Speakers The single most critical component


I know we've been over this Q hundreds of X's over the past 20 years here on audion, You can find dozen of topics dealing with this Q <which is the ,,,,most important component...>>
well time for yet 1 more topic dealing with this,, perhaps unanswered, un-resolved issue.
I'm bringing up the old hachet due to my recent experience acutally hearinga FR in my system. 
Let me tell you, there is not even 1 traditional/conventioanl/xover design <The Boxed Type>> in the world that could convince me  , there is something that will beat out FR (caveat, FR requires  some sort of high sens =sensitivity, tweeter)  in  the Boxy world of speakers.
That is to say, FR + Compression Horn is the future of 21st Century high fidelity. 
One lab has already brought us these ~~~SHF~~~ aka SuperHighFidelity  single drivers. 
The code word here is ~~SHF~~~ which can not never be employed when describing xover/trad/conventioanl style  aka The Box designs. db level under 91 are _<<IN-EFFICIENT>> , = dysfunctional, out dated, old school , = Dinasaurs. 
For amps, I only consider tube amps (PP and SET) as ~~SHF~~~ I can not include ss amps in this topic. 
IMHO all well made tube amps sound very close,
 a  kt88 in brand X will sound  close to brand Y. 
So amplification takes a  distant 2nd place in critical component.  No need to break the bank buying amp A vs  a  lower priced kt88 amp B
CD players, nearly all  tube DAC's , tube cdp-ers sound  close. No need to braek the bank over X vs Y.
My Jadis DAC is  only miniscule gain over the Shanling,
 the Shanling
only a  miniscule gain over the Cayin CD17. 
Now as for  best source  , phonograph is the ideal playback medium vs cds. 
I have some LP's now , but my main collection are classical cds, most not on LP version. Cables , I did note some gains employing silver/copper wiring throughout my entire system including inside the Defy.
Tweak worthy.
New Mundorf caps in all componets, tweak worthy. 
Yet the main central component remaisn the speakers.
Here is where  the entire audio resolution either rises to Nirvana or falls to <<distortion/muddy waters,/pollution/anti-fidelity  voicing  issues.
Your system's fidelity is ultimately dependent on what speaker  you have chosen to employ.
Forget all you've learned over the years, 
The new mantra is <,The speaker is key component>
All else is just extra tweaks/nuances. 
To sum up, a  ~~SHF~~ driver will match even the top of line Wilson weighing in at hundreds of lbs priced $$$$$$$ overa single FR driver. 
FR beats out any/all xover box design speakers. Mostly due to that key specification ~~db level~~~ which is everything in speaker design and thus in resolution/fidelity. 

mozartfan
I think acoustic panels can be considered components, and they add to a room. Two well placed $200 panels will impact a system more than $20,000 of cables. 
I think acoustic panels can be considered components, and they add to a room. Two well placed $200 panels will impact a system more than $20,000 of cables.
I am glad to concur with this advice....Save for the fact that i know for sure that you dont give much credit to cables upgrade in pure S.Q. improvement like myself to a point ... Then i must take your post with a pinch of salt.... Anyway i concur with you for their usefulness... i will only add that sometimes adding panels is better than a new costly amplifier upgrade.....
😊

Now i try to calculate what we must pay for a  benefit in upgrade on par with  my active room tuner the mechanical Helmholtz equalizer?

In all audio thread acoustic is the sleeping princess.... But all people bet on the working dwarves....
@herman --

...   I've had the same speakers for almost 20 years with no desire to change.. everything else has changed and most many times.

That's a great looking system. Is that a sub in the background?
Box speakers? Heck no, I’ve listened to electrostatics for 40 years!
All is relative to the installation, vibration/resonance control and acoustic....

My box speakers ( 50 dollars used) sound better in my good room than my friend in principle "better" magnepan in a bad room ....
They are so good any upgrade is useless....Dont ask me the branded name ask me how is it possible? any relatively good speaker could deliver miraculous sound....Any.....

Anyway all qualities coming from any type of speakers is a balanced trade-off with ALWAYS positive and negative.... Especially for speakers under some money treshold....The room acoustic can help greatly to compensate some aspect of this trade off....My mechanical equaliser is PART of my speakers and PART of the room....Then for me speaking of speakers on  the shelf of the manufacturer for their design advantages is not the way to go through the essential .... They most work in a specific room to reveal their potential....

Like i said acoustic is the sleeping princess and everyone pay attention to only the 7 working dwarves....