Which is the most important part of a stereo system?

You seem to be implying that the gap between different systems is smaller than the gap between different rooms.

First thanks cd318 for your kind observation and attention to myself and posts...


But you underestimated what I say, and unvoluntarily misrepresented it...


You underestimated my argument because it is not about room treatment but about 3 simultaneous embeddings...And room treatment is only the point 3a, there are other 3 points: 3b,1, and 2.

These 4 points grouped in 3 parts define what I called the embeddings of any audio system...


You misrepresented my argument because, it will need a fool or someone who delude himself, to negate differences, great ones most of the times, between a low cost system and a highly costly one...

My argument is simply this: the difference between most audio systems is big, but not big enough most of the times to compared with an audio system rightly embedded according to the rules pertaining to these 4 points in 3 part embeddings...

If there is 3 rungs in the scale going to low, mid, and high, any electronic component pertaining to a rung of this scale is different with another on the same rung...But rightly embedded anyone of this element go from a rung to a higher rung entirely if it is rightly embedded with the 3 implementation protocols and parts pertaining to each one of these 4 methods :


1-The mechanical environment of each electronic component (vibrations-resonances controls)

2-The electrical grid of the room and of the house

3a-the "passive" room treatment with materials absorbant and reflective ones

3b-the "active" acoustical space modifications with reflectors, Helmholtz resonators, Schumann generators,etc
(We must not confuse room treatment 3a with acoustical space modifications 3b.)


In the universal race to upgrade and buy the ultimate high electronic components, people forget or ignore the right way to implement an audio system... The proof of that is simple: most people think that a better dac or amplifier or speakers will give to them the better sound magically by itself...The entire marketing industry promote that....Marginally someone speaks, generally to sell something, about vibrations or room treatment...Rarely about these 2 on the same page or article...And this 2 points are only half of my argument (4 points in 3 parts).. Then most people are unconscious of this fact: the real experience of an audiophile musical event is not the results of the electronics components only and "per se" but by far the results of a rightful implementation of them... The proof of that is easy to make....Which do you want: a mid system in an ideal room and house controlled environment ? Or a high cost system in a bad house room environment?

My most important point is that it is possible by homemade methods and materials or with very low cost products to create a complete relatively good implementation that will transform any audio system into his ideal peak potential working function...At least then projecting it on another rung of the scale quality ratio/ price...This is my experience and good news...Interpreting that like a negation of the difference in quality between for example an amplifier like my Sansui versus a Top high end ZOTL Berning amplifier( I dream to buy one) is simplistic...There is differences between electronic components...But it is not the important half of the story...This is my point...I live happy now with my Sansui...Guess why?


My best wishes to you....


" My car is bigger than your male organ" Groucho Marx

Turntables still -why?? Clicks pops.....

It is the SPEAKERS it's an oversimplification this is where the sound comes from. Paul at PS Audio states the same thing.  If you upgrade your speakers you will hear an improvement that should be significant.

If you take a $300 streamer and $3000 streamer most people cannot hear a difference even with a revealing system but with poor speakers, you will not discern the difference.

I think it's like the old SLR cameras the body of the camera just controls the shutter so the money you put into the body of the camera didn't make that much difference a Nikon or pin hole. But it was the Lens that actually captured the image great lens great image. 

Great speakers great sound. It's like what Kevin at Upscale Audio says $40,000 turntable with a $400 cart is a $400 turntable that might be the exception to the rule

Terry9, and anyone else who thinks cables are least important:

you couldn’t be more wrong, however, it is true that much of what is being sold as hi-end cables can often hurt the sound. Believe me I know, but when cables are designed by people who actually understand the inherent obstacles to producing quality cables the music benefits. If/when there are diminishing returns it is at the very top of a cable line (when they typically cost as much as a car)

My preference is WireWorld, who offers several series to fit your budget. Also, about a year ago, they introduced Series 8. I have seen a good amount of used Series 7 as some people feel compelled to upgrade


hth

OP
2 that I am familiar with (either their integrates or as separates include; Parasound (A23 + P5) and Elac (I own the Audio Alchemy DDP-1 + PS 5 : Parasound include dac/phono, but Elac includes Streaming and their amp can be turned into mono with a flip of a switch, should you want more power with their matching amp. The Elac is true balanced!


Underwood HiFi sells the Elac among it’s many products, all with very good discounts
hth