So, if I understand you correctly @mahgister then the idea that the old school separate pre amp and amp approach being "better" would sort of fall under the bigger is better type of logic, as well?
No you did not understand me at all sorry...
I never said that bigger cannot be better, with or without pre-amp...
I never said that upgrading is useless...
I never said that costly design are not often way better...
I said that BEFORE thinking about bigger, upgrades, and costlier options, we must LEARN about acoustical, mechanical and electrical embeddings and also about synergy and optimization (tweaking ) ... We must learn about our own acoustic experience UNDERSTANDING ...
Because beside the "law" of diminushing return there is another principle i name M.A T.S. : minimum acoustic threshold satisfaction...
my own system is under 1000 bucks and i dont need anything more...Not because it is the better , it is not, but it is so well optimized and so well embedded that it put me in sonic heaven...
It takes me years to understand with experiments in a rooom how to embed a system... its pay now... I listen music with a relatively good timbre, with minimal spatial soundfield characteristics definition and actual immersiveness level optimal for the price...
I compute that it will cost me 10,000 bucks to upgrade my satisfying 700 bucks system , nothing less...
I dont need it because lost in music i am able to forget sound without being bothered by any too evident limitations... I called that a rightful embeddings in the three working dimensions for ANY system at ANY price : acoustic, mechanical and electrical...