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
Equating an amplifier with tubes
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The 12AT7 was a chinese clone of the Jadis 200 preamp, That is , the $$$$$ Jadis was only a nuance superior to the $900 chinese clone. Hardly a nuance.
My Defy7 , will not be trumped by any future amplifer design.
Amplifiers have no further breakthrough developments,.
Whereas in speakers The breakthrough has happened and few have any real interest. They wish to remain stuck back in yesteryears 1970’s, 1960’s xoverpolluted, bad coughing speakers, The Wet Blanket sounding speakers.
Some members here know exactly what i am talking about.
I am predicting the future, some here just don’t want to see nor admit this progress in now taking place, here today.
You don’t want to see nor recognize the new developments in speaker design, you are missing out on the most important developments in all audiophile cosmos.
If you were arguing SET‘s and horns with crossovers I might take you more seriously


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The Defy7 is not SET it is, push pull KT88 design. 
Horns for bass/midrange are too large and too expensive. 
The Defy7 is not SET it is, push pull KT88 design.
And what exactly is so holy about this amplifier, pray tell? Your vast knowledge almost beggars belief. Is it better than a pair of 12AT7 tubes? Please start talking sense.
Shouldn’t this thread have been re-named by now into "Full Range driver-based Speakers The single most critical component"..? ;)