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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
dave_b's avatar
dave_b
2,267 posts
 
I replaced the MIT Magnum jumpers on my Totem Signatures with the NBS jumpers.  The MIT’s were fairly long for a jumper and the NBS’s are fairly short and solid core wire.  The difference in sound was quite dramatic!
dave_b's avatar
dave_b
2,267 posts
 
The improvement was on the level of adding a great tube preamp...more extension and air with better dynamic contrast.
sacresta
45 posts
 
Difficult to list with percentage, but the most sensible parts of the components of a hi end sistem are the recordings, the room acoustics ( dimensions and treatment), the sources ( DAC/ Players/ streamer), the AC power, Speakers and their best positioning, and class of amps ( A first ).
Cables and other accessories comes later.



dave_b's avatar
dave_b
2,267 posts
 
A bad cable can make a great component sound mundane.  Everything matters...no free lunch!
joefama
53 posts
 
Everything matters when building a state of the art Hi-End Stereo system. Technology is great, meaning iPads, iPhones and streaming devices for general background music. But when it comes to Listening, put a Marantz SA-11S3 in the system and you’ll Hear what I mean. Takes digital to the best it can be and in my opinion better and more lively sound than analog setups.

the Marantz SA-11S3 player is the best sounding machine I’ve owned regardless of any price. And I have owned many great ones including the $20,000 Esoteric player, etc.
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