How do you determine how much to spend on speakers

Put your dollars into best electronics, upgrade speakers later. That way you'll always get the most out of your speakers - they can't fix a poor signal from source components and/or preamp.

The hardest and arguably the most critical is the transformation of energy. Physics here folks. Electronics is important but the electrical to acoustical and the mechanical to electrical (vinyl) is the hardest to do accurately. The speakers man.! Cartridges too. Any vinyl heads swapped cartridges and heard a small difference compared to swapped amps etc.Not me. Rule of thumb (my opinion) spend 1/3rd to 1/2 $ on the speakers..

Considering the original post was 1-16-02 , I am sure he already bought what he needed.

How much do you make?

11 years later, hows it working out? My last speaker purchase was under $100. Not too long ago I spent a whopping $330 on Forte IIs. If I hit the lotto, who knows?