2. best-of
  3. 1032646601

What was your biggest priority?

There has been a lot of discussion in some of the other threads about where the focus or emphasis should be when spending money on your system. When you look at your system (other than the room in which it resides) where did you actually spend the most money? Did the majority of your hard earned money go into speakers, amp/amps, pre-amp, digital, or turntable/arm/cartridge??? Or was it somewhere else?
128x128nrchy
paullindemann
15 posts
 
The priority is based on the perceived weakest link and the best return on investment (sound-wise of course).

Speakers 33%
Cables 37%
Amplifier 15%
CD 15%
ksales
228 posts
 
About equal for preamp,amps and speakers. Cable certainly is close. It really depends on what system your setting up. A two channel system will probably balance more equally between amps and speakers, unless you want to spring for the highest cost cable and interconnects. The preamp with appropriate d/a tech. may influence your decision on cd or dvd.
mattybumpkin
588 posts
 
Mine worked out as follows:

Int. amp - 40% (used)
Speakers - 30% (new)
CD Player - 20% (new)
Cables/IC's - 10% (new)

I low-balled on the CD as I want to pick up a better used CDP soon. Also, the cable/IC # will change when I buy PC's for the stock ones. Oh, then there are power conditioners too, up the number agan.

Finally, let me say that I do believe in the balanced system scenario, it just makes sense (Thanx Viridian).
crp's avatar
crp
38 posts
 
My biggest expense has been source material. Most expensive component was CD player, next Amp and Preamp. My speakers are home made, so not as much money spent there unless I count my labor - then they would be on top of the list.
subaruguru
1,353 posts
 
Speaker/room is the highest priority. Then source, followed by pre/amp required to achieve proper SPLs musically.
More to discover