How important is S/N Ratio....?

But let's ponder this.....if distortion effects what we hear......wouldn't the S/N....true measurement...measure the distortion present in the amplifier.

What I am saying is that S/N on its own is pretty meaningless(unless it is really bad and then it is a warning flag). It is just the background noise level present. This is why many specs are given as THD + N...

Just what does above quote mean in standard English?

I tried to say that noise at specific frequencies and that may be modulated by the music signal is far worse then just background wide spectrum random hiss...

This is why tape and vinyl works well even though it has a high level of surface or background noise.

Sorry for the bad english - I type fast and rarely check.

So the consensus so far is......

Signal to Noise ratio.....is meaningless...inconsequetial to the sound of your amplifier...

Sorry I don't buy it...true there might be ten ways to measure it....so confusion abounds....but when a lower S/N level can be quantified.....it has to have a relation to actual levels of distortion present....

Wether the cart goes before the horse or viceversa.....I hear a difference especially in the Amplifier componet.

hmmmm... Well building an amplifier with exceptional Signal to Noise ratio will mean super stiff power supplies and better components. So I expect the sound will be much better in such a component.
PS. I can't hear any noise in my system when I press my ears up to the speakers between track change. So I guess this is good news. But I use active ATC speakers with Bel Canto DAC3 with everything connected to a PS audio PPP so that might be expected.

but when a lower S/N level can be quantified.....it has to have a relation to actual levels of distortion present....

Agreed but I think several replies here are simply trying to say that the link is not as strong as you suggest. Otherwise people with analog gear (vinyl or tape) would be very unhappy - and they are not! Distortion and Signal to Noise can be separate issues and don't have to be related. You can have one bad and the other good and vice versa. Of course in excellent gear both will be good.