Flagship product to build around

@danager  It is a little bit of a chicken and egg question, in absolute terms.  In practical terms my experience has been that getting good room treatment early solves a lot of problems you try to ascribe to speakers, cables and electronics. They help you listen better and you are more satisfied with your choices in the long run. 

The OP was asking about a flagship product to build around and I know of absolutely nothing on earth that helps you build a great system more than having a good sounding room.

You don't necessarily have to pick out 100% of your room treatment before you go looking for speakers, but placing bass traps of the appropriate parameters, diffusors between and behind the listener and some side and ceiling panels is going to get you a lot farther in your audio journey than anything I know.

Use streaming and pretend it sounds as good as LPs or a great CD player.

@erik_squires 

Thanks.

Another question.  You have suggested using blankets and pillows to get an loose idea of where acoustics should be positioned.

I'm currently using blankets and pillows on bar stools to get them near my listening height.  

Any suggestions of temporary ceiling acoustics that ill allow me to return the room back to a WFA area when the testing is done?  I suspect the ceiling is an issue as it's the largest flat reflecting area in the room.  The floor is carpeted and has the furniture sitting on it and the walls in my listening area aren't parallels  I have a ladder and couch cushions but is that going to even remotely approximate what the acoustic ceiling panels would be able to produce?

@ebm 

So you're saying DAC is the product build around cause I'm cheap and lazy?

Well, in a pinch you can string up courtains between folding ladders!