I also started with the amplification first. This was not by choice. I chose speakers that I wanted to try on spec, and then it took seven months for them to get built. In the meantime, I decided that I would shop for amps and then once I got the amps I realized that I could shop for a variety of speakers that would go with the amps. In many ways, the search for a good speaker turns out to be exactly the same, especially when you have such a capable amplifier as the Hegel. So the idea that something is backwards here is irrelevant. Good luck!