How do you determine how much to spend on speakers

Hey there...

I can just share my experience. While a friend was auditioning speakers, we heard Martin Logan electrostatics. I couldn't believe the sound. Mids and highs so full and clear. Especially voices... I fell in love, and a couple years later, bought the Aerius i model. At the time, they were 2,300. I got an NAD integrated amp and some MIT4 cables to go with them, and used my mini CD player for a source! Total cost was about 3,000.

Fast forward a couple years, and I was unhappy with how my speakers were sounding. I got a CD changer from Sherwood Newcastle (like 300), and finally upgraded the amp to a VTL IT 85 (another 2,500). I'm still using the MIT cables, but am planning to upgrade. (my speakers are not that sensitive, but the VTL powers them fine!)

My system, without great cables or a great CD player is sounding REALLY great with the upgrade in power supply. I guess I'm lucky, I have an apartment that is the right size for my Aerius... at least I think it must be the right size, because these babies SING so BEAUTIFULLY. i mean, goosebumps up and down my spine.

I'm hoping an upgrade in CD player yields another great improvement. We'll see.

What I learned was, speakers were real important, but so was my power supply. The source, we'll see how important it is... I mean, I may be in for another surprise. But right now, my system sounds really excellent.

My advice, find a good matching pair of speakers with an integrated amp...

i realized that the maximum i will EVER spend on speakers is $9000 and this would certainly be Sennheizer Orpheus earspeaker system that no floor or monitor speaker i've heard so far can beat. after that the upgrades will only affect sources and preamp.

$1500 for speaker, $2250 for amplifications, $1250 for CDP. Use off the shelf non-audiophile cable and lamp cord for speaker cable for now and upgrade those later.

Provide yourself with an upgrade path. Looking at todays offerings I find Sonus Faber Electa Amators w/ stands for $2200 obo. And A Proton tuner for $60. There are numerous possibilities for a serious integrated around $1200. Get a decent CD or DVD for under $500 which can serve as a transport when and if you upgrade. Buy interconnects from Wicked or somebody for $35 to $50 bucks a pair and spend a couple of hundred on speaker cables. That's somewhere between $4K and $4.5K depending on the deals you can cut.
Now when you are ready you can add a DAC or a subwoofer and
use your integrated as an amp or preamp while making upgrades to either one. This way you'll be able to thoroughly establish yourself before the disease completely immobilizes any lingering capacity for rational thinking or judicious investment. Good luck and welcome to the ward.

I have heard the opinion for years which states that you should put the bulk of your system budget in speakers. It was probably first authored by the speaker companies who mark speakers up substantially more than the electronic companies. The baton was then quickly passed to the retailers who clearly make more money from speaker markup than electronics as well. It is true that garbage speakers are no bargain at any price, but come on people, you must agree that people's opinions on speakers are more influenced by name brand reputation and snob appeal than any other component. There is a pantheon of highly tauted yet horrible speakers...witness the Bose 901...the object lesson. Instead, show me good quality drivers, a speaker that doesn't look like R2D2 in drag, and a a simple design uncluttered by excessive drivers.