Gonna see if I can ask this question correctly:
A phono cartridge can change how a vinyl record sounds quite significantly. But if I have to choose between upgrading to a high end cartridge or to a high end stereo, which will make a more noticeable difference and how?
Now with CD’s, what would greatly alter the sound the most? The player or the stereo?
The speakers are also at play in this and even wires and all the pieces like pre-amps, etc. when I’m asking this question.
But what singular piece of equipment can effect how something sounds, and will it change from source to source (cd’s, vinyl, digital, etc.)?
Absolutely. You can put a world class system in an awful sounding room and it will sound terrible, as attested by many a poor demo room at shows.
But I’ve heard some very basic gear over the years in properly designed and treated rooms, and they sounded fantastic, punching way above their weight.
Only problem is you can’t sell a room as a product and the WAF on large studio grade diffusors is extremely low. And most people can’t/wont restructure their listening room.
But yes, the room is probably 50%+ of what you hear in a system, you’re sitting in a giant box after all, the remainder is the system, with the speakers being top of the system chain.
Wow, thanks for the great insight: The room IS a speaker box; and it’s the final acoustic filter and distortion source before the sound enters your ears.
Put it that way and it becomes pretty obvious that the room is either the top factor or a top factor in determining sound quality.