Ok this will be a good thread.

The room and where the speakers are positioned.Just move your speakers around the room and hear how much the sound changes.

JmcGrogan2, Ego = a**hole, you da man. :-)

Cheers! Muralman1

Not sure whose arguments Muralman is referring to as "absurd", but I'll respond: The original question actually does ask the question, which single component is most important in a 2-channel system. I stand by my responses; Yes, I'd agree with you that the speaker selection has the greatest potential to radically alter the sound of a system, but without a good source you will just have garbage wrapped in fancy wrapping paper...it still stinks! This is why I believe that, objectively, the source is the most important. Subjectively, well, I guess that is, by definition entirely up to the individual and their expectations, priorities and tastes. I can build a system to suit virtually any preferences around a great source component, but I cannot do the same with a specific great speaker. In the case of the latter I'd have to tailor the rest of the components specifically to suit that speaker (in many, but not all cases). A five-figure set of world-class horns are not necessarily going to sound great with whatever I put them with, and I will not be able to reconfigure my system with much latitude around those speakers. Spend the same five figures on a world-class source and you will have tremendous latitude with the other components you pair it off with. In a way, I'm agreeing with the "speaker" camp actually in that the choice of speakers will go furthest in determining the overall sound of the system, and perhaps will dictate the rest of the components. But I still would have to say that without a good source, all else falls to pieces, and this is why I stand by my original position that the source is most important. I don't know that the "weakest link" argument is entirely true in this case. I don't see it that way in this case. I think it's more like that Belafonte song: "House built on a weak foundation, it won't stand, oh no, oh no...." The source is the foundation that a system is built on...like the house, it doesn't matter how strong the components above it are, if the foundation is week it all comes tumbling down.

This is base on my real audiophile experience,My plan is
to balance from cd to cables to pre amp to amp to speakers
I was very confident that the speaker i bought are very
good and they are, so i did not mind spending used good
gear to feed this speakers. After careful planning and
auditiong and add my little experience in cables and gear.
I was very happy with my system, although ther will always
be a weakest link.Until my friend called me and encouraged
me to rewire my norh 6.9 with siltech, believe ir or not
I was shock for what i have discovered.Suddenly the speaakers improve immesurably of course IMHO only. This
experience taught me that start or spend good money on
the speakers, and then good descent gear, i felt that
after my speaker greatly improve from cd to speaker cable
performed to the maximum. This reminds me also when i tried
eggleston andra with my cec transport $700, msb link dac;
and plinius sa 100amp, tara lab and audio quest cable,and
adcom gfa 750, Andra $15,000k i have fairly good listening
room. This combination IMHO and my friend we both agree
this is the best sound,he heard on the andra's. Ok wait,
some of you will say whats tha point? The point is to
me i would choose the speaker first. Because of this
experience i bought use andra's.I also oredered monoblock
upgrade feom Klaus the odyssey stratos,i will use sony
sacd dvd player 9000es, with adcom preamp,might use tara
lab,or siltech.I dont know what will this system sound
but i have a good guess this will work if they synergise.
notice my source are not like the one i saw on my friend
house, He was running them with, Mark Levinson 333,meridian
508 96/24 i think, with Mark levinson preamp $6000, he
using tara lab decade all the way, this combination did
not measure up with my mid price gear, my friend and I
talk about it. He told everytime we fellowship on audio
How can my system sound better than this expensive gear,
I suspect the gear did not match his system, or my
room is %30 better than his, Even the monoblock 350 did
not sound better than my set up.Now you will ask me why
did I order the stratos, bec to my experience this speakers
only need high current amp, plus what do i have to loose
Klaus is willing to let me audition this amp I mean GRACIOUSLY
not like when i call this dealer here, He think I will never
buy gear from him. If the stratos dont work, I will use
my sa 100 plinius, or sell it and upgrade to 102.So again
like Robert Harley mention in his book complete GUIDE TO
HIGH END AUDIO IF YOU DO YOUR HOMEWORK more likely you
will be able to put a very very good musical system for
less money its a good book. This to topic is also included
there, its a well balance book. I will recommend it to
every audiophile who are just starting or who are willing
to start again.I did exactly what he advise, maybe i got
lucky or maybe i did learned a lot from it.
sorry guysthis thread is too long Iam off for 3 days, so
ita time to spent couple of hours on this keybd.Thanks.