What sonic characteristics matter the most?

For me, the most important aspect of a system is in its ability to reproduce extremely fine Micro Details
e.g. those details that convey…
- the extremely fine venue acoustics and reverberations
- the subtle timbres of an acoustic instrument
- the subtle harmonic tones or the “grit’ in an artist’s voice
- the controlled breathing of a woodwind artist as they play
- precise placement and complete isolation of the artist within a complex image, such as an orchestra
- an image that is larger than the listening room and which envelopes the listener

That’s what I listen for. I’ve stopped listening for the "conventional metrics".

Without micro details, a recording is flat, lacks vibrance and realism.

The strange thing is - my components didn’t need upgrading at all - I just needed the right cables :-)

A close friend once asked me "how many speakers do you have connected to the system now"
- I had to show him the left and right speaker cables to convince him there were only two speakers operating

Regards - Steve

Coherency, and the "system" seeming to not be there when the music is playing, as otherwise when it's not playing I'd trip over things. 

That’s what I listen for. I’ve stopped listening for the "conventional metrics".   Without micro details, a recording is flat, lacks vibrance and realism.  The strange thing is - my components didn’t need upgrading at all - I just needed the right cables :-)

@williewonka  +1