How to split an audio budget
There’s no single correct split, but a few principles hold for most systems:
- Speakers usually deserve the biggest share. They have the largest effect on how a system sounds. Our starting point puts about half the budget into the towers.
- Amplification should be adequate, not extravagant. It must drive your speakers cleanly to the volumes you use (check with our compatibility checker). For movies, an AV receiver also handles HDMI and surround decoding.
- A subwoofer can wait. If money is tight, buy good towers first and add a sub later — read do tower speakers need a subwoofer?
- Don’t overspend on cables. Correctly sized copper speaker wire is enough for typical home runs. See our accessories guide.
Remember that many tower speakers are sold individually rather than as a pair — double-check the listing before you budget.