I'm finding that the "level where everything matters" is as much a curse as a blessing. The Absolute Sound is like the Absolute Truth, doesn't exist, couldn't be found if it did, so the fun lies in the process of endless tweaking.
What makes the biggest difference in sound quality?
When making changes or adding things to your system, what makes the bigger difference in sound quality on preamp‘s and power amps? Interconnects, speaker cables, power cords, or fuses?