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The most important link in the chain...

Hello everyone!
Over the years, I've read numerous different opinions on what is the most important link in a system chain. Somehow, in most audio reviews, you will come up with a statement about the importance of the category of the component being reviewed. "If the source is poor in performance, nothing can be done to improve the sound", "Preamp is were everything goes in and leaves from. If preamp is incapable of letting the information flow, result shall be poor", "Power amp sends the signal to the speakers. If power amp is incompetent, so shall be the signal and, hence, the music", "No matter how good your system is, if speakers are bad, everything else is in vain" etc etc. You can see similar statements concerning interconnects, speaker cacles, power cables, filters, power etc. I've read an interview of a 70 year old audiophile with a system costing $200,000 saying that power is 50% and equipment rack is 30% of the overall performance of the system! I think you see were it is getting to...
In your opinion, which is the most important link in the chain and why would that be? If thread proves popular, we might be able to create some charts; see how the audiogoners feel and think about that issue.
Thank you all!
myronk

Showing 2 responses by jax2

jax2
3,031 posts
 
I agree with Arthur on the overall picture; one bad link ruins the entire chain. In this case one bad link can wreak havoc with your music. As far as the priority of investment, if you search the archives that thread is already here...more than once as I recall. My take: Source first. Speakers are certainly important and really need to be considered hand-in-hand with amplification for synergy. Room would be right up there as well. Which brings me back to Arthur's original premise...it's all important. Balance and synergy should be a guiding principal in any choices you make.

Marco
jax2
3,031 posts
 
As far as those stressing the room, well, I'd agree, per my post, it is certainly an important link. There are ways of dealing with a bad room though. Listening nearfield (with the right gear) can potentially be a runaround for a less than desirable listening room. That said, I'd agree that you could certainly spend a whole lot of money on a system and have it ruined by a room. Likewise you could spend a whole lot of money on a system and have it ruined by a poor speaker choice, or a poor front end. So why is one more important than the other?

Marco
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