How do you determine how much to spend on speakers

I should point out that I am not saying in my post above that the %%% I spent was a planned attack or a method of someone else putting something together. I did no planning when I did this system. I just bought what I wanted. I sat and figured the percentage on a calculator just for this thread. I am surprised though at how close every category is and to me it tells me that they are all important, because the cdp went in first with the old system and then the speakers, then each piece was upgraded one at a time so I did get to see the improvements in stages although it only lasted a couple of weeks in between some upgrades. The one thing I left out was room control which I have some of to and it is equally important. I could probably include that in the racks which would bump that up 3 or 4 % maybe. I think the most important thing is to talk to someone who knows how to match things well and then decide what to spend and would say spread out the money, don't put it all in one place.

The speakers are the weakest link , spend on good speakers they will serve you better in the end ...

regards,

You're looking at almost exactly what I have in my system. First you have to understand that there is always something that will sound better than what you have. The goal is to own equipment that makes you happy. I purchased a pair of Focal 836v speakers ($3,000) and Integra 50 receiver ($1,400) and an Integra CD player ($300). I can't have a dedicated 2 channel system so this gave me the best overall sound. Later I added a Martin Logan Dynamo 700 subwoofer to handle the .1 movie duties. I've listened to many of the Focal Chorus series speakers on a system that is intended for the Utopia line so I've heard them on equipment where the speakers were worth less than the tax on the cables used in the system and they sound great there and on affordable equipment. Unless you're the type that is never happy, any system in the 5k range should sound wonderful.

Don't spend a bunch of money on a CD player IF you plan to hook it with a toslink cable and stay digital into a receiver as there isn't any difference. The digital signal is nothing more than ones and zeros. If you're going analogue from the CD player then it makes a difference.

I just purchased my wife's dad a pair of Focal 706v speakers and compared them to Paradigm, B&W, PSB, Martin Logan and a few other speakers in a similar price range and had my opinion of the Focal Chorus series confirmed. They really sound great.

I'd recommend listening to a set of Focal Chorus 816v, 826v and/or 836v, you'll may find something you like.

If you want superb Hi End Audio system set up, go for this:

1- Totem's Limited Edition The One speaker, US$3400.
2- CD Player: RAYSONIC CD168, US$1578.
3- Bada LB-5500 Power Filter Plant,US$115.
4- YAQIN MS-12B Tube phono Pre-Amplifier,US$226.
5- Cayin A-88T integrated/power vacuum tube amplifier, US$1700.
6- Speaker cables, Part Two: Audience-Au 24 2.5 meter, US$800.
7-Interconnect Cables: Audience Au-24 interconnects 1meter, US$502.
8- Cable Elevators: Dark Field,US$105 for 4 field.
9- Power Cable: Anaconda CX Price US$1808 for 3 power cable.
10- Speaker Tuning Feet, US$376 for 2 speaker.

How much money is in my bank account? That's how much money I can spend on speakers!

Just kidding of course. In all seriousness, the REAL way I determine how much money I can spend on speakers is the shade of red my wife's face turns when I mention price. Pale pink means "go," but beat red means "too much."

;)

-Aaron

well, this topic started in '02, so at that time one could have taken out a giant home equity loan and bought one heck of a pair of speakers, but that option is not in play these days, is it?. :)

Beerdraft,

When I initially saw the forum title, I laughed out loud and then I remembered how I started this hobby and it's been fun to look back. Thanks for updating this old question and giving a kick to my memory banks (those just tuning in should read the posts in reverse)

I agree with you that the various components are *almost* equal in importance. Synergy works that way....you would be hard pressed to choose downgrading anything once things are dialed in to a particular sweet spot.

That said, I believe speakers are the place to start and they should dominate a starting budget. Audition them with the very best electronics first to establish how good they can really be. They anchor everything.

After purchasing speakers, my greenbacks tended to go to the front end. My old Thiel 3.6's didn't sound very good with mid-fi gear. I spent a fair amount of money before the electronics were as good as those old workhorses. Just my two cents.

I have an Integra 50.1 receiver with Focal 836v speaker and last Monday I listened to a Focal 807v bookshelf speaker that had significantly better clarity in the sound compared to my "better" speakers. The difference was the 807v speakers were being driven by a Pathos Inpol2 (I believe). It made me think that for certain music types I might prefer the cost of the bookshelf compared to my floorstanders so that I could put more of the budget towards a better amplifier. Jazz comes to mind.

I would suggest listening to some of the less expensive speakers on really high quality amplifiers and see if at their best they give you the sound you are looking for.

Make that the Pathos Logos.

The point here is to select stuff that is of a uniform quality especially if you are on a budget. You can do extremely well on so called budget items. The majority of problems occur with the ROOM and NOT the equipment. I suggest the OPPO players for CD and SACD. An integrated amp from NAD and Kimble Hero interconnects. Speaker wire should be Spitz anti- cable and whatever is left should be spent on the speakers. If you have some money to spare I would try and deaden the listening room.

Find the best sounding speakers you can, find a way to talk whoever owns them down to what you can scrape together. Then figure out what made them sound so good to you ask your self is this what I want to go with my speakers and can I in the near future buy this amp cables front end or is what I have close to or as good as what I heard. When at a dealers shop make notes of what the speakers you like are being driven by cables amps front end and anything in the signal path also note room size treatments tweeks it all counts the closer it is to what you have the better the chance it will sound that way for you at home. That is if you can't do a home demo. In my case I spend more on turntables and speakers as I find I keep them longer than cables or amps but that is just my way. Try and remember this is a hobby not the search for the holy grail have some fun with it. As to the how much to spend "I will go all in with all the cash I can lay hands on if I find a speaker I want" Martin logan CLX this last time I even bought the amp cables that were driving them.

I actually think that it is a non-linear function where more you spend on the system on aggregate, less critical it becomes as to what percent of your total budget should be spent on the speakers. Put another way, if someone's budget is $3000 for the whole system, I would say, spend at least 2/3rds on the speakers. If your budget is $8000, then it is a totally different relationship and it will depend more on your priorities (efficiency, brightness, dynamic drive, low-end, mid-range, resolution, even details like off-axis response).
My two cents.

Are you interested in good musical qualities or good sound qualities??
I've had expensive speakers ($8800 Cremona's) and now have $1200 speakers (Magnepan MG12's).
If you are going to spend a lot (like more than $2500) you'd better have the really solid (and dead sounding) walls of a great listening room to go with them or you will still have crappy midrange and treble. I've had a pair of Proac D15's that were beautiful sounding in a high-end apartment but sounded awful in a house I later bought (until I covered all the walls with persian rugs to shut them the heck up).
You can get by just fine with el cheapo MG12's or mini monitors if you have real high end source and amplification components though. It's all about the music, not the sound. Speakers (IMO) don't seem to be as much about the music than they are about the sound. One of the best systems I've ever had was a pair of $875 minimonitors (linn tukans) but they had a $2500 source (LP12) and $7000 preamp and power amp (Kairn/Klout) in front of them.

I have now had the Daber Monitor 3's for two weeks and have had a chance to do some critical listening. I have the rounded cabinets in maple that Steve provides for a small extra fee. They are gorgeous with very high end carpentry work! The first thing that will strike you is the deep, tight bass for such a relatively small speaker. I doubt anyone but the most avid bass fan will see the need for a subwoofer in a two-channel setup. The mids are very satisfying and the highs are clear and precise. Vocals are rendered in a very natural fashion. The soundstage competes with the best. My wife, who is very musically inclined, even prefers them over my Acoustic Zen Adagios. A very different speaker and a matter of taste, but still high praise from a very musical person. I love them both for different reasons. To say that I am pleased with the results would be an understatement. In summary I think this must be one of the best values in speakers out there and they are made in the USA by a small entrepreneurial company. Give them a try - you will not be disappointed!

As a side note the speaker stands for the Volla speakers fit as if made for these speakers (rounded) - got them from MSS HIFI at a decent preice. Steve is planning on making stands for them as well in the near future.

Hello!

This post is nearly 10 years old but the topic continues.

I strongly recommend the source components be where the most emphasis should be put.

Try to make purchases which have lasting, classic value.

In a digital world the music starts with the d/A converters and their power supplies. Today very compelling and beautiful music can come from a universal disc player.

For example, oppo 95, plus a pre-amp e.g. Proceed avp2(used but classic) could be had for $2500.

A citation 7.1 power amp (used) sells for about $800. Also musical fidelity has a good one which sells for about the same price. 3.2CR.

Spend $500 on competent used interconnects e.g. Card as neutral reference or similar. Supra speaker cable buy in bulk with good terminations.

For speakers buy NHT super zero XU for under $200 new.

You will have spent $4000.

Put the remaining $1000 in your mouth and pray for lock-jaw and continue your search for speakers. In two decades the change will be new speakers.

For speakers buy NHT super zero XU for under $200.

I just happened by here and wanted to reply to Appasionata. You seem to really like NHT. I had several of their models from 1998-2008, including the pair of super zeros from the late 1990s. If you like those, try the NHT classic 2s, which can be picked up used. I even have a pair I don't use. They aren't expensive by any means. And I guarantee you the Classic 2s are much, much better than the late 1990s Super Zeros.

Buy used, spend 1/2 on speakers

Speakers are the last item on the musical chain; however, the golden rule "garbage in and garbage out" is absolutely correct.
You cannot correct anything wrong to begin with.
For the last 30 years, I have listen to system sometimes cost more than a house (over 300,000) and sound like you want to it off in less than 15 minutes. At other times, I can listen to a system with no more than $5,000 altogether and enjoy every minute of it.
TRUST YOUR EARS, a system is a combination of all the components and if you want to listen to it for more and more; no listener fatigue and that is a good system.
Something happens to the allotment of the speakers.
Think about a system with a 100,000 speakers yet hook up to a $200 receiver; will you say this is a good system?
Go figure.

I didn't read this whole thread because I'm not a masochist. But I read Robert Harley's book and he advised spending 50% on speakers. I found myself unable to do that, because the speakers I liked didn't cost that much money, and my analog and digital front ends both ended up costing in the ballpark of my speakers. If I were to look at my current system breakdown, speakers have ended up being about 20-25% of total system cost. I would imagine a number of people shoot for 50%, but end up in a similar situation when they find that they don't want to shortchange the good equipment in their systems with bad equipment. I agree with Robertwolfee and others who have said this: "trust your ears." And don't spend more than you can comfortably afford at any given time.

I have never understood the relevance of the phrase "garbage in, garbage out" in these types of discussions. If a $1000 to $1500 integrated amp is producing "garbage out", then you were ripped off. The THD on a Yamaha a-s1000 integrated, which sells for around $1200 is less than 0.02%. The only thing that a more expensive amp might do is play louder. Louder, not cleaner.

The 'Garbage In Garbage Out' axiom is I believe directed towards the source componet.

Mentioned earlier you CANNOT fix, repair, replace or get back lost digital or analog data once it has been sent upstream to the next component in the signal chain. In fact the amplification that occurs in each component is an enlargement, not of the original signal, but of the signal it receives. If there is dirt, distortion, or grain, these flaws are MULTIPLIED with each enlargement. By the time the musical signal gets to the speakers these flaws have been multiplied several thousand times. This is why the source is the most important part of any system.

That signal is then converted to another format once it reaches the DAC, run through a filter and a buffer, several chips, then converted to analog where it’s run through another filter. That signal then travels in the analog domain through several thousand parts in a preamplifier and amplifier in the analog domain before being sent to the speakers.

No matter how good, how expensive, or how many claims of magic the back end components in your audio system may boast, the best signal they will ever see is what comes from your source.

As you can see from the above, there is very little hope that any system will ever deliver what was recorded to the "Master Tape" or produce what was heard in the studio.

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?

don't you just shop until you find the least expensive speakers that you truly love?

most speakers are overhyped and over priced!

Audiolabyrinth, I wish I could weigh in on your last post, but cannot because I have no data except some limited anecdotal experiences. But my gut tells me you're right.

As general matter, I think hype and puffing contribute a considersable amount to the cost of audio. I recently posted some comments about what I perceive to be hype and puffing regarding the ARC line, particularly with respect to some of its newest and latest additions.

For example, ARC just released the new Ref 10 linestage carrying an MSRP of $30K. Yet just last year or so, ARC released a limited addition Ref Anniversay 40, carrying a MSRP of $25K that was supposed to be the "be all-end all" of line stages.

Now here's a laugh. ARC says that it learned a lot about new technologies and so forth from the Ref 40 and upgraded its Ref 5 linestage to incorporate many of these new technologies. The upgraded Ref 5 SE is hyped to be 85+% of the Ref 40, all for half the Ref 40's MSRP price. I'll let you know. I'm sending my Ref 5 to the factory next week for the SE upgrade for the "ridiculously" low cost of $2500.

Don't get me wrong here. I'm a big time ARC fan, but how many times can the newest product be "in another league" compared to its predecessor?? Sooner or later they're gonna run out of leagues.

Ok, back to this thread -- speakers. Speaker costs are all over the place. Sometimes there's a correlation of cost to quality, but not always.

Here's another laugh that almost resulted in the tar and feathering of the editors of a couple of well recognized audio magazines. My speakers, the Paradigm Signature 8 v3, were hyped by the editors of these mags to be the best speakers of 2011 and #7 in the line-up of best speakers of all time. Owners of Wilsons, Magicos and the like exploded. The S8s have a MSRP of $9k, compared to Magico Q5s having a MSRP of over $150+K. Forget Wilsons, they're a bargain compared to top of the line Magicos.

How can this possibly be??? Read some of my other posts --it's all about Econ 101 (economies of scale, volume sales, elimination of middlemen, in-house R&D, verticle integration, etc), hype, puffing and snobbery.

In the meantime, I may look like the poor cousin to many of my audiophile colleagues -- but guess what, I have a kick ass system.

So, my advice to the OP (if still relevant) and others is be smart consumers. Spending more bucks doesn't necessarily correlate to better or best gear.

Well that's the end of my Friday night audiophile ruminations.

Bruce

IMO:
1) Speakers contribute more to the character of a system than do the other components (maybe exception = cartridges).

2) Amplifier technology is much more mature than digital front end technology. A quality amp will please for many years. Digital is outdated much more quickly.

3) A budding audio hobbiest may not be atuned to his/her preferences regarding characteristics of a system.


Given the above and a budget of 5K, one reasonable suggestion might be to set 30-40% of budget aside for speakers. Split the remainder to an integrated amp ~30%, digital front end ~30% (maybe less depending on type}, and the remaining 10% for cables. Purchase the amp, front end, cables and a lower budget pair of speakers (eg. B&W685 at $650 retail) setting the remaining funds aside for future speaker purchase. Enjoy this system while exploring the speaker market and identifying the system character that most pleases. Once identified, upgrade speakers to satisfy. There are simply to many quality 1.5 - 2K speaker systems to judge, all sounding quite different. In putting this system together, remember that the room is a most important component and interacts with speakers to a great extent.

I think Mesch makes some good points but I would go even further. Starting off with some cheap speakers before taking the plunge on the "final" choice is worth considering but I would consider spending $3500 on the final speakers because I believe speakers are 90% of the sound. I used a $300 CD player and $400 integraded with $16,000 Revel Ultima2 speakers (bought used)and it sounded great. Later using a Pathos $3000 integrated amp the sound improved for sure but not as much as you would think and then using a $6500 amp, I achieved a very slight improvement, as well using adding a $1000 OPPO CD/SACD player. Don't put money into expensive electronics or cables. And speaker placement is of utmost importance in getting the sound you paid for. Buy used when you can and get the sound for 1/2 price.

All of this stuff is, at times, mind numbing. First let me say that I am not an audiophile. I can't afford to be. I have too many money pitts that I'm throwing money into to even consider a system costing $10K or more.

I am of the obsessive/anal sort about some things. I always read the instructions and can't cook a meal without the use of a measuring cup. In other words, I'll always use a formula (if given the opportunity) because using a formula is suppose to get you to a desired result.

This just doesn't seem to work with audio gear. I believe trying to assign a percentage of your budget to speakers will likely not get you where you want to be.

I agree that speakers are more responsible for what you hear than any other component. Of course, I'm not saying that upgrading from $100 pre amp to a $1000 pre amp won't get you noticeably better sounding music, but I am saying that when when comparing a $1K NAD to a $1K Rotel, the differences likely won't be like night and day.

On the other hand, when it comes to speakers, I think that each brand (and even models within the brands' lines) have a distinctive sound that you will either like or not like.

I think that you should find a pair of speakers that will sound good in your listening environment and just don't assume that more expensive speakers will sound better in your home.

For what it's worth, I think that you should put a limit of $2500 for speakers. With the other $2500, you can get into a good preamp, amp and source. If you can find speakers that cost less than $2500 that you really like, all the better.

As your system and wire gets better so do the way the speakers sound.

Small equipment and speakers can focus more quality into less, the bigger the speakers typically the bigger the power has to be. Small quality power can drive smaller high quality speakers.

Integrated sets can keep the money in the electronics instead of the wire if you aren't going to want to spend on good wire.

Look for one of the sleeper CD players at around $500, they're out there, especially used.

as an owner of focal 726v speakers that i bought new agter reading favorable reviews i would not recommend anyone to purchase focal. a tweeter of my speakers bought in october 12 which are still in warranty gave up on saturday without any apparent reason. it just stopped making sounf while i was listening to bela fleck. i am not a loud listener and mostly my listening comprises of classical, jazz and folk and my volume is never more than 11 o clock max. i wonder what happened to the tweeter. speakers are connected to kenwood kmx 1000 amplifier and a carver pre with nad cdp. ive been listening to my music for atleast 20 years but never has this happened to any of my equipment. even my old infinity's are still going strong. plus the after sales of focal is so pathetic you would not want to know of it. I would strongly recommend that you dont waste your hard earned money on these focal products particularly where after sales is worse than anything even during warranty.

That's easy one. How much money do you have in your pockets?
What a question!

I've moved several times in the past year and the mover 'lost' my stuff and sadly was not covered by insurance. Thanks to the company forcing me to hurry to start a new job.

So...I decided to invest in a home theater system and spent about $1200 at Best Buy on a cheap receiver, CD player and Polk Audio Ti300 speakers that sounded better than the sound bar on my TV. It was better but not great.

The next month I decided to get the tube amp I heard and wanted since 2011. I also bought a decent tube preamp. I then did a little research and found the Polk Audio eBay store selling LSiM 703's for $1000 a pair.

I was lucky enough to find the Marantz CD player the mover didn't get and the Marantz tuner in mint condition I found on Audiogon for $125 sounds good too.

Now it seems all the audiophile snobs look down on those speakers but I heard them side by side to a few other audiophile speakers and IMO think they sound really good. The 60WPC Dynaco Style VTA ST-120 amp and the Akido design based preamp makes those speakers sound sweet. I was lucky to discover that combo.

I'll still use the stuff I bought at Best Buy as part of a home theater system.
For TV sound I think it will be ok but when I want to listen to music I'll choose my 'Audiophile' system.

I think the ratio between the costs of the components changes depending on the budget for the entire system. For example, if I were going to build an audio system with $1000 I would spend about $400 on speakers, $400 on amplification and the rest on a disc player.
If I had a 5K budget, I would spend about 3K to 3.5K on speakers, 1K to 1.5K on amplification and the rest on a disc player.
It seems to me that as the budget increases a larger percentage of the total cost should go toward the speakers.

Older thread - if I was going after a 5K system, I'd start collecting "keepers" to build upon later. Oppo's earlier mentioned at 1K now have 32-bit DAC's and rated Class A, plus Oppo has great support for newbees. Next, I'd determine whether I wanted near field, mid field or far field "sound". Multiple crossover's and multiple drivers can sound a bit congested at near field. That being said, most near field set-up's are two-way speakers with one crossover. At mid and far field, bigger drivers and often multiple drivers/crossovers become more common because the sound smoothes out at distance.

If you know a multichannel active speaker line sound that you like, say the Paradigm Active Series, this may be a savings over separate speakers, amps and more cables. I'd consider buying the two active smaller rear's first, and use them initially as your front mains as a mid field 2-channel system. Later, I'd add a matching musical sub and the larger front main's and center.

For non-active speaker's, I'd also consider the Oppo, the earlier recommendation of a adequately powered integrated amp or "regular amps fed directly by the Oppo (use the Opps volume control)", and add the speakers. This approach builds a surround system off the original purchases. Good topic for new buyer's.

I listen to all speakers I can that purport to be "state of the art" or "reference level". I ignore price as much as I can. They I pick my favorites and decide if I want to spend that much money.

So far my favorites are at $75k, $50k, and $35k. That's right.... winners over the field of near $200k speakers, thankfully. I can be nearly as satisfied with the $35k speakers as the $75k speakers. It's important to be honest with yourself and to avoid "dreaming" about owning a speaker just because it's out of your price range, or because some reviewer raved it. Everyone wants what they can't have, that is part of the human condition.

I'd rather listen to my favorite speakers with a $1k amp, a $400 cd player, and a $800 used preamp than splitting the money up more evenly. And I do have those pieces at those market values, along with state of the art pieces to compare them to, so what I'm saying is based on experience.

If you could afford those favorites you pick, without materially changing your standard of living, but your wife won't let you buy them, my only advice is to try to pick your audio equipment more carefully than you picked your wife!

Main thing is to make sure speakers are not undersized relative to the room. Larger more expensive speakers typically with larger and/or multiple drivers are needed for good full range sound in larger rooms.

IF you do not care much about extended and balanced bass levels, you can get by with something smaller.

There are even some larger monitor style speakers out there that may be up to the task, but you will often pay a premium for those and rightfully so.

There are many schools of thoughts on this subject but I would spend twice the amont on [2] speakers that I would spend on amplification.
Same principle applies to source components, again I would spend twice the amount on [2] speakers.
With a $5,000 budget that roughly works out to:
Amplifier: $1,200
CD or Turntable: $1,200
Speakers [2] $2,400
with $200 left for decent cables.
BTW, you can get a damned good system with a $5,000 budget if you do your research, shop around and yes, haggle. Always be prepared to walk away...

I would recommend spending 50% on good used speakers. Spend 25% on a good integrated amp, 25% on a CD/SACD player, and then take the last 25% that you didn't tell your wife about and buy a tuner and some decent cables. I realize that puts you at 125% of budget, but like public works projects, the term "budget" is nearly meaningless when it's applied to a stereo system.

By looking at my checkbook.

I have done it before. At mid end HIFI. Out of all the equipments, the speakers can make the biggest difference. Go and listen as they all sound different! Try to get as full range as possible as oppose to those refined monitors or you will end up addicted only to vocals. Save up next for the best amp to fit power to your speakers. Source doesn't make huge difference until you get into super hi-end. At that time onward, the source becomes the most important and only analogue can fill the bill.

Get the BEST speakers you can even if you can't afford them. And what makes them the BEST?, only you can make that judgement. No one else hears or gives meaning to what your hearing as you do.

As an update. My primary system is now using a Yaqin MC-30L that cost about $600 with my Focal 836v speakers that cost $3,000. I couldn't be more happy with the amplifier or the system. It is more about individual products and not relative price points.

I know little about digital. I guess I can see how having full range speakers hooked up to a mighty HT Denon could impress. However on a vinyl rig, where you want to hear the horsehairs snap on a bow and the tears in the voice of a treble, I would spend the most on the turntable, then amp, then speakers. Most people don't understand that you cannot get back the detail lost at the source. I have heard top flight rigs with baby Wharfedales blow away bottom heavy set-ups.

... on a vinyl rig, where you want to hear the horsehairs snap on a bow and the tears in the voice of a treble, I would spend the most on the turntable, then amp, then speakers. Most people don't understand that you cannot get back the detail lost at the source. I have heard top flight rigs with baby Wharfedales blow away bottom heavy set-ups.

That is a position that is held by a lot of audiophiles, including some who posted earlier in this thread. However while it is true that you cannot get back detail that is lost at the source, it is also true that the source cannot restore detail that is lost by the speakers, or by any other component that is downstream from the source. Therefore while both points of view are correct, neither has any relevance to how funds should be allocated. A chain is as strong as its weakest link, regardless of where in the chain that link may be located.

Regarding the last sentence in the quote, I don't question your experience, but I would suggest that the percentage of available funding that should be allocated toward speakers can be expected to vary dramatically depending on the deep bass extension that is desired by the particular listener, and on the maximum volume level of dynamic peaks that the particular listener requires the speaker to be able to handle cleanly.

Regards,
-- Al

How much to spend on speaker is same as determine how much to spend on your wedding, her ring, your house, your car, etc..
Make your own decision based on what you can afford and enjoy them. You can put together a better than audiophile system with latest electronic equipment for less than $5k easily. I have a friend who spent $180K on a mix of Japaness, British and French equipment. It sounds the worst among of all my audio club members.

Al, I understand where you are coming from. I do have a digital set up with the least spent on the source, then amp, with the most on the Speakers and sub! I use it when I need a full range sound and am willing to trade certain aspects of the reproduction over others. I guess my point is that when you want the most nuanced, beautiful sound reproduction with colorful timbre and delicacy, and with all things being equal and limited by budget, then the 3/2/1 allocation brings the most reward.