how much to spend on electronics vs speakers?

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  • wasabichondro
    Junior Member
    • Sep 2009
    • 27

    how much to spend on electronics vs speakers?

    The RSX-1057 powering my 5 speakers was 22% of the price of my speakers.

    I was wondering you thoughts. I was looking at going to a used classe amplifier, and realized spending more on my amp than all of my speakers combined did not seem like a good idea?
    Last edited by wasabichondro; 26 December 2009, 16:47 Saturday.
  • Hammie
    Senior Member
    • Oct 2005
    • 304

    #2
    Personally, I think it is all very subjective. If the quality of the gear is worth it to you, then by all means spend it.

    In the end, it all depends on how it sounds to you. If a $50 DIY amp sounds better than a $9000 Classe amp, then who are we to argue with what you hear.

    Just my two cents.
    Panasonic TC-P65VT30
    Onkyo Pro PR-SC5508 | M2Tech Young DAC | Emotiva XPA-1 (x3), XPA-2
    Oppo BDP-93 | DirecTV HR23-700 HD-DVR | Pioneer PL-670 Turntable
    Sony Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii | Apple TV 2, Mac Mini (iTunes Server), iPad
    B&W 804S, HTM3S, CWM DS8 | SVS PB12-NSD | Denon AH-D2000 Headphones
    Tripp Lite HT1210ISOCTR Power Conditioner, SMART1000LCD UPS System
    My Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series Setup
    Next Upgrade: Cables

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    • jbreezy5
      Member
      • May 2009
      • 59

      #3
      Your 700 series B&W's will appreciate better amplification than a Rotel (not that Rotel is bad). All I mean is they will sound better w/better amplification. Go listen to some demonstrations hooked up to your model of speakers w/other amps. If possible, see if the dealer will allow you to demo amps in-home. Find the sound that most satisfies you, then decide if the cost is justified by the improvement of sound.

      -JBreezy-

      Comment

      • ClosetSciFiGeek
        Senior Member
        • Oct 2009
        • 247

        #4
        I disagree. I think if you stuck to a budget and only wanted to spend "X" amount of dollars you spent it on the right component, the speakers. For my money good speakers make the most impact in a system. I would go a little less expensive on amplification if I had to.
        "You get what you Inspect, not what you Expect"
        -Hyman G. Rickover

        Comment

        • Charlieu
          Member
          • Oct 2008
          • 55

          #5
          If you really want the new amp, then go get it. The percentage thing really comes into play when you have a wad of cash and are planning to replace your speakers and a component or two. If you are happy with your current speakers and you think a component upgrade will improve the sound, then buy the best component you can afford so you don't have to revisit it in a year or so.

          Speakers will make the most noticeable change in the quality of sound you hear. If you are even thinking of upgrading them in the near future, factor that into the affordability of the amp you want to buy. The money you save now will have a greater impact on the sound when you use it to purchase those new speakers.

          Comment

          • dan87951
            Senior Member
            • Nov 2005
            • 379

            #6
            Originally posted by ClosetSciFiGeek
            I disagree. I think if you stuck to a budget and only wanted to spend "X" amount of dollars you spent it on the right component, the speakers. For my money good speakers make the most impact in a system. I would go a little less expensive on amplification if I had to.
            Definitely agree with the above.
            dan87951
            audio guru

            Comment

            • 1oldguy
              Senior Member
              • Dec 2008
              • 459

              #7
              Originally posted by dan87951
              Definitely agree with the above.
              Perfect logic.
              A Man should never Gamble more than he can stand to loose.

              Comment

              • JargonGR
                Member
                • Feb 2009
                • 95

                #8
                I first bought my 800Ds and HTM1D last year and only had a Halcro MC200 (as a power amp) at the time which ofc could not drive them.

                My surrounds in 7.1 was a pair of KEF IQ9 and a pair of KEF IQ3.

                As a pre-amp I had and still have a mere Onkyo 905 and an Advance Acoustic MCD 203 which I also still have.


                I soon purchased two Electrocompaniet NEMOs since the 800Ds would not even bother with the Halcro and moved the MC200 on HTM1D where I found that it was too LITTLE!
                Next move was to swap the MC200 with a Bryston 14BSST (that was the only option then) that I still use on my HTM1D!


                Six months later I added two 803Ds as my surrounds and I drive them with a Crown XLS 802D.

                Now I am waiting for another pair of 803Ds and a pair of SCMS as well as two BIG subs so I will be done with the speakers. Apart from the front stage all the other channels are driven by professional (modded to be quiet) amps.

                For cables I use Belden (cheap but good).



                Why am I mentioning all this? I just wanted to show you that since I decided on which speakers I want I was willing to forgo any other electronics purchase so I complete my speaker package first.


                Is my system balanced sure NO! But by the end of January I will be done with speakers for a long time and since I strongly believe they make the most impact I followed this plan!

                Some people lough when they hear that I am playing music through an HTPC (Origen S21T case though) with an Asus Xonar Essence STX and through the Onkyo (pure Audio mode) but I don't bother at all.

                When the time is right I will play around with other electronics but meanwhile enjoying what these great speakers have to offer! They can only improve from now on!

                Comment

                • DM3000 Owner
                  Senior Member
                  • Jun 2006
                  • 475

                  #9
                  My preamp is the most expensive piece of equipment in my system. Who cares? I could get by with much less powerful amps but mine sound great, so I stick with them.

                  The big question is does it sound good, not how much was each component.

                  Comment

                  • jbreezy5
                    Member
                    • May 2009
                    • 59

                    #10
                    It seems that the discussion has gotten away from the topic: whether it's worthwhile to upgrade an amplifier based on the ratio of its cost in relation to the price paid for speakers. Everyone seems to agree Masobichondro's speakers are of good quality.

                    Based strictly on percentage of cost, it isn't reasonable to conclude spending more for an amp = better sound. However, it may be worthwhile to upgrade ("change") the amplifier if it brings noticeable improvement to the sound with the existing speakers, which could mean spending more.

                    Do comparative listening to determine if the amplifier does in fact produce more satisfying sound to you. Then decide if the cost/sound quality ratio is worth it to you.

                    There are plenty of people who will tell you all amplifiers sound the same; there are also plenty of people who will say they don't all sound the same. It's best for everyone to reach their own conclusion.

                    But the only way to find out what you think is to go listen.

                    -JBreezy-

                    Comment

                    • boarder1995
                      Member
                      • Sep 2009
                      • 68

                      #11
                      Many say system synergy is key - sounds like a fancy way to justify continual upgrades. However, I've discovered this is key as this time around buying speakers and components I spent many hours auditioning over several months including in my home. The synergy between the electronics, mostly the amps, and the speakers really is key. It may mean spending less money if you're fortunate. Once I honed in on the speakers I liked (sound, looks, brand, etc.; tested with many amps) I started searching for the amplification, but am in no hurry to end the game of searching. There's nothing wrong with Rotel - a good "budget" brand amongst some very pricey equipment like Classe, Mac, etc. See if you can test out some amps on your speakers and make the judgement. It'll likely be subtle, but over time you'll start to notice different amps bring different benefits and problems to the sound.

                      Comment

                      • hifiguymi
                        Super Senior Member
                        • Mar 2007
                        • 1532

                        #12
                        In a surround sound system the speakers will almost always take up a majority of the cost of the system. That said, I think you would hear a tremendous improvement in your system with an upgrade like that. You will get more out of your speakers than you thought they had. It would also make it easier to upgrade your speakers later on. You will have an amp that will work for a greater range of speakers in the future.

                        Eric

                        Comment

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