Both are important. I sell audio gear part time. If we are talking newbies, they need a pair of speakers that they like the sound of in a non fatiguing way and that are resolving enough to hear changes in the system as they gain more experience. Having said that everything between the source and the speakers will only allow you to hear the quality of your source so the next most important thing is a quality source that has a sound you like within a budget you are comfortable with. The preamp and amp will not improve the sound of the source, only let you hear what you have.