Component Impact

I agree speakers can make a big difference, but not always the biggest improvement. The speakers are reproducing what they are being fed.

Try eliminating the preamp. That's even better, a lot better.

There are two ways you can do this:

1) use a good quality DAC volume and drive amps directly

2) use a transformer passive linestage (TVC) instead of an active preamp

The impact I have discovered from most important to least is:

1) source quality and digital jitter
2) speaker crossover quality - mod it or eliminate it
3) speaker quality
4) volume control technology
5) digital filtering
6) amplifier quality, particularly output impedance and speed

It just makes sense that source quality is first on the list. If the source is poor, there is nothing you can do later in the chain to fix that. Even $100K speakers will not do it.

Digital filtering in the DAC is very important, even though it is low on the list. The less of that the better.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

I have had some spectacular SQ improvements with better preamps in the past, culminating in the elimination of the preamp altogether as suggested by Steve.

Just for kicks I reinserted a preamp into my multi channel system recently. It took me all of 15 seconds to hear I was inserting an active circuit and some cables in the chain that subtracted from the quality of the signal, and the device was back on audiogon where I bought it.

Has anyone else experienced significant improvements by changing/upgrading their preamp?
Ricred1
01-14-13

Absolutely, in fact I've found that it is harder for me to find a preamp that I can live happily with than it is to find speakers that I can live happily with.
IMHO, the preamp is THE most difficult component to choose.

Steve N.,

I would love to eliminate my preamp. What DAC with volume control do you recommend?