matt444_2000:
When i used to read what hi fi religously in the 90s it was allways suggested that the most should be spent on cd player then amp then the least on speakers, i think they had some rough calculation/ratio for this. I seem to remember a balanced system for example being CD £300-400 AMP £200-300 topped of with some sub £200 bookshelfs.
It seems things have changed now and the cd player is no longer considered as important. I dont whether this is just a straigh reversal of opinion or whether cd player improvements have bottomed out to a certain degree and amp and speaker technologies/improvements have continued more so.
What are others thoughts?
I would be particularly interested what andrew, clare and andys opinion on this is.
We'd still say the source is key - after all, however good your amp and speakers, they can't deliver more than the source is capable of giving them. The old, er, 'rubbish in, rubbish out' arguement.
However, as mentioned, things have evolved. A good-quality source is still paramount, but it's tough to set a rigid amount on what that'll cost you, especially compared to amps and speakers that may be more expensive for other reasons than pure performance.
For example, you may want an amplifier to have a wider range of functionality built in, or to drive a particular pair of speakers, so you may need to invest more there. Or you may want to invest more money in speakers to gain anything from a more pleasing aesthetic to a larger-scale sound.
But one thing that hasn't changed is the need for balance and system synergy - unbalance your system with an over- or under-performing product somewhere along the line and it doesn't matter how good the individual element are: the system won't shine as well as a more thoughtfully matched set-up.
As for your particular set-up - the Marantz 6002 pairing sound great with the B&W 685s. Would the system benefit from even more power? Yes, as those B&Ws are flexible enough to be used with higher-end electronics, so a better amp is a good upgrade. Would the extra money over the PM6002 be better spent on really solid stands that'll make the best of the B&Ws' bass performance? Something else to consider... If you can spend on both, brilliant!