I have always favored 'the end first' - the speakers. Then go about, working backwards. During the 'this or that' to couple with one (at a time) set of speakers, various shortcomings and gains will appear in the then previous coupled chain. As human beings: it is natural to either love or hate certain indelible aspects of a speaker's presentation in the first few minutes. And usually nothing on earth will ever change that opinion from that moment.I made the mistake once of planning and purchasing a system arround Julian's recommendations as my first hifi back in 1970 as those of us following Stereo Review knew auditions weren't neccessary as everything but cartridges and speakers sounded alike. The system consisted of a Dual 1215 turntable w/Shure V-15 III cart, Marantz 1060 integrated amp and B*I*C Formula IV loudspeakers. The V15 III of course measured and tracked as well as most anything else at the time and most importantly was used by Julian at home so I figured it had to be good and it was compatible tonearm-wise with the 1215 TT. The Formula IVs sounded ok in the showroom on the end of a slighter more expensive system but since all of the other bits couldn't sound different compared to my choices according to Julian, I felt they were a safe bet and as good spec-wise as anything else in their price range.
Long story short...it was the most God-awful hifi I've ever heard in my life.
EDIT: possibly another that was worse: Naim CDS and 52 feeding Krell 600 monoblocks into Apogee Grands
Treat the speakers like a singer's voice. And then ask yourself 'what is the speaker 'trying to convey or do'?....as if it had 'some conscious mentality' of its own. I labelled one speaker playing a lady singing jazz ' a busty tart just trying to sit in one's lap, trying to seduce ', so forward - was its boosted mid range. Another
speaker I gave the verdict of being 'a painful ear driller': so edgy and thin in texture. Yet there it was, coupled to a expensive bank of its own same brand 'dedicated' amplification.
This talk we often hear : 'I want to get into ' ....' amplification!!! I shudder to think what they finally expect to get out of that rather myopic proposition. We do not listen per sec. to amplifiers. They are 'a purpose unit' . We only pay attention when they cannot do the job we require of them to drive a particular speaker properly