The Ten Rules of high-end audio

Don't let the "speakers first" crowd stampede you. When I worked in audio sales I did the demos and then made the installations. I soon noticed that we demo'd speakers with high end separate electronics and sent the customers home with inexpensive receivers. The results were mixed to say the least, but after a while I could easily hear inexpensive electronics regardless of other factors. I soon developed a distaste for electronic distortion. I began to notice that some speakers made a lot of "noise" (added sound to the signal) and others while limited in range or power, added little extra "noise". On balance I prefer "subtractive mechanical distortion" to "additive electronic distortion". I therefore prefer low distortion electronics and simple speakers to the reverse.

I am squarely in the "speakers first" camp. A good source will sound good in any room and many systems. The same cannot be said for a good speaker. You can't just plop panels, electrostatics, or horns, etc. into any room and expect success.

The speaker has to fit not only the room but the taste of the listener. And the taste of the listener defines the entire system. The speaker and amplifier combination is particularly critical so in some instances (e.g. user prefers SETs) the amplifier type will strongly influence speaker choice (or at least it darn well better).

Think of it this way. How long did it take you to determine the position of your equipment rack (including the source)? How long did it take you to determine the exact speaker position (assuming you aren't still trying to determine that)? The speaker and the room come first. And I strongly endorse room treatment be part of the equation.

rules are nice, but until you audition several systems that sound like live music, regardless of price, you won't have a "ruler" in your head to make comparisons. so i don't regret having heard the "state of the art" early on, even if i couldn't afford it. yes, i met some snobs, and put up with their insulting comments at times, but i also became familiar with a guy named "david chesky" and prof.johnson (ref.recordings). and before audiogon, you had to spend some bucks if you wanted class-A or class-B. all i could do was negotiate on some demo's or trade-ins if i wanted to save more money. as for shadorne's humorous comments, you can yuck it up a bit AFTER you have spent some obscene amounts from hard-earned paychecks. until then you will have demons knawing at your soul until you get a name-brand preamplifier- and don't deny it! at least then you come home to audio gear that really does command some respect! as for wire, i eventually did get some very costly stuff, but it took me a LONG time to do so, well after i acquired the other componenets i wanted. also, you can get by with a $500 power conditioner on your front end, mainly for surge protection and some modest filtering, for a VERY long time, unless you live in an area that you KNOW creates problems that you can easily hear.
i think there are alot of mid-fi speakers out there that, with a receiver and a $500 cdp, and a used thorens or a rega, can keep you happy IF you know how to BE a happy listener. if not, then put a sneer on your face, put your "rolex copy" on your wrist, and saunter down to the local audio emporium to listen to some "audiophile" recordings.
notice the detail, the stage, and take note of how much the amplifiers weigh (apologies to jrdg!). whatever you do, don't ask what it all costs- a friend recently went to get an estimate of a multi-room home theatre system (bedroom, living room, and patio) from the high-end store we all know and "love". after some intricate calculations, the salesman came up with a total of $28,000, less installation...

Bigbucks5 is dead on. Speakers first.

That $99 DVD player will never sound good into anything.

An excellent signal can sound good into a wide variety of speakers and rooms.