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Which area of components to spend the most $ on? Boy I was wrong all my life!

I have been an audio junkie for about 25 years. All those years, I have read plenty of discussion posts and recommendations where to spend the most money on. The majority, even the experts recommend to spend the most money on speakers. Up to as high as 60% of the total budget.Example: CEO of PS Audio-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYwL7vPkPhg
I believed this all my life. Today, my eyes are opened. My total budget is about $15K.Before today, my system was:Speakers-Revel F36 Concerta 2 (For the money, this is the best speakers I’ve heard. I like it more than my previous Dynaudio Contour 30)Integrated Amp-Marantz PM-10 (Class D, balanced, 400wpc at 4ohms)CD Player-Oppo UDP 205 & Marantz CD 6005 (Some of the best in class)Line conditioner-Furman Elite PFi 15Cables-Kimber 8TC Speaker Cables (Sorry, not a cable nut. I’d rather spend money elsewhere)
I upgraded my front end CD player to... Marantz SA-11S3. I was BLOWN away! This is the greatest upgrade I have ever heard in my life. For 25 years, I was taught to spend the most in speakers. Sorry! It’s the FRONT END! The best source you can afford. The purity transcends down the river. I am blown away by the sheer improvement in detail, clarity, depth, the air around the instruments.
My philosophy has changed.
skimrn

Showing 3 responses by kahlenz

kahlenz's avatar
kahlenz
263 posts
 
All these percentages boggle my mind.  There are far too many variables.

I'm a speakers first guy.  Find some speakers that fit your room and sound good.  Then get amplification that has the right synergy with the speakers (this forum is a great place to get information on that, and a good dealer is priceless).  Then buy as good a front end as you can afford with the money left over.  Tweak and upgrade as you go, and have fun!

PS:  Start with the room first if you can afford it.

PPS:  It's no surprise the OP noticed a significant difference with a CD player that cost 7x the original.  I would venture to guess, however, that the OP would have noticed an even more significant difference if he would have kept the Oppo and bought some $14,000 speakers!
kahlenz's avatar
kahlenz
263 posts
 
It's a shame these audio engineers are so stupid.  To think they would invert the playback polarity and rip off billions of music listeners.  Hmmph!

Kevin Edward Collins the First, CA, BSLA, member of the Society of Late Night Audioholics
kahlenz's avatar
kahlenz
263 posts
 
Spending $3k on outlets may be a reasonable expense for somebody that has speakers that cost $10k or more. Once you get to that level, $3k increase in the cost of speakers will likely be a marginal improvement. If, however, you have $2.5k speakers like me, adding $3k to the speaker budget will have a much more profound impact on the sound than spending the same $3k to upgrade your outlets.
Everything is on a bell curve. Everything.
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