What's more important speakers or amplification?

No matter how good your source and amplification chain are, bad speakers can break you.

No matter how good your speakers are, a bad source and amplification chain can break you.

In the first example, you can have all of the detail, resolution, musicality that you want. Feeding the excellent quality signal into speakers that are not tonally balanced, have poor soundstage / imaging capabilities, require more power than your amp can produce or running speakers that tend to overload due to compression and / or saturation, etc... will give you a less than enjoyable experience.

In the second example, putting a signal that is harsh, distorted, lacking in tonal balance, clarity, focus, etc... into some very high quality speakers will only reveal the shortcomings of the entire reproduction chain. This too will give you a less than enjoyable experience.

It's all relative. You're listening to and trying to build an audio SYSTEM. Think of it and approach it as a SYSTEM and you'll always have a balanced package. Your system is only as strong as the weakest link, from beginning to end. Sean
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PS... it would be nice to know the rest of your system, room size, etc... so that people can judge as to what they think the weak link is. It is quite possible that you would be better off changing something other than your speakers or amp. Room treatments might make a bigger difference than either of those and cost WAY less ( if you're handy ).

i used to agree with those who are saying speakers until i heard the tiny rega alya speakers. i first heard them with all rega electronics, and they sounded pretty good. then, i heard them with an all-NAIM setup, a cd5, pre, and amp. they were different speakers. i couldn't believe how much they began to sing with the better source.

when natalie says that a good source will make an average speaker good, she's absolutely right. and if some of us really can't tell the differences between amplifiers, why are we in this hobby? seems like the money would be better spent on a nice crack habit.

Generally I agree with Sean. Speakers and Amp should be bought as matched combination. That is especially true for 2-ch audio. In that case, however, we are talking about 5.1 HT system for $3,200, which means building decent entry level hi-fi HT setup. In such setup Sony ES will do adequate job and later could be upgraded. I would allocate some part of your budget(like $500) on decent cabling and spend the rest on speakers.

Here's what I have currently:

Small Home Theater: Sony STR-DA 777ES amp, Pioneer DV-37 Prog Scan DVD player, Triangle Titus Fronts, Triangle Centrale Center, Mirage FrxS8 sub, Paradigm ADP-150 dipole rears (Kimber 4TC cabling), Panasonic 32HX40 32" direct view HDTV.

Listening Room: Jolida 502B integrated amp, Totem Sttaf speakers, Sony 333ES CD player (Goertz MI2 cabling). Echo Busters Corner traps and regular echobusters room treatments.

I completed the basement and plan on buying a 65" Mitsubishi for around $3400 for a 13' wide x 20' long room with 8' ceilings. I already have $1600 for audio. What's the best option:

1. Sell the Totem and Jolida- Should get $1600 for both (alas the $3200 figure). That would wipe out the small listening room. I would then need the basement system to double as Home Theater and Listening Room.

2. Keep the listening room and use the $1600 and equipment I already have (i.e. integrate Totems or Triangles somehow). I though about getting another pair of Titus ($500), a HSU sub ($500), and a $500 mulitchannel amp (used). Use the Sony as a pre.

3. Or I could sell the whole lot and start over.... my priority is 60%-40% home theater. If I could have one good system that does both. The basement room is a huge improvement over the small home theater and "listening room" (a 10'x12' bedroom). Thanks for yur help and suggestions!

Here is my experience. I started rebuild my system last year. Replaced KEF reference One with B&W 801 new music flow out old CD's. 95' Carver receiver was doing a decent job to drive B&W. Just replaced Carver with an Aragon amp, I do detect some differences but not dramatic changes like replacing speakers. Hope this help.