So far, we've journeyed together through some fundamental decisions in building a high-end audio system. But now we need to pause and focus on what is unquestionably the most critical decision in your system-building journey: your loudspeakers.
Your speakers are everything.
I know we’ve discussed speakers earlier, but at this point, this truth becomes even more important. Your speakers aren't just another component; they are the component that will make or break your musical experience. This is why I'm making this crucial point again before we move on.
Let me share a real-world example. In my home, my wife Terri's system uses our Aspen FR5 stand-mount speakers, which retail for just under $4,000 with stands. They're wonderful speakers, and we love them. But after thinking about amplification choices and source components, you might be tempted to allocate your budget evenly across your system. While I understand this impulse (after all, PS Audio makes those other components too), this is usually a mistake.
Here's why: if you're looking at FR5s (or any similarly priced loudspeakers) because you want to maintain a budget for that amazing DAC or power amplifier you’re drooling over, you'd actually be better served by stepping up to a more expensive loudspeaker and choosing more modest electronics. The improvement in overall system performance will be dramatic. The speakers are your system's voice – everything else just helps that voice speak more clearly.
PS Audio Aspen FR5 loudspeakers with stands.
Think about it this way: even the most exquisite source component or amplifier can only present its benefits through your speakers. If your speakers can't resolve the subtle improvements that premium electronics offer, you've effectively spent money on performance you'll never hear. Conversely, better speakers will make every component in your system sound better, including more modest electronics.
This is why I recommend allocating up to 70 percent of your total budget to speakers. Yes, you read that right – 70 percent. I've seen countless situations where someone spent thousands on premium electronics, only to pair them with speakers that couldn't reveal the improvements they'd paid for – or worse, they built an awesome electronics chain around an older tried and true pair of speakers. It's like putting racing fuel in a family sedan – the potential benefits are wasted.
Let me be even more direct: I've never had someone come back to me and say they regretted spending more on their speakers. But I've had plenty of people wish they'd invested more in speakers instead of splitting their budget more evenly across components. The speakers are where the rubber meets the road, where electrical signals transform into the sound waves that actually reach your ears. Every‐ thing else in your system – every dollar spent on sources, amplification, and cables – is ultimately at the mercy of this final transformation.
Your entire system setup will revolve around your speakers. Their size and characteristics will influence your room arrangement. Their efficiency and impedance will affect your amplifier choices. Their resolution capabilities will determine how much you'll benefit from premium source components. Even room treatments and acoustic considerations are speaker-dependent. In fact, I've seen rooms completely rearranged – furniture moved, listening positions adjusted, even doors relocated – all in service of optimal speaker placement. That's how fundamental they are to the entire listening experience.
So, before thinking about system optimization, take one final look at your speaker choice. Are you giving them the budget priority they deserve? Have you considered how they'll pair with the type of music you most enjoy? These aren't just rhetorical questions – they're the foundation of every great system I've ever heard.
If necessary, don't be afraid to revisit some of your other component choices to allocate more resources to your speakers. Perhaps that mega-watt amplifier could be scaled back a bit, or that premium DAC could be replaced with a more modest model. Remember -- everything else in your system should be viewed through the lens of how it serves your speakers, because ultimately, they're the final arbiters of your system's performance.
Not to mention that speakers often become anchors and have a habit of staying put. So, if you invested in a great pair of speakers, it’s then easier down the road to upgrade this or that piece of electronics. Changing speakers is a pain in the keister and, as mentioned earlier, everything else revolves around them.
In further installments, we'll dive into making the most of your system – optimization, room setup, acoustic treatments, and fine-tuning. But the success of everything we'll discuss depends on getting this fundamental choice right. Choose your speakers wisely, give them the budget they deserve, and everything else will fall into place.
Trust me on this one. After half a century in this industry, if there's one piece of advice I'd carve in stone, this would be it.
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