Synergy - how to get there


We talk alot about system synergy as being a highly important factor for audio bliss but seldom discuss the process of achieving synergy. I would love to hear others thoughts.
Here are mine: Perhaps the easiest way to start is a recommended system in your price range from a audiophile friend, new or used from audiogon, or a great dealer. Then live with it for at least six months. Then begin to experiment, changing one thing at a time and leaving at least six months between major component changes. It really takes time to hear the effects of change throughout your entire music collection and personal moods. Be attentive to room effects throughout the process. Big smiles of satisfaction even weeks after making a change are a good sign you are on track. Change can be suggested by what you feel you would like more or less of, for example more detail, resolution or microdynamics or perhaps more warmth and bloom, or less stridency. Both source and speakers are where I tend to start, so that you have decent signal in and can hear effects with sufficient resolution through decent speakers. Avoid getting too bogged down in putting energy initally into wire or tweaks. They do effect things a good bit but are helpful more after you have the basic source, pre, amp, speaker combo down fairly well. What do you all think?
128x128gammajo
1) Don't try to offset one problem with another.
2) Each component should sound good on its own.
3) It is hardest to get a good speaker, so find a speaker you like first and modify the sound with different amps. Also easier to swap out amps than speakers since speakers are bigger and more likely to be damaged.
before trying to achieve a synergy, it is important to define the term.

any definitions ?

is synergy essentially, a "sound" that some one likes ?
Synergy: The mutual compatibility, the combined action of different elements or gears toward an expected result: sound
John, have recieved the AH preamp and it gave me just what I was looking for and got me thinking about synergy. See AH thread for mini review - terrific peice of equipment
ther definition of synergy might be when the whole is much more than the sum of the parts.Joe