1. Prior to Appearance and Relative Locations of Equipment (which is important to me):
2. Listening Space. Private Listening Cave (perhaps ’perfect’) or Natural/Shared Living Space (best achievable within that space) (influenced by WAF).
My Current Listening/Living Space:
Daylight; Plants; Artwork; Donna’s ’pretty’ stuff, life acquired furniture, including meaningful family heirlooms; listening position(s); lighting control.
Equipment: Each piece individually has it’s personal appeal, and work together based on my happiness whenever I simply see the equipment prior to listening. Some, like a SACD player, not visually interesting, perhaps annoyingly slow, but excellent sound makes it special to see/hear.
Next: Operational Height: Turntable/CD/Reel to Reel/Preamp Controls/Remote line of sight: Best achievable, i.e. Turntable lower than ideal, but highest relative to height of windows behind. Tape a bit low.
NOTE: Dining Table??? As all horizontal imaging is Phantom, speaker created, the dining table is not problematic once you have achieved the ability to ignore it's presence.
Of course I have compared: removed the table, placed a carpet over the large exposed wood floor, listened with friends to same content: makes no difference to horizontal imaging perceived by me or my friends. Probably surprises many, but happily it is true. Height and Depth are Mind Created in any case.
Placement/Heights more preferable in my Office: