Poll - Speakers cost as a % of your gross income

[turbokuo]

I know this may be sensitive material for some (but if you don't list your stuff no one will know) but I thought it would be interesting nevertheless. At the time you bought your equipment just wondering what % of your annual gross income went to:

1) Just your two front speakers
2) Your whole audio system combined (include all speakers & electronics but not the TV)


I'm just trying to set a budget for myself based on what other people are doing. I know it's all relative to debt, expenses etc. but I thought I would ballpark it to make sure what I'm not going to spend is out of line.

Thanks!

[jazznsoccer]

About 6% for the fronts, 3% for the rears, center and sub, 4% for the DVD Universal, prepro and amp

[turbokuo]

Forgot to include what I'm planning so far:

1) 4.5-6.5% for the 2 fronts depending on which of the 2 speakers I chose.
2) Haven't decided yet because the price of the speakers hurt already.

[Jeff]

First of all, don't pay full price for anything. All my primary components I received from 15 to 35% off. With that being said:

11% for mains
22% for the system which is currently in use.

I would like to point out putting together a system takes years. With some degree of pain I might add, but always accompanied by joy.

[Dan Schulze]

About 9% for mains - 50% for system (all electronics and amp that is on order, cabling, stands, excluding tv) - ouch!!!

[billz260]

Man, I AM CHEAP! :B

.8% all 5 surrounds
.8% DIY Sub
9.5% full sys including DLP TV.

[james_dmi]

A very longwinded story of self justification and hifi madness….

The problem with good hifi components is that they show up the bad components in your system. For a long time I set myself a £400 per component price barrier, this allowed me to get into hi-fi but not to get tempted by the hi-end stuff with its aluminium facias and hand rubbed real wood veneers, drool! I was happy then, every now and then replacing an amp cd player or speakers with new models when the technology moved on but still under the £400 barrier. But your inner demon is a cunning devil and he found a way of cheating! He reasoned that if I bought a matching £400 power amp to go with my £400 integrated amp that would still be following the rules. And that’s what I did.

The Speakers that became Amps and CD players….

Now suddenly I could hear a whole lot more potential from my system and I reasoned that now I had £800 worth of amp really I should have an £800 CD player. After much auditioning I settled on an £850 Arcam CD93. Once I got this home my brother tested it in his, much more expensive system, and loved it! He said if I ever wanted to sell it he would buy it from me. This got the little devil thinking again. I had then intended to get myself a new pair of speakers to go with the new system (enter B&W obsession) and started by auditioning a pair of B&W 704’s I liked these speakers for their warm presentation but I felt they were lacking some of the detail that I had heard when auditioning my CD player. So on I went to listening to a pair of 703’s. The open mid range had me hooked I had to have a pair of speakers with this FST that was obvious. But I found the treble a bit ragged and started to suspect the ageing Arcam Alpha A8 integrated and Arcam Alpha P9 combo. So I tried swapping the A8 for a A90 wow! Huge difference, the treble was smoother and more detailed. I wonder whether this is the sweet spot or should I try the fmj amp? So in went the fmj a32 oh my god! I never thought hi-fi could sound this good, I said so to the dealer, he smiled and said well it can but you need to spend a lot more money (I thank him now I was in a week place and a les scruples man would have rubbed his hands and got out his 802’s and Classe amps) seeing as I was in experimentation mode no longer thinking about buying I wanted to see what the a32 sounded like bi-amped, remembering the huge difference it had made with my amps. So in went a fmj P35, again it just got better proving to me that you may think your hifi sounds as good as it can be but that notion is only one audition away from being shattered! The dealer was also impressed with the sound but he had a different idea, he said for the same money I could have the very hi end arcam pre-amp with the p35, it would have less power but he thought I may be surprised with the sound. So out went the A32 and in went the identically priced C30 pre-amp. I was sceptical seeing as we had effectively halved the power. But I was wrong! I had thought we were on the limit of detail with the CD format but the C30 taught me that there is detailed music and then there is a band standing there between the speakers! Oh no where is this going? I wonder what this would sound like with another P35? So in it goes. Now I thought it was spot on and no way could it sound better but my CD93 didn’t match the C30 & P35s with their machined aluminium facias. Could you plug in the fmj CD33 cd player, in it goes even more detail wow and the base my god its like someone has just wheeled in a sub. Now at this point I was in stupid land but this is where that devil came back in “remember your brother will buy your cd player then the price you need to pay to get the fmj CD33 is within your £800 rule” so I bought it and sold the CD93. So there I was, I had gone in to buy some speakers and ended up upgrading the best component in my system so I now had a £1350 CD play £800 worth of old tech amps and £400 speakers. I kept thinking of the sound the amps had made with my new CD player so two months later when I finished a big job I closed my eyes and bought the C30 and two P35s before I would change my mind. So nearly there all I need is to get the 703’s and then I’m done with Hi-Fi for ever.

The Speaker story…..

One of the justifications to spend all that money on the amps before I got speakers to do them justice is so that I could do meaningful home speaker auditions. You can audition your source components at a hifi shop as long as they can match your system but you can never tell how speakers are going to react with your room. So I got the 703’s home plugged them in and wow all the detail I had heard during audition was there but hang on what happened to the base? Its punchy but limp with no real energy. There is no way I’m going to spend £2000 and have any aspect of the sound get worse. But I still wanted the FST sound. So I go and listen to the N803 wow but then I find out that its about to be replaced so I wait for the new range and demo the 803S and the 803D (see review ) and this is where I am today and I’m just about to start a big contract and the 803D’s are waiting at the other side. They sound so much better then anything I was thinking about even 6 months ago. I just hope they have the base to stop me looking further up the range if not I will probably need to upgrade the amps to cope with 802D’s aarrrggggghhhhhhh stop……..

I now have a new rule and that is never to listen to a component unless I am willing to spend that much money before I hear how good it is. Oh and the other is to never get into Home Theatre, otherwise I will need surrounds centre subs more amps processors screens projectors…. I can just see a cash register with figures that are going up so fast they are just a blur.

I’m sorry to write so much for such a simple question but this is more of a confession of a sick man. If I get the 803D’s then the percentage would be roughly 16% but being a freelancer this depends which year you’re talking about.

James.

[turbokuo]

Anyone else?

Thanks everyone for the replies!!!.....james since story! This is exactly what I needed to give me that final push in getting B&W's because it appears that my percentage (4.5%) was not out of wack and maybe a tad bit conservative.

[nyny]

I guess I am on the conservative side of things as well....

1.3% for the fronts;
12% for the entire system;

[sugarmedia]

NYNY-

If you make a million dollars and year and spend 1.3% I would think you have a pretty good system, whether it appears to be conservative or not.

As for me, I'm getting my componets in two months and have budgeted 6% on speakers, int amp, CD player and wire.

[nyny]

NYNY-

If you make a million dollars and year and spend 1.3% I would think you have a pretty good system, whether it appears to be conservative or not.

As for me, I'm getting my componets in two months and have budgeted 6% on speakers, int amp, CD player and wire.

hmmm....if only I am making $1 million a year.....hello Nautilus.

[htsteve]

Here it is for me.

5% for the fronts,
24% for system.

[PewterTA]

I'd have to say my fronts 2.5% (Though I don't have the N802D that I want which would raise that up a good bit...)
Whole system, closer to 12.5% for gross yearly income.

Course if the one car payment didn't take 25% of my income, I'd be all set. Can't wait till it's paid off (yes the TA).

[Nick M]

0.8% for Front L&R
7.7% for Audio Setup (So Far)

[Cheapskate2003]

Hmmmm mains 9%, entire system about 40% - ouch!

[Dan Schulze]

Hmmmm mains 9%, entire system about 40% - ouch!

Cheapskate2003

Looks like you & I are about in the same boat - I feel your pain and hear your joy!!

Dan

[Cowanrg]

i think im one of the worst. my total retail system price is about equal to my yearly income, big ouch. i am a dealer and ive built it over a couple of years, but still. its worth twice as much as my vehicle too. its really an addiction. but im listening to an SACD right now and dont regret it for a second.

[Nick M]

My system is worth about 3x what both of my vehicles are worth! :B
(I drive beaters that I fix up and make reliable)

The deductible on my van is more than it blue books for! :rofl:

NOTE: I think this thread deserves a spot in the chalet or something...

[PewterTA]

3x what my cars are worth... that'd be a nice $170K home theater!!!!

I think I could handle that!

[ti33er]

LOL, mine was +40% and all on CREDIT!!!!! 2 REL's, TAG McLaren, Projector, B&W Nautilus etc. etc. I am selling all my stuff to buy a house now, and next time round will do it cash....this may take a while

[craigdcan]

Mains - roughly 5%
Entire setup - roughly 25%

-Craig

[audioqueso]

OMG... lol.. either most of you are spending WAY too much for toys (compared to me) or, no offense, making a lot less money than I thought most people in this forum made. Are these percentages monthly or are people spending $30k+ on speakers?

[turbokuo]

Great :T

[audioqueso]

Great :T

I take it that means people really are spending $30k+ on speakers. lol Then how come one of these people don't buy me the Signature 800s.

[Murunga]

Well, I'm getting ready to pull the trigger, but-
7.5% on front mains
20% on the all audio side
10% will follow down the road for enhancement : )

Murunga

[purplepeople]

To borrow a term from a very nice guy on another forum, I am a Frugalphile (TM) and tend to choose brands that are atypical, but no less fi.

1.5% mains
4.5% system

But that is only what I've spent so far and includes components that are new, pre-owned or inherited. To get everything new would put me into at least 10% total system. When the projectors get reasonable in their price/performance and non-ridiculous for their consumable cost (bulbs) I might go really big. Of course, it helps to be living in an apartment that is only 500 sq. ft.

ensen.

[L01]

I got all my equipment with something like 40% reduction:

12 % for my front- and only speakers
19 % for my complete equipment (Integrated amp, DAC, PC, cables)

cheers
Andreas

[mrkiko]

Mains - roughly 3%
Entire setup - roughly 10%

[purplepeople]

I just realized this is a B&W thread. So the answer to the question is 0% as I don't have B&W.

ensen.