How do you determine how much to spend on speakers

Just a couple of weeks ago, a little group I bounce ideas back and forth with brought up the topic of best sound for the money. FWIW, Dr. RE Greene (of The Absolute Sound) suggested spending almost everything on your speakers. He has heard and reviewed a lot of components over many years. He went so far as to suggest, based on his observations, that he would spend $6k on a pair of Harbeth Monitor 40s [his present reference speaker] and drive them with a NAD amp, if he had to. This would make him the most satisfied. (This is an oversimplification of our discussion, but the point is clear.)

My recommendation would be [a bit more conservative] to spend about $2.5k or so and get a pair of Harbeth C7s or Spendor SP 1/2. These are very accurate BBC heritage monitors that would last you a lifetime. You can research them easily. The rest could be spent on a used Bel Canto DAC1 ($650) with a new Pioneer DVD player ($275)as a transport, and the new Creek 5350SE integrated amp ($1500 new.) Also consider a good subwoofer. The rest you can do foolish things with wires, cables, etc... (Or you could buy some music!)

Good luck to you.

Charlie

I would much rather listen to $4000 well spent on electronics through $1000 speakers than high doller speakers with weak source and amplification. You will only be frustrated knowing how good it could sound. The thing is it can be surprising how good modestly priced speakers can sound with great gear. Find some good moniters and make your next upgrade a sub (or two).

I forgot to give you my breakdown in my previous post. Here goes in approximate values:

$3,500 Speakers (Maggie 3.6r- if you have the room, Coincident, Silverline)

$1,000 Amp (Antique Sound Lab, Counterpoint, Rotel)

$450 Cd or DVD player (Something with variable outputs to avoid using a preamp; Marantz CD63, Sony XAes series)

$50 Cables (preferably solid core; Tara, Nordost)

Bel canto and a DVD player is not the way to go.
For one thing this guy has 5K to spend on a Music suystem.Why pollute it with a DVD player in the first place.
Put 1500 in a single box Cd player and your well on your way.
Put it into a DAC and DVD player and your on your way to a bad source.
The TAS writer is a lunatic period.
The only reason this site exists is because its a place to dump all the crap incompetent reviewers recommend.

I think your taste in music and sound should dictate how much you spend on speakers. Plus, be mindful of a future upgrade path. If you can live with limited frequency response and limited listening volumes then buy small monitors. You can find some great ones in the $1k range used. Spend the balance on a decent front end ($2k) and a decent integrated amp ($2k). Spend a nominal amount on cables. A first upgrade could be a sub woofer or maybe a power amp to run through the integrated amps' pre-amp section, or a cable upgrade.

If you can't live without full range sound, then you will end up spending a good deal on the speakers. Decent reproduction of the lower frequencies is typically expensive. So then spend $2.5k - $3k on speakers and the rest on a decent front end ($1.5k)and an okay integrated amp ($1k). Spend a nominal amount on cables. Your first upgrade in this system will be on the electronics and cables.

Remember to trust your ears. Only you know what sounds best to you.

Happy listening, enjoy the journey and good luck.