Speakers without a doubt.
Anyone can hear the difference between nearly any pair of speakers in a blind situation.
Hardly anyone, (including industry experts),
in blind tests,
can consistently identify the difference between any decent solid state amp, solid state pre-amp, solid state source equipment.
I am not saying subtle differences don't exist, just that the audible differences are extremely minimal, perceptible perhaps, but not measurable to any extent compared to speakers.
A sound level meter is a wise investment, before you begin, learn to use it now, with your existing system, write stuff down. Do not expect even near perfection, just go for this is better than that.
Speaker differences, speaker placement differences, will readily be identified, by you and by the sound meter. Hook up a million dollar CD player, good luck getting a million dollar sound meter to find any difference.
I advise limiting your choices to speakers with high efficiency (less power needed for any listening volume, less power needed for momentary dynamic peaks, especially bass notes).
Take your own CDs with you for auditions, ones you pick to reveal speaker differences, highs, mids, bass, favorite voices, favorite instruments, ...
Next, which speakers are the best choice for your listening space? That is very hard. I strongly advise taking your time, reading, learning the fundamentals, (doing your best to ignore marketing mumbo jumbo).
I advise avoiding ports or passive radiators, go with sealed boxes. The worst situation is to end up needing acoustic treatments due to improper speaker choice and/or placement.
AVOID too much bass, helps avoid room interaction problems and keeps you in a more affordable world of choices. Ports and passive radiators are to get more bass out of a smaller enclosure. Great, IF in a space where they can work as intended, which is most often not the case.
Relocation: People love finding the ideal location and 'spiking' them. Not me. Realistically, I move my speakers from best room placement when off, forward to intermediate casual listening (still some less than ideal bass boost/room interaction), and move them into their ideal location for focused listening. No way would I limit the use of my room, by leaving them in their ideal location. Weight, and height make important differences, that is why I mention it before selecting speakers.
Efficient speakers, NOT NEEDING much amp power. That is the key to happy use of Tube amps, or lower power Solid State amps. In either case, efficient speakers put you in a lower cost need for power.
You will change everything over time, efficient speakers will be your friend for life.
At some point, stop tweaking, learn/experience more, acquire more music!
Anyone can hear the difference between nearly any pair of speakers in a blind situation.
Hardly anyone, (including industry experts),
in blind tests,
can consistently identify the difference between any decent solid state amp, solid state pre-amp, solid state source equipment.
I am not saying subtle differences don't exist, just that the audible differences are extremely minimal, perceptible perhaps, but not measurable to any extent compared to speakers.
A sound level meter is a wise investment, before you begin, learn to use it now, with your existing system, write stuff down. Do not expect even near perfection, just go for this is better than that.
Speaker differences, speaker placement differences, will readily be identified, by you and by the sound meter. Hook up a million dollar CD player, good luck getting a million dollar sound meter to find any difference.
I advise limiting your choices to speakers with high efficiency (less power needed for any listening volume, less power needed for momentary dynamic peaks, especially bass notes).
Take your own CDs with you for auditions, ones you pick to reveal speaker differences, highs, mids, bass, favorite voices, favorite instruments, ...
Next, which speakers are the best choice for your listening space? That is very hard. I strongly advise taking your time, reading, learning the fundamentals, (doing your best to ignore marketing mumbo jumbo).
I advise avoiding ports or passive radiators, go with sealed boxes. The worst situation is to end up needing acoustic treatments due to improper speaker choice and/or placement.
AVOID too much bass, helps avoid room interaction problems and keeps you in a more affordable world of choices. Ports and passive radiators are to get more bass out of a smaller enclosure. Great, IF in a space where they can work as intended, which is most often not the case.
Relocation: People love finding the ideal location and 'spiking' them. Not me. Realistically, I move my speakers from best room placement when off, forward to intermediate casual listening (still some less than ideal bass boost/room interaction), and move them into their ideal location for focused listening. No way would I limit the use of my room, by leaving them in their ideal location. Weight, and height make important differences, that is why I mention it before selecting speakers.
Efficient speakers, NOT NEEDING much amp power. That is the key to happy use of Tube amps, or lower power Solid State amps. In either case, efficient speakers put you in a lower cost need for power.
You will change everything over time, efficient speakers will be your friend for life.
At some point, stop tweaking, learn/experience more, acquire more music!