Poll: Most impactful component


Given all the technological advances over the years, audiophiles have very different perspectives on equipment.

This likely reopens an age old debate, but which component has the most potential to improve a stereo system? Or can it?

If you could upgrade one component to take your system to the next level which one would get the investment? Speakers? DAC? Pre? Source?

Or is this the holy grail that no one can achieve?

 

 

tee_dee

Agreed....the "weakest link" theory still applies, and the speakers are what interacts with the room and the amplifier, so I’d still focus on speakers with the understanding that you still need to build the system around them. The system will never be great until that weakest link is pretty good, and synergizes well with everything else.

@tee_dee  - Cables, without a doubt

I sent my nephew interconnect cables and a speaker cables

  • he could not believe the transformation of his very entry level system
  • he now has an idea what the audiophile hobby is all about

My "modest" system (MSRP Around $20k) outperforms systems costing many times more thanks to the excellent cables I have installed

I also have a mini System which with the right cables sound pretty amazing

But you have to know about the science behind good cables in order to make the right choices - just like selecting a new components

I regard my cables as the most important component in my system

Regards - Steve