??? How Much Would You Spend ???

The rule of thumb I have most often seen is 30% on speakers, 30% on amplification (integrated or separate pre and power amps), 30% on the front end (streamer/DAC or TT/TM/Cartridge) and 10% on cables.  I am an old audiophile and remember articles from Linn weighting the spend to the front end and reducing the spend for the speakers and amplification.  Years ago when the performance of digital equipment and lower cost analogue was not as good as today there was merit to that philosophy.  I did follow that philosophy with my first digital front end (Sonic Frontiers Processor 3/Iris Player). But digital front end equipment and lower cost analogue has improved so I would follow the 30/30/30/10 rules.  Of course this is all generalization and your decision should not be based on a ratio but on system synergy and your own preferences in sound quality.  

@immatthewj +1 ( emphasis added);

Two factors present themselves IMO in this thread where arbitrary and highly variable amp budgets are relegated to a distinct secondary notion.

(1) To push that it’s some kind of a 100-year old accepted rule to choose your expensive speakers in isolation always first; and then build around them where the electronics are relegated to a secondary highly variable afterthought or budget sensitive consequence:

(a) that notion is hyperbole at best, and,

(b) it is no assurance of a pathway to the Yellow Brick Road to Audio Oz, But a full system budget already planned upfront is.

”Price is what you pay. Value is what you get” - Warren Buffett

(2) Rather, a full high-end system components budget allocation philosophy is clear. And that also includes where affordable speakers with good amplification (and source) make more sense than an expensive speaker with a comparatively cheap amp and source.

A class d Hypex Ncore or Purifi stereo amp delivers top notch performance and can be had for under 2K. They will drive most any speakers to their max. So thats probably about it. Compact design for a small room is the icing on the cake.

The speaker choice is critical to the balance of the expenditures.  I am a Maggie guy and they require much from their amps.  I have 750 wpc bench tested and those are not inexpensive.  On the other hand, if you prefer highly efficient speakers you can use SET amps and anything stronger, giving you a bit more flexibility in your amp budget.

Only when you look at the entire picture of your system can you allocate your budget properly.  Sources also are key as the expense of quality vinyl is different from streaming, CD or even R2R.

It os a complex algorithm and certainly not a one size fits all IMHO

So the last 5 years I have had a Raven Audio Osprey Tube Amp with their Corvus Speakers and I have been really thrilled with what I hear out of this beautiful amp...At 73 yrs old and having tinnitus pretty bad I have wondered if I really could hear much more than I do with this unit..I talked to Raven and they told me they would give me a trade in on 5 yr old Osprey for the Reflection they make..I would be another 14k to get this unit and believe me I had  to really talk myself in..But I finally did and I am so happy I did for the music and detail I hear coming out of songs that I never knew existed all these years even from Oldies songs I am blown away..But it is what you are willing to spend for best quality sound you desire to hear...And those 5 years with Osprey I thought was my best and I have a whole new sound that will last me for years of enjoyment...