What is the most overlooked consideration?

Synergy is by far most important , the dac or front end most important why ?

for the incoming signal comes through and this dictates how it is going to sound down stream , once information is lost then it cannot be fixed down stream 

a quality dac very important , then maybe loudspeakers .

cables too are much more important  then many think necessary 

I have had several , the Cardas clear are possibly my next cables 

gidital absolutely nexeccary , good Ethernet cables especially at the end point 

usb for sure .I just bought a Upper tier Tubulus audio and Stealth Tunable usb cable , worth every penny extracting more detail, for my audio system.

And, you know, always put the cart before the ox.

How is your room “the most overlooked consideration when buying a piece of audio gear”?  Because if your room is all lath and plaster walls, or super modern with large pane glass windows and concrete floors and walls, and is overly bright requiring gear that has significantly rolled off treble?  Or because your room has shag carpeting with Elvis and tiger fabric wall hangings everywhere and acoustic tile ceilings that suck up treble?  In those cases I see the room weighing on your purchasing considerations.

And while super important, purpose building a space for audio, or purchasing substantial room treatments for an existing space seems like a separate topic for a separate thread.  When I think of purchasing gear, I think of stuff downstream of the electrical outlet and is available for purchase on Audiogon.  Based on the OP’s original post, I think that is what they were asking about as well.

kn

System and room correction combined with solid quality amplifiers and speakers.

Dirac Live room correction can be a "game changer" in achieving optimal sound. Check out our videos and tech blogs and resources on utilizing tools like Room EQ Wizard (REW) for system setup and Dirac for true time domain correction. Deer Creek Audio emphasizes the importance of a system simplicity, single digital-to-analog conversions and purity in the audio chain.

Deer Creek Audio - Digital Signal Processing Products
 

I consider many things when buying a component.   I live in the south so it gets very hot in the summer.  So one of my issues is can I live with this item?  Will it put out too much heat?   How much will it cost me to own this item?  Will my electricity bill go up?  Will I have to re tube the unit in a year?     I am not a reviewer, so musicality plays a big role in my choice.  I listen to quite a bit of music that is not recorded very well.  So I do not need something Hyper revealing.. I want good resell value.  I may want to sell it if I upgrade my system.