Select Your Less Than Ideal System


Informal survey: Select from one of the four less than ideal systems below. Assume you have limited funds and can only afford three components of excellence and one moderate component. Which will be "sacrificed" to expediency?

I am not interested in alternative answers such as reallocating the funds to achieve balance. This is a thought experiment requiring absolute answers - A., B., C., D.

I have an idea which I am considering writing up as an article and want to see where the community stands on this question. This is not intended to be part of a review and the article is of my own volition, not assigned. Feel free to include your rationale, but I want clear choices regarding the survey. Only one choice please.

Survey: Select your Less Than Ideal Rig:

A.
Moderate source
Excellent amplification
Excellent cabling
Excellent speakers

B.
Excellent source
Moderate amplification
Excellent cabling
Excellent speakers

C.
Excellent source
Excellent amplification
Moderate cabling
Excellent speakers

D.
Excellent source
Excellent amplification
Excellent cabling
Moderate speakers

Thank you for your participation. :)
douglas_schroeder
It is hard to say but one time I used choice B and was really impressed by how good it sounded.

so either B or C for me

it all depends on what components of course...
I vote "C," for the reasons that have been stated by many of the others.

But I would add that the question seems to me to be based on a false premise, that there is perfect or near perfect correlation between performance and price. And I would say that that degree of correlation is loosest when it comes to cables, which is yet another reason to vote "C."

Regards,
-- Al