@inna
the approach I listed above is EXACTLY the process I’ve used since I found out wires do matter. naturally, I keep this all within reason and within available means, of course.
the colorful asides were some what exaggerated, but only slightly. any way you slice it, listening to the exact same tunes, and taking notes all the while, over and over again, wears on a person.
extend this effort over the expanse of months and it gets to be a real chore and soon is only pursued by the most compulsive and obsessive sorts.
once very good which usually gets escalated to ‘great’ once satisfaction sets in, is attained, the process ends.
without direct or immediate comparisons a subjective account, over time, tends to get inflated if there is an element of satisfactory performance routinely being demonstrated.
how many in this past time have said they love the sound of their rig, yet have done nothing, or haven’t mentioned they have, with room acoustical treatments. or have not addressed the bass bumps inherent in every room?
the one item I did not express is ‘retrying’ a previous contender cord or IC after it was discarded as the latest asemblage is then in place. perhaps now, it could be the Rosetta stone that brings everything together revealing still better performance.
I try to not be too pedantic with my verbage at times.
as for a purely analog sourced arrangement, the same process applies. get a base line somehow, and usually that starts with PCs. then ICs. However I get the impression with tTs some factors not overtly apparent if at all elsewhere, reside in that arena. cartridgesalignment. tracking. tone arms. . MM/MC. isolation. Phono pre matching, etc.
then of course there’s the record selection process too. which version? re-issued? which pressing? its quite involved IMO.
TT lovers have their work cut out for them.
BTW, immense satisfaction, and that’s what this is all about, can be had outside the vinyl world when things are addressed appropriately.