Which attributes do you value most?

1. Harmonic content*
2. Coherence
3. PRaT

*Al's term 'harmonic accuracy' might be a better term than 'harmonic content' for expressing my preference, since 'harmonic accuracy' implies a resemblance to reality, while 'harmonic content' does not.

at heart , i believe most owners of stereo system, want their music to be listenable. the attributes listed as the subject of the thread , while important to some , to varying relative degrees, pale in comparison to the ability to listen without being offended, even if their favorite attribute is not satisfied to the extent desired.

i think ranking the 10 factors listed above is more an intellectual exercise and less an instance of reality.

there are variables which cannot be completely controlled, which impact the 10 factors.

i think ranking the 10 factors listed above is more an intellectual exercise and less an instance of reality.

The OP did not ask anyone to rank the ten attributes listed. It asked people which attributes they valued the most. The ten attributes listed were merely examples.

It seems to me that priorities among audiophiles vary, and that the variation in priorities is reflected in the variation in systems. In my view, understanding how people's priorities influence their approach to system building is a genuine attempt at learning, and not merely an "intellectual exercise."

The "PRaT" acronym is new to me and seems to be a valuable descriptor for a large part of what I value in music reproduction.Without this,I find a system and in many cases a recording to be less than engaging.
Soundstaging is quite a fascinating phenomena for me and frequently a factor in choosing source material for listening.
A systems inability to project this information is not crucial IF the dynamic weight,tonal accuracy and frequency extension are all extant in the playback.

My systems are made up of mostly older but well maintained stuff that may be more mid-fi than audiophile but I'm trying. Dynaudio Special One, Harman Kardon PM655-vxi integrated, Dynaco st-70, Large Advents,DCM Timeframe 600,
Pioneer PL-71 turntable, Elac-Miracord 40H turntable...

I agree, this is not merely an intellectual exercise; in fact ,nothing of the kind. It shows that we are both similar and different. Threads like this can actually strengthen the community.