joecasey424 posts07-03-2020 1:53pmEVERYTHING is equally important in my system. I neglect NOTHING!
Shouting this louder will never make it true, no matter how distorted modern audiophilia has become. The combination of speakers and room is still by far the most important, and primary what you "hear". It defines the vast majority of your frequency response, sound-stage, and imaging. There are always caveats like the interaction of a low damping factor amplifier with speakers, or a poorly setup cartridge with high cross-talk killing soundstage/imaging, but otherwise that statement is true. Yes you can "break" your system with really cheap cables, but half-way competent cables are not going to "break" your system.
Unless you listen exclusively and closely near-field and you have a highly damped room, I will take a great set of speaker and a great room with relatively inexpensive electronics and half-decent cables, over lesser speakers and a poorly treated room, with price is no object electronics and cables. It would not even be close.