How to divide a budget between components


Hello All,

I recently read through an interesting thread on AG in the speaker section on the best way to allocate one's budget for a system (the consensus was to put about half towards the speakers and the remainder towards everything else).

So on that note, what is the best way to allocate one's non-speaker budget? There seems to be a growing number of improved components to buy that are supposed to make a big difference. Where would a person's money be best spent? Below are some items to possibly consider for a components budget. For this example, the components budget would be $10K (keeps the math easy) and the speakers would be worth around $15k. I know the allocation would vary on more factors (such as music preference, digital vs analogue focus, etc) but I'm wondering as a general overall rule what has worked best?

Amplifier
Pre-amp
Turn table
Turn table cartridge
CD player
DAC
Surge protection
Speaker cables
Power cables
Equipment racks/tables
Room treatments
(Are there any I missed?)
xerotrace
Great points!

Mlauner: when you say sources does that mean CD player and turntable? Would anything else be included in that (like a DAC)?
.
If twenty guys answer this question, you'll get twenty different answers.
.
If twenty guys answer this question, you'll get twenty different answers.
Mitch, with twenty guys, I'm guessing more than twenty different answers. Remember, these guys are audiophiles.
I'd allocate the same amount for each component including IC & speaker wire (as a group).
X for amp
X for Preamp
X for source (digital)
X for source (analog)
X for all wire
X * 2 for speakers
Etc.