars) to buy a Threshold s500 amp. One of my next purchases would have been speakers… and I am sure there was no way I was thinking about swapping the amp.

I have also given up on solid state amps. So if I upgrade again I would be keeping my ARC Reference 160… or maybe upgrading to an ARC Reference 320… but that really isn’t a change.