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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
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
Spending $3000 on duplex outlets (on sale! retail was over $4500) changed my perception of what is important. (ten Furutech GTX-D Gold, eight Furutech GTX-D NCF Rhodium)        
Mainly that anyone claiming they have THE ANSWER for all, is confusing what worked for them, with some fantasy of ’universal law’.
kahlenz
168 posts
 
Spending $3k on outlets may be a reasonable expense for somebody that has speakers that cost $10k or more. Once you get to that level, $3k increase in the cost of speakers will likely be a marginal improvement. If, however, you have $2.5k speakers like me, adding $3k to the speaker budget will have a much more profound impact on the sound than spending the same $3k to upgrade your outlets.
Everything is on a bell curve. Everything.
avhifidelity
20 posts
 
I own the Marantz SA11-S3 for my main system.  Best CD player I've owned.  It replaced my SA11-S2 which I thoroughly enjoyed.  Almost sold the SA11-S2, until one day decided to compare it to my PS Audio Perfectwave CD transport which was hooked up to my Perfectwave DAC MKII in a second system.   One song later, took out the PS Audio CD transport and put it up for sale, and kept the SA11-S2 in the second system.  Proud owner of two awesome Marantz Reference CD players.
skimrn OP
12 posts
 
I totally agree with you.  In my 25 years of audio upgrades and changes, my Marantz SA-11S3 too was the biggest upgrade that I have ever heard.  It is built like a tank and the sound.  Truly amazing!Due to this thread, I had a scenario in my mind.  What would like better?
  • $500 CD player on the $10,000 speakers vs
  • $10,000 CD player on the $500 speakers.
Now that's an experiment!
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
With the $500 CD player on $10K speakers, main thing is it will sound bad.
With the $10K CD player on the $500 speakers, it will sound like $500 speakers. (which to some folks will also sound bad, but different bad.)
The other problem is you have to have some sort of AMPLIFIER included.. So is the amp high end? or another $500 gizmo.
Seriously I would take my old used $250 DAC, plus a $40 eBay changer, $400 for 2 pair cables used amplifier ($2500) used preamp ($1500 ) and a $6000 pair of new speakers.

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