Ok so base on my research and experience, if you had $5000 dollar, taking into account diminishing returns, this would be how one should allocate budget for a streaming based mid-fi system:
Speakers: 2000 (40%) Power Amp: 1000 (20%) Pre Amp with room correction capabilities: 1000 (20%) (or allocate to physical room treatment things. Everything else (20%) DAC： 500 Streamer: 200 Cables and interconnects : 200 (not much audible difference so long as not use the shittiest ones) Stands: 100
This is based on that
Speaker matters the most, then suitable amp = room acoustics/speaker placement, then perhaps quality of the DAC’s photo stage pair with a decent DAC chip, then everythig else is probably less than 5%.
I mean, we can argue all day on whether cables are snake oil, but I think for most people it is just about the most efficient resources allocation giving a budget constrain.
Performance for $? $200 set of speakers, free amp off craigslist, $4800 in marijuana.
I kid, but I seriously doubt it’s worth dropping 1k on an amp if your speakers are 2k. Of course a good amp lasts forever so your call. I also can’t imagine spending $500 on a DAC these days, they literally all sound perfect past a certain point. It’s no longer exotic tech, a geshelli labs DAC will do just fine. You can go a little wild and do your whole signal path in balanced XLR if you want to be sure you are eliminating noise.
I won’t comment on streamers or whatever because I don’t use them, my source is usually a PC hooked up over USB or SPDIF optical.
my amp was 1200 and speakers were 900. bit of a mismatch you reckon? 😅