With all the hyperbolic reviews of gear, I find it hard sometimes to quantify how important various components of a hifi setup are to achieving the best sound possible.
What do you spend the bulk of your budget on, and what can you get away with skimping on until you’ve got extra cash lying around, to get those diminishing returns on the last few % of upgrade for your rig?
Differences in one correlates with the other.
E.g minor differences in dac quality wil not be perceived in a low quality source
Minor changes in amp characteristics will not be apparent if ur drivers arent precise
So in most cases, you need the best source & best listening device, then amp,. – invest in power/quality, based on the listening device capabilities & power requirements also a dac if that is necessary.