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
Hear a pair of ATC SCM100 ASL active monitors in full song and your life will never be the same again. With their pro line you can just go off the scale. Voxativ are an archaic overpriced irrelevance
Don‘t get me wrong, high efficiency full range speakers and SET‘s are a whole lot of fun, but when it comes down to the accurate reproduction of sound, top end active ATC speakers are just in a different league. Ask the Pros.
To quote someone:
The 10 most important components of a hifi system.
1 thru 8 - The Speakers
9. The room
10. Everything else.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
100% in agreement with your *source* , which may well be 
Medialies, and hows that for a  handle *Media-lies*.
There are many excellent comments from
Douglas
fleschler
dietch2
larryi
I hope to address all your excellent imput  based on a  long valuable experience in speaker issues, problems, if not ~Failures~ To acheieve the desired results. 
And your thoughts are written with kind consideration, respectful and not argumentative. 
Our interest in all things audio should be expressed openly, courteous ,which will allow new understandings in these obscure, showdowy matters of speaker designs. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At this juncture of the topic, I would like to express my gratitude towards all the moderators here on Audiogon for allow this topic to continue, although I am aware i may have presented some of my ideas in a  pugnacious attitude, which on another site may have qualified  for * The Ban* 
This shows you guys are willing to continue to keep audiogon as a free fair open forum for all things of interest in this incredible wonderful hobby.
By granting folks free , civil speech,  you are making sure Audiogon will remain  as the premiere all ~things~ audio   discussion forum in the world.
I  know many members here  , along with me applaud   this generous spirit of giving members  the  freedom to  express their ideas and thoughts.. 
Especially at a  time in this society where **cancel culture** is gaining ground as the accepted norm. Which canceling of views as *Not acceptable* only makes this world worse off. 
Kindly
maozartfan



Many can’t afford the luxury of a binary approach offered by a main speaker system like yours, and will instead have to make settlement with a solution that more pragmatically dictates the speakers, in conjunction with their interaction with the acoustics, as the (by far) most coloring part of the chain.

~~~~~~~~~~~ Ahh yes, the financing of our audio dreams. Some of us here have a  limited budget. Thus wish to make their purchase decisions  as their *best possible*,  of all the countless choices in the wide vast  speaker world. 
IMean if I had the cash, this *Field Coil* single driver looks quite interesting vs the magnet system. But since its so far out my budget, I must exclude that design from any considertion. 
I have no idea how the field coil even works, but will discuss with Richard Gray when i see him tomorrow, well this morning at his shop. He knows about these things. Richard has been a  great mentor, and a  source for accurate understanding about speaker designs based on his wide range of experience  of all things audio. 
Considering the prices of xover design speakers next to the more competitive priced  new wide band engineered speakers  , is  yet another factor which may decide the future of   speaker sales.
The cabinet for a  single source driver can be  constructed by just about anyone with a   few common tools and a few sheets of 2x4 sanded plywood from Home Depot.
A cabinet both affordable and  lightweight.