How to divide up your budget in building a 2-Channel HiFi system


I have just begun my HiFi journey over the last few months and already thinking about what is next. I’m curious to hear from those with much more experience than I where the best place to focus your budget is. I’ve heard many say you should spend the majority of your budget on speakers and then buy the best you can for the components with what is left over but your obviously not getting the most out of your speakers if you spend 80% on them and the remaining 20% on everything else. I would think the reverse to be true as well....no sense in spending your budget on components if you don’t have good enough speakers to reveal the difference. As a fun exercise and assuming you had a $20k budget how would you break that up in building your system? Goal would be to optimize realism and expanded sound stage.

Amps:
Preamp:
DAC:
Speakers:
Streamer:
Cables:

Current system: Vandersteen 2ce ii Signatures, mono-bloc Schiit Vidar Amps, Schiit Freya + Preamp, Audio Mirror Tubradour III DAC, Node 2i as streamer.
mvrooman1526

Showing 1 response by oldhvymec

Just a question or two.

What is the size of the room you're working with?

Have you looked at room treatment, nothing fancy, just effective.
I use the absolute minimum I can. NONE if possible. As long as the sweet spot is great, and the neighbors or partners aren't complaining..
That's good.

Is something missing from your system? Sound wise. Is it what you want to hear?

Are there any unwanted noises, hums, buzzes, yoyo sound, any noise when your idling? 

I listen, and listen and listen.. Move a speaker a 1/2 inch. Then listen and listen....  Parts is parts, we use to say. How you use them, or not, is really what the "Tweak" is all about.. To decouple or not. (I always do), Vibration control (Vinyl especially).

Separate the wires, no touching, cable risers.

I know I didn't offer a budget guideline, but these things will add a lot of quality at almost no expense.. 2% of your budget, but 20% of the SQ. 

Get the sound right, then add all the sources you like.

I like them all, I like music, just no Yoko Ono...

Regards...