A stupid question for which there's no sensible answer.

I agree with Mahgister.

The room is definitely the weakest part of the system, if you want to call it a part,

Not only is the room a part of the system, it’s the biggest player in the system. Your room will affect the sound of your system more than any single component. Also remember, carpeting, furniture, furnishings, room shape, etc. are all a part of the acoustical profile. Some good, some bad.

Acoustics in my opinion are challenging and I wouldn’t hesitate to consult with an expert or two that work in the field. Also remember, you don’t have to make all the changes, just make the ones that your circumstances allow. Another thing to keep in mind is that some acoustical issues can be addressed electronically much more economically. 

As far as upgrading your actual components, if your plan is to upgrade your entire system over time, I would upgrade the components that you think will change the least in that time frame first and the ones that could change the most, last.

+1 @clearthinker. If the source is bad you can't possibly get good sound. Most important for turntables. If you read the Linn white paper (of course they are biased, but correct), it just makes sense. Each step down the line can only distort the signal, so the order of importance is turntable (or other inferior source unless you're talking about reel to reel) ( tonearm/cartridge/phonostage - integrated amp (or separates, but more interconnects to distort), speakers. Cables important too.

m669326   The only truly stupid questions are those that never get asked, thereby perpetuating totally curable ignorance.

Yup. Room #1
Your hearing #2
Speaker placement #3. Move them a bit a see!

All is important....But even the source is not on the level of power than the room acoustic...

Why is not evident for all?

Because most people think that their room is good if not good OK...

Most people cannot fathom the abyssal, total, complete difference between the controlled acoustic settings of a room and his absence or lacks...



Anybody can be an expert on source and decree that digital, turntable, tonearm, phonostage is important .... indeed they are very important.... ANYBODY know that and can listen easily to the differences.... It is not difficult to change elements of source and compare...

But who has try to transform completely incrementally his room? And after that compare?

Very few....It is way more complicated to figure out than a simple source change....Trust me....

I did it....It takes me 2 years and many materials and devices of my own at NO cost tough....It is not perfect at all...

BUT there is no upgrade which can rival with this, and even not for example the change of a bad dac for a good turntable .... This is a small change compared to trust me... BUT WHY?

Because the room is a MAGNIFIER GLASS of all changes on a scale that surpass all and each one separate changes ....Learn that by heart....

Why do you think rich audiophiles pay more for a room than for all the gear? are they stupid?


The room is so important that ANY informed acoustician, not sellers of speakers or amplifiers, any scientist acoustician will confirm to you that :

"NO SPEAKERS BEAT THE ROOM»- Anonymus acoustician


But someone who has never experiment with his room can speak of cables or other "improvements".... He can boast about dac or vinyl.... There is differences between all these and big one, yes...

But none of these change can compare to a very well dress room... NONE...

My opinion dont come from a book, my opinion come from my experiment....

If there is so much desperation and frustration in audio community, and lost of money , the main cause is this ignorance....

I will not repeat about the importance of the other 2 embeddings.... Some will accuse me of old age advanced mumbling ... 😁