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Proportion of expenses

How should one apportion their expenses on a stereo system, particularly at different levels of expense? For instance if you have 100,000 to spend should you spend 40% on the speakers 20% on the source 20% on the preamp and 20% on the amp or should it be some other combination (yes I'm making this up - not making a recommendation)?

It might be interesting to see at various price points. Like 10,000, 20,000, 50,000,100,000, 300,000 and unlimited. In some ways the question gets at what component is most important in different price ranges, in other ways it gets at the fact that the price/performance ratio is different among components.

A related question is where do you start in designing a system you want to build. Do you start with speakers and build back or source and build forward? Do you match precisely or get the best you can afford?

I was just curious.
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Showing 1 response by paraneer

paraneer's avatar
paraneer
818 posts
 

I think its silly to even attempt to build a system by allocating a percentage of funds to each component and then trying to stick to that number.

A great system is only as good as its weakest link! Therefore you want to select components that work well together and not by their price tags.

Put me in the camp though that believes in selecting the speakers first and they must be heard by the intended user.  Then select an amp that that will properly drive them.  I have seen too many people buy an amp only to find out later that it cannot adequately drive a pair of speakers that they auditioned and fell in love with.   

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