Ia a good amp more important than a good DAC?

Thanks, Al. I think we're basically in agreement, which is why I followed up with the statement that it's all important (and the appreciation for Trelja's quote). In my earlier post I also gave a nod to Newbee's POV. Your own point (garbage out = garbage out) is well taken. In the grand scheme of the type of components we're talking about, I'd personally make sure my source was where I wanted it to be before investing in a great amp (vs. a just OK amp). Amp/speaker interface problems notwithstanding. Actually purchasing a product in these realms (I'm just going by the level of products the OP has mentioned) it would actually be difficult to find a product that actually qualified as "garbage", whereas it certainly would easily be demonstrable to create a combination or synergy that qualifies as "garbage," especially between amp and speakers. Hell, yeah, if your using Maggies and are underpowering them that'd qualify as "garbage" in my book. Likewise amping Khorns with a pair of Krells. (Now someone's bound to chime in and tell us how nothing could possibly sound better than Krell-amped Khorns...except perhaps underamped Maggies). A poor acoustic environment (room) could ruin an otherwise entirely brilliant system. It is all important.

For me the source is the foundation - if you build on a weak foundation, like Harry Belafonte sings, it won't stand, oh no, oh no. Is it the "most important" part? Well, if you haven't got that right nothing further on down the line is going to make it better. Screw up any other part from there on in, and again, the bandaids you apply further down the line are probably not going stand comparison to a system that did not require a similar bandaid. So yes, "garbage" could conceivably be introduced anywhere in the chain. Garbage in the form of a poor IC choice, or a factory power cord vs a well designed/constructed one, is not going to have as profound an effect as a crap source, or worse yet, a really poorly recorded/mixed piece of music (even more to the core of "source"). At least that's been my experience. I completely agree that another huge potential for really ruining a good system is the interface between amp and speakers. Screwing that up may also result in no means of correcting it short of replacing one of the components. Chicken? Egg? I'm starting to repeat myself so probably I digress. The thread represents an eternal argument that has representation in the archives under many different titles. Happy searching!

Happy 2010 back at'cha'all!

I guess I must have misunderstood the question. But everything that enters the speakers must first pass through the amp which is their preceding component so does it not stand to reason that in order to receive an accurate example of whatever is behind it, it must be honest?

Amp without one doubt

must first pass through the amp which is their preceding component so does it not stand to reason that in order to receive an accurate example of whatever is behind it, it must be honest?

It can be honest as Mother Theresa, but if all she has to pass on is the lie she's been told by the source your "accurate, honest" amp will not really start benefiting you until you feed it the truth.

I visualize like the childhood game of "Telephone" where there is initially a message written down on a piece of paper. The first kid in a line of kids is allowed to read the message on the paper, then they whisper it in the ear of the kid next to them. They in turn repeat exactly what they said to the next kid. And so on until the message gets to the end of the chain of kids. Most of the time there are 'weak links' and the message is quite distorted by the time it reaches the end. Sometimes it actually made in there verbatim. Your good amp is like having one "perfect" kid, right in the middle of the line, who hears and conveys the accurate message along 100% of the time (not very likely, but lets just imagine). Having a poor source would be as if the first kid in the chain were dyslexic (in which case you would never get an accurate accounting of the message on the other end).

Don't get me wrong, an honest amp, a clear conduit for the truth, is certainly money well spent. That just ain't the whole story, as I bet we can all agree. On the rest, we can all agree to disagree.

I have always spent more on the source compared to the amplifiers. My recommendation is to spend equal amounts on all components, and I am a firm believer in the weakest link concept of audio.

One thing is that the difference between a $1k and a $2k CDP may not be very much. They may even use the same parts. Notable differences in CDP occur at larger increments in price. There are some great sounding and outstanding values in CDPs under $2k. However, the jumps in quality are probably more in line at $5k, 7.5k, 10k, etc.

As your amp improves, you are likely to hear weaknesses in the chain, including the source. They may not be obvious in the first 30 days, but you may hear them over time.

The OP noted that a more expensive CDP had a slight improvement on A/B comparison. Sometimes, slight improvements can result in a large difference in enjoyment. The opposite may also be true, in that large and obvious differences may not translate into more enjoyment, despite clearly being an improvement. The question more relates to system goals and synergy, and creating a sound that draws you into the music and not into the sound itself.

Another consideration is the type of music. Good CD players excel at unamplified acoustic instruments that have a natural resonance, placed upon a stage of a certain width, depth, and height. Not all music is recorded in this manner with regards to rock, popular, and electronic music. Even acoustic jazz in the 50's and 60's had been engineered to have an unnatural presentation, with exaggerated stereo separation, close miking, filters, and an inflated image size. It takes time for your ears to open to these new details. An inexpensive CDP can convey the brushes on a cymbal or the fingers sliding up and down a fingerboard of a guitar, but they may not convey the spatial details of the performance. The point being that some musical genres may benefit more from money spent on amplification. If you like rock, then yes, the speaker and amplifier are going to be much more appreciated.