Hi, I'm not one for numbers either, but upon thinking about where the money is in my system, I'd say it breaks down this way. 1)Source 2)Speakers 3)Amps 4)Interconnects/speaker wire 5) Pre-amp 6)Other tweaks (isolation/power line cond., etc.) The only reason I spent more on the source than the speakers is that it is a digital front-end and I'm taking into account the transport/DAC/Jitter-reduction. I would like to tell you that in a perfect world you would not have any one area that is "more" important than another. The whole system's synergy is what will give you the best sound. If I were to build from scratch, I'd say speakers first, followed by source component(s), amplifier and interconnects. I have heard a LOT of amps in my day and when you get down to it I don't think they influence the overall sound as much as other components do (I'm comparing similar price/power models!). Interconnects and speaker cable are not to be overlooked - it still amazes me that every one of my non-audiophile friends drops $2-3K at Best Buy on a complete system and uses the El-Cheapo color-coded cables and lampcord! I always say; "You wouldn't put bald tires on a Ferrari would you?" - or in their case, a Mustang! Invariably I always get a reason why they don't think its worth it - after getting asked "What can I do to make my system sound more like yours?" The fact they're getting their equipment at Best Buy should tip you off they aren't listening to me. ANYWAY - sorry for the digression - I think from looking at the above responses, speakers are the #1 expense and for good reason. If you like the way THEY sound anything else will just be an improvement to that. HAPPY LISTENING!
Proportional Allocation to Total System
Dear fellow audiophile/music lover, We all know the fact that the audio system is serial chain and the rule of the game is simple. Minimize the loss and unwelcome addition. I believe your contribution here will help other audiophile/music lover. Could you divide your total system (primary chain only) by following categories and state the percentage of money allocation? 1) Total MSRP of your system 2) Source 3) Pre-amp 4) Power-amp 5) Inter connect 6) Speaker cable 7) Speakers 8) Others. Would you also state which link is most important and why? My Current system: 1) $9200 2) 10.87% 3) 16.3% 4) 16.3% 5) 4.35% 6) 8.7% 7) 32.61% 8) 10.87% My own observations: 1) Equal amount on source and others. 2) Equal amount on amplification and speakers. I think speaker cables are subject to most loss if you don’t allocate sufficient amount. I’ve tested single and double run of Kimber 8TC on ten different systems and always able to hear big difference.