What improvement came first?

So in my thinking, speakers advanced ahead of amps.  It was only once speakers became good enough, that the more subtle differences could be heard. But is that correct? What improves came before other ones? Did tone arms need to improve ahead of more advanced cartridges? If so, then improvements of one part can totally depend on advancement of another part first.

Not even. It doesn't matter what you have, a change anywhere is the same. There's no such thing as system matching, synergy, or weak link. Everything is what it is, and will be heard for what it is, regardless. 

You seem to think Linn couldn't show how important the turntable is except that speakers had gotten better first. When in fact the turntable he made was so much better than the speakers of the day those exact same turntables are used and still sound outstanding, we can see clearly the Linn was superior in caliber to the speakers of the day, proving that way back then they were the "strong link" if you want to call it that. 


Which blows out your thesis, since Linn was able to develop that turntable in spite of there being no speakers (or amps, or interconnects, or speaker cables, or power cords) that were up to the level of the Linn at the time it came out.

This is all able to happen only because you can hear all these little improvements made anywhere in the system even if the downstream gear is lower quality. You just have to listen for them. But they are there.

Everything asap.

Further, OK, so this speaker can tell me the difference between a Parasound and Krell. Whoopee. Is that going to tell me anything about how it plays? Rarely is the answer here yes.

As I was discussing in another thread, the single piece of gear which makes you stop buying other gear tends to be good room acoustic treatments. They will outlive your gear, and you’ll be happier with a wider variety of gear, and stop going the cable and tweak merry go round. Get yourself a great sounding room, and you’ll settle into a great system rather quickly. Without this, you’ll be churning amps and speakers forever.

Amen!

I will only add also to the importance of the audio system and the speakers in the room acoustical embeddings, the mechanical embedding and the electrical grid embedding....

The point you make is the same i made, except with the acoustical treatment and control, i add the important mechanical and electrical treatment and controls...

Most people underestimate completely acoustic and overestimate the rest of the audio system, without knowing that there is no such thing wich is the sound of speakers and amplifier without any room nor any electrical noise level grid, and without any vibrations nor resonance...

An audio system without any embeddings exist almost like" a knife without blade nor handle" (Lichtenberg), it is a pure blueprint design in the head of an engineer. Any "working" audio system with the speakers is embed in a house and in a room....

Anyway thanks for your always wise and informed observation.....

Merry Christmas to all....

Of course there were speakers up to and past the level of the Linn.
Speakers will determine the overall sound of a system more so than any other component. You can not choose an amplifier without first knowing what speaker you are going to drive. Everything else is minor in comparison particularly if you are sticking with digital. Analog front ends, the tonearm, cartridge and Phono stage will of course determine how vinyl sounds but still not as significant as speakers. The key is whether or not you are happy with the speakers you have or plan to up grade them. If you intend on upgrading them do that first before spending money on other equipment. If you are happy with the speakers and do not intend on upgrading them than is up to you to evaluate the rest of your gear to determine where an upgrade might be most valuable.