Is that general rule pretty accurate? I've been contemplating buying an home speaker upgrade and pretty price adverse because I don't _need_ to upgrade. I am currently using Harman Kardon Soundsticks II w/ sub for my home audio and have no complaints -- kept this for 8 years really, so maybe I don't know what I'm missing. Are those 300 really ~ to $1200. If so, that sounds like a solid project!
I'd say so! Most of my information comes from a super-long 3000-post speaker thread on a private music site. I have auditioned a few high-end speakers in stores and would say that DIY holds its own very well.
Personally, I replaced an ~$800 pair of speakers with the Amigas, and they're vastly better in terms of clarity/resolution. I have a decent tube amplifier already.
Past that point I'm pretty sure room setup/room treatment starts to matter much more than hardware...
The amp is super heavy (40+ lbs), so shipping is expensive.
I like it a lot--definitely changes the sound to something warmer. It's also a beautiful object, especially in the dark. The aftermarket tubes helped resolve bass, but are probably overkill (I used them as a reward to myself for crunch on a contract gig).
Note that tube amps have a lot of downsides--you can't leave them on 24/7, they make a lot of heat (so can't stack with other electronics), you need to tune voltage during the first few months of operation, only stereo output with minimal AV switching, etc...
