Relative component value to overall SQ.


There is a lot of discussion about various things in the hi-fi audio component chain and how they affect SQ and as a beginner it would be interesting to see how folks rate the relative value of these items.

This is not necessarily meant to be a hierarchy. What I would like to see is a percentage value for each item in the chain. Total must be 100%.

I realize this is an artificial construct but I think for newbies building a system it would help them know where to start and where to put initial emphasis.

For simplicity I am leaving out the signal source. Let’s assume that the CDP, DAC, streamer, server or TT are delivering an optimal signal of an optimal recording to the system.

I included room optimization since that is also likely critical.

The components are as follows; assign a percentage to each. Total must be 100 :

Speakers
Speaker cables
Amp
Amp power cord
Interconnect cables
Pre-Amp
Pre-amp power cord
Interconnect cables (to source)
Room optimization


n80
Simply giving the OP what they asked for. Not questioning why they asked for it.
Not as many B & M stores to hang around listening to different types and prices of speakers , amps etc.. as when I started out, actually there is only 1 left within about an hour and half drive from where I live now so it’s a little harder to build relationships and get good advice not to mention good deals on returns, trade ins and demos from a dealer. At amy rate I always thought the speaker is where most effort and money should be focused but at the moment I am doing a home trial of a set of speakers that cost less than my integrated amp so what do I know? Staying in the parameters I would still put speaker at about 55%( he or she can figure room treatments out later maybe do some home made things) , amplification either separate or integrated close 44% and the remaining 1% on cables. But the more I read the better I understand I’m not an audiophile just someone who likes to listen to music on the best I can afford which is pretty modest from what I can gather.
The speaker-room interaction is the most important, but that does not necessarily mean it will cost the most. A small listening room with nasty bass nodes may benefit from a small stand mounted speaker/monitor considerably cheaper than a speaker required to fill a larger more neutral room. So I agree that it is so difficult to generalise.

Also to a newbie I would seriously recommend looking at active speakers with built-in amplification. Then simply add a source/pre-amp combo.
The ATC room at Munich had their £3k cd/DAC/pre playing into their active speakers and it sounded a dream - a one box solution with 80% of the cost being on the speaker. Definitely worth considering for a first-timer.

What I don’t understand is why the OP would ignore the source? Are you assuming all sources are equal?You can’t assume a perfect signal from any source. In the 1990s in the UK the general advice was to spend 50% on the source. These days I rarely hear that but nevertheless I would recommend certainly spending as much on the source as on amplification.

In summary, and with caveats explained in the first paragraph, I would say to a new Hi-Fi enthusiast seeking advice:

Trad system
Single source (including DAC): 20%
integrated amp: 20%
speakers: 50%
cables/rack/isolators: 10%

active system
source/dac/pre amp combo: 25%
active speakers: 65%
cables/rack/isolators: 10%

If affordable and within the budget active speakers with dsp or a preamp with dsp would help solve room issues without treatment. And treatment is demanding on your space in terms of size (bass traps) and decor, so dsp would be easier for a new hifi enthusiast to deal with.
@elizabeth On the role of room acoustics as related to this topic, I would encourage @N80 and others that for a beginner it doesn't have to be complex and in some ways, you don't even "need to know what to listen for".
Most beginners choose dynamic (cone driver) speakers and they almost all emit sound at wide angles that result in sound reflecting off the side walls that hurt sound quality. Doesn't matter if we are talking floorstanders or monitors on stands, they all do it, mainly from tweeters & midrange drivers. Absorptive panels at the first & second reflection points, will almost certainly reduce echo and improve clarity of vocals and higher pitch instruments. Inexpensive options like these
https://mioculture.com/shop/wall-ceiling-tiles/acoustic-weave-paperforms-white
or DIY homemade alternatives made of Owen's Corning fiberglass from the local hardware store are worthy of consideration.
Absorption of floor reflections with a natural Fibre rug between seat & speakers almost always help, especially when dealing with hard flooring of tile or wood, but also with synthetic carpet.
Glass windows are super reflective and natural fibre heavy upholstered curtains will tame them every time.
By playing a test tone CD of varying frequencies one can easily identify bass interactions with the room. Many rooms inherently have certain frequencies that play too loud(peaks) and others not loud enough (dips). The extent of those anomalies will be an indication of if bass traps in the corners behind the speakers would be a help or not. Fixing bass issues is sometimes pretty tricky, but I am confident that you will get the point. 
I find it frustrating when folks spend big bucks on gear, ignore the room issues and later lose enthusiasm for the hobby, because they aren't drawn to the music playing on their system. Rooms need to be conquered and it's not that hard nor expensive to do so.
While a DSP approach might be an alternative, I  have always been leary of adding more cables and boxes, as the chance of noise and grounding problems increases. Perhaps newer DSP solutions exist that surpass what I have heard. Cheers,
Spencer 
It's a fact that you can take the average cost of people's systems and discover their percentage shares of total cost. What are those shares of systems that people claim to be happy with? Maybe there's high standard errors, but those means do exist and could be found with a survey. What do experienced audiophiles think that those shares are?

That's how I understand the OPs question.