What do you care about in this hobby?

@mapman - how are all 8 of them for you if the first one is 'Sound Quality Only'?

If we remove the 'Only' from that, for me, it would be 'Sound Quality', 'Overall Design', and 'Aesthetics'. The others come into play as well to some extent except for 'Measurements'; don't care much about those besides seeing what will drive what. 

1. Enjoyment.....

....which happens to put sound quality on a budget at a premium.  WAF and pleasing aesthetics never hurt.  

SQ and aesthetics. 

I have an open area where my 2-channels is located. For various reasons I’ve really tried to integrate the system into living space so that it doesn’t bring too much attention to itself.

For me, it’s more than just the components, but the way in which the system contributes and interacts with the living space both acoustically and aesthetically during the day and especially in the evening.

Service/support and value (used market) should probably be much higher if I were to be completely transparent with myself, though. And enjoyment per knotscott. Enjoyment would definitely take the cake if it were one of your options. Otherwise why bother?

It was always about the MUSIC first, then the desire to have that music in a room playing as if the group was there in front of me. I grew up around a lot of stereos of all prices, so much of it wound up needing repairs after a few short years of use, RELIABILITY became paramount for me. I only use McIntosh amplifiers and I sleep very well.  

Matt M

The ability to listen to my favorite musicians, over and over again, to those performances that draw me in. Many of these musicians are gone, but the recordings allow them to live on, to my ears, and lately, to my eyes (posted recently, under music, watching a lot of YT). I use top quality ss, as I want reliability, consistency and sustainability. My best, MrD.