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How to divide a budget between components

Hello All,

I recently read through an interesting thread on AG in the speaker section on the best way to allocate one's budget for a system (the consensus was to put about half towards the speakers and the remainder towards everything else).

So on that note, what is the best way to allocate one's non-speaker budget? There seems to be a growing number of improved components to buy that are supposed to make a big difference. Where would a person's money be best spent? Below are some items to possibly consider for a components budget. For this example, the components budget would be $10K (keeps the math easy) and the speakers would be worth around $15k. I know the allocation would vary on more factors (such as music preference, digital vs analogue focus, etc) but I'm wondering as a general overall rule what has worked best?

Amplifier
Pre-amp
Turn table
Turn table cartridge
CD player
DAC
Surge protection
Speaker cables
Power cables
Equipment racks/tables
Room treatments
(Are there any I missed?)
xerotrace

Showing 7 responses by noromance

noromance's avatar
noromance
10,057 posts
 
For $10k
Turntable 2000
Arm 10000
cartridge 1000
phono amp 2500
monoblocks 1500
speakers 1500
cables,stands, CD player etc. 500
noromance's avatar
noromance
10,057 posts
 
typo arm 1000
noromance's avatar
noromance
10,057 posts
 
Paraneer, Linn philosophy or not, if you are going to use a vinyl source, it is wisest to spend as much retrieving as much information from the source as possible. Otherwise, you run the risk of spending lots of money trying to tune the rig with silly priced cables.
noromance's avatar
noromance
10,057 posts
 
Of course you can hear a difference. I use I use OCC copper cable... home made. cheap. Trust me, these wires with a goid source is better than an okay source with a expensive cables. Obviously... cost no object.. get both but all things bwing equal...
noromance's avatar
noromance
10,057 posts
 
I do not believe my $1500 Quad Electrostatics are a weak link with my $6500 analogue source. (I never said you said anything about silly cables.)
noromance's avatar
noromance
10,057 posts
 
Used. Paraneer. But... why settle for less by compromising by not being able to afford new kit?
I have had this argument before and I have been down these roads for 35 years. I like ultra detail...that is where the emotion and nuance of the music lies. Once the source fails to retrieve that information, no other component will bring it back.
noromance's avatar
noromance
10,057 posts
 
B_limo, I think the rules are more flexible with digital sources. I will never forget a demo of an Oxford Acoustics with an Air Tangent arm and Koetsu Red Signature with some unknown to me tube amps and a pair of £100 Wharfedale Diamond speakers. The source was probably £20,000 and it was a total revelation. The speed and attack and dynamics blew away a Krell CD, Krell amps and top of the range speakers.
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