Ok this will be a good thread.


What in your opinion is the most important part of a good 2 channel system. Or what has the biggest impact on overall sound. For example if you feel Speakers are most important, or Preamp, Amp, Source. I am not looking for a ss vs. tube debate, just what do you feel is most important.

I will start:
I feel speakers are the most important part. I know lots of you are going to say electronics, but keep it to one part, like Preamp, Amp, etc.
Steve
musiqlovr
Nrchy, One sit all his life. You call that meditate? One slept all his life. You call that meditate? I can talk all day, you can talk all day. Do you think it's going somewhere?
This might have started as a good thread....but w'all done wove it into a tapestry. I think I am going back to Audiogon, although at least here my wife can't come at me for spending time in internet "chat" rooms.

See y'all elsewhere.

ps. 'bye, Marco!
Hey Nrchy, I remember reading somewhere else, that you're practicing martial art, right? What style/form may I ask? I use to practice martial art, too. But those days are long gone for me... :-)
This ones easy. In order of priority:

1. A bottle of Murine to clean your ears

2. Speakers! Which sound better? A ordinary speaker driven by a Mark Levinson? or an EXTRAORDINARY speaker driven by a NAD 3020 and a good source?
Hello 2 channel audio fans. I feel the order of importance would be, loudspeaker system, then preamp, then source, followed by power amps, speakers cabling and interconnects.
Speakers will always have the biggest impact in sound, but both the source and speakers are equally important for the final signature.. Speakers of course will always make something sound far different guaranteed, but the question is what is most important.. I would say if you have a speaker to small, too big, not enough bass, not enough imaging to create the big picture, than you could keep throwing the biggest best source at a pair of 6" bookshelf monitors till your blue in the face and not find the end of it.. So I guess reality is you gotta start basing your final sound and taste on a speakers performance making it the most important decision.. But you could argue that new Esoteric CD player should be a reference and everything behind it should sound good if it is that good. I say both are closely equal.
Some folks maintain that super accurate speakers, used at the end of a fairly flawed system, would theoretically make the sound WORSE (than if just serviceable speakers had been used) because all the upstream flaws would be revealed that much more blatantly.

I once heard a system that had some low level Phillips CDP, a VTL Ultimate pre', VTL Wotans, and huge Dunlavey speakers (don't remember the model). Sound was not very good at all: murky, veiled, disjointed. One of the most unsatisfying large systems I had ever heard.
it's not the equipment or the music that makes the biggest difference in your overall experience of listening to music. it is the listener.

a good mood, positive attitude etc., can offset mediocre stereo systems and/or mediocre recordings. you can enjoy your favorite music on a table radio.
Absolutely agree with Mrtennis. I find that the mood I'm in has more bearing as to whether or not I'm going to enjoy the listening session and not what equipment I'm using.
So, Mr. T even a bad jazz combo listened to live can sound good if your mood is good? My experience is that a bad jazz combo would turn my mood from good to bad. Same with a bad sound system, some systems sound so bad that I feel sick.
Bob P.
A vote for speakers and this is based on my experience of change. Every change in the system has an effect, but the biggest change and or improvement is the speakers. So this is my order of declining significance, which is not to say items on the bottom do'nt play a big part.
Speakers.
Amp
Turntable/tonearm/cartridge
Phono stage
Tuner
CD player
Interconnects
Stands and tweaks
Power conditioning
power cables
Just what I have found, but in there are some dramatic changes from small things. Two examples and strong recommendations, Walker Audio HDL links, Marigo stealth Signature mat.
Some of the reason for the items lower in the list, is, I believe, because of a general rise in quality and performance convergence. IN particular, CD players, it is far harder to find really bad players now. Even the cheapest give a creditable performance. At the top, there are so many conflicting choices and compromises in making a good transducer, sound varies enormously and not related to cost. Having just installed Acoustic Zen Adagio's, I can't think of any item that has improved/changed the sound of my system by so much
I would maintain that speakers are the weakest link, and until some one can make a point source that can reach peaks of 100 db from 20-20K, this is unlike to much improve. Basically, you have to chose your poison. When and if you ever find a speaker capable of reproducing a 1000 Hz square wave capable of such levels, you will be able to move on with confidence. Apparently the LSA Model 10s can do this for a mere $60k!! Start saving now.
I say the room itself is the most under-rated component. If you've ever stepped into a recording studio while listening to a live session, you'd know. No piece of equipment can reproduce the acoustic space, unless, of course- the room is the right shape, dimension, and provides proper sound treatment. Reflections, speaker distances, diffusion and refraction all come into play. A weak amplifier and efficient (and ruler flat frequency response) speakers, with a good front end can produce uncanny realism, dynamic impact and "in your face" soundstage in the right room.