amp question


Here a question thats interest's me and was therefore hoping anyone else has an opinion or personal experience on.

With budget of around $10,000 -$12,000 for a pre/power amp. Has anybody, after of course auditioning several suitable options. Decided to instead of spending the complete budget on what ever particular pre/ amp they decided on. To purchase a cheaper model possibly from same manufacture in such a way as to leave enough budget to be able to buy as well a 'state of the art' support for it, such as made by SRA, Silent Running, Vibraplane etc along with say a very specialist power cable again just for example, Nordost Valhalla etc. In either the believe or from actual experience that this alternative approach to the budgeting has given better results. For example.Buying a Pass Labs integrated with a specialist support and cable instead of their cheapest seperate's with just a normal type rack and cables.
128x128pcoombs
Id never spend money on most of the little tweaks out there, specially the high dollar ones. Unless you just have money that you dont know what to do with, putting your money in better speakers, and equipment, is by far the best move. Even budget gear has gotten good now days, but some of the more costly speakers out there make a remarkable upgrade in sound from most of the cheaper speakers(although for me Magnepans sound quality is fantastic, even at there budget prices).
Oh well with eight reply's none of which really addressed or answered the specific at all. Ive come to the conclusion that it's 1) it was a rather lousy and pointless question, not worth asking in the first place! or 2) no one so far has really ever done such a comparison/ test to be able to report back on. ( I think the answers no 1)