Since a cartridge can't tell the difference between the vibrations it creates following the record grooves from the ones that are transferred through the TT and arm, I would put TT and arm at 1 & 2 followed by the cartridge, with phono stage at 4 and connecting cables, wires and SUT at 5, 6, and 7 respectively.
Develop a hierarchy for phono playback
I am hoping we can form a consensus on the relative importance of each element. I will start by listing them in physical order starting at the record.
1. Cartridge
2. Wires
3. Arm
4. Turntable
5. Connecting cables
6. Phono Stage
7. Optional SUT and additional connecting cables
I thought about this two ways: How might these elements be prioritized for someone just starting out? Or, how might the elements be prioritized differently where cost is less important than best SQ?