What Matters and What is Nonsense

I primarily agree with Geoffkait.  One never knows if a tweak will render a huge, minor or no difference in the sound quality, positive or negative.  I find that the acoustics of a room is 50% of the sound quality.  A big percentage.  I was able to use Synergistic Research HFT system to remove all types of room treatments except for my Hallographs to greatly improve the sound of my system from adjusting room acoustics.

As to speakers, there are many fine ones out there and I chose the most cost effective ones for now which provide me with excellence in many facets, yet not the finest (or expensive) in any category.  Not necessarily easy to drive as they have low impedences with high efficiency.  I'm satisfied not spending $50K (Einstein, VR55K VS or Lumenwhite) to get 15% lesser performance at $2500 (Legacy Focuses used), although I am saving up to purchase one of those three in the near future (had the Focuses for 18 years).  It took more effort to find a great pre-amp than speakers or amps.  High[end quality pre-amps are really difficult to engineer well.   The best ones I've heard are $10K+ (e,g, EAR 912) while some high priced ones are awful (e.g. Ypsilon).

As to cabling, I tried many cables but stick with a high end, moderate cost brand GroverHuffman cables.  I've tried cheap Monster Cable ICs for poorer friends systems on my system (300s, earliest model of 3 300 types is best,usually $10/m on ebay) which were musically acceptable although rolled off the frequency extremes and were not great at retrieving detail.  I also heard High Fidelity and Transparent Audio cables many times and thoroughly reject them in favor of Monster Cable 300s.  Another inexpensive but really fine phono cable is a very low capacitance, silver coated 26 gauge copper solid core cable bought in bulk.  Beautiful sounding at $40, my friend uses it instead of my $450 phono cables.  So, the right choice of inexpensive cabling can work musically/sonically.   As to using low cost, lower quality cables on a high end speaker/amp/pre-amp system, why sacrifice sound quality if one can afford much better cabling?  

Although I have one high end system for all music, my living room second system cost me $5K for used gear (Legacy Signature IIIs, highly modified voltage tap not ultralinear tap Dynaco ST70, custom built sub-mini tube pre-amp, a modified Pioneer DV-05 (certainly not stock), Stillpoints, GroverHuffman cabling). My wife rocks out on that system with it’s 6 10" woofers. It appeals to guests for pop, jazz and classical as well. Most comment, "wow, that’s some great music system!" "I wish I could afford that (they can, they just don’t know how to assemble a high end audio system), until they hear the audio/music room system. Yes, I installed an SR black duplex and one SR blue fuse (all there is). No room treatment, no SR HFTs-not needed in a good acoustic space. However, my audio/music room needs a lot of treatment, severe slap echo, windows, ample flat walls/cathedral ceiling). So the latter room has 2 pair of Hallographs and 32 HFTs of various types assembled throughout. I got rid of all of the wall hangings and acoustic panels (diffusion and absorption types). The sound is more spacious now with greater clarity and difficult to hear any slap echo while music is playing.

Again, the room is about 50% of the sound. The speakers are important but so is everything else. The speakers and amps have to pair correctly. The pre-amp is to be as neutral as possible. The tweaks are for vibration/resonance control and for acoustic room control. Simple in concept, often difficult to achieve. Used gear can be part or all of an audio room/system providing ample musical listening satisfaction.

I posted this on another forum but it's relevant here too. 

There is a problem with HEA. That is summarized in today's article from Enjoy the Music: Come Admire My Hi-Fi Jewelry Roger Skoff writes about what things cost, and why.  This essay delivers an important message about many HEA manufacturers (and their clients). The equipment must appeal to the eye/visually or else it won't sell, regardless of audio quality according to many HEA manufacturers.  
http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/viewpoint/0618/HiFi_Jewelry.htm  This is probably why there were so many new (and differently conceived) turntables at the recent Munich audio show. Just check out Michael Fremer's AnalogPlanet.com site for several hours of exploration of the new LP spinners. For some, looks mean almost nothing. For others (and generally very expensive) the visuals are striking.  

Right on.  I have a $100,000 system with only Legacy Focus (original) speakers which sell for $2,500 used.  It sounds great, better than 90% of audio show rooms (well maybe higher than that).   However, it required use of Synergistic Research HFT room treatment system and two pairs of Hallographs which together cost more than $5,000 to tame the room's slap echo and focus the soundstage (while opening the seating area to five people across).  The only audio show room that completely blew away my system and any other I've heard was the Kronos/VAC/Von Schwiekert/Mastersounds $1.4 million room, touted by every reviewer as the ultimate in music reproduction fidelity (and fun).
Here's a secret-The Pioneer DV-05 DVD player with dual laser pick-up.  Modding it with six big capacitors and a high end A/C cable transforms it into a fantastic CD player.  All for under $200 and equal to my EAR Acute which is $6K.  I own both, with the Pioneer in the living room system (see Oregonpapa's Pioneer player which replaced his Audio Research $10k player when the latter failed).  
What I am saying is that one can build a superb system on the cheap and that the room acoustics are at least 50% (I wouldn't say 85% as above) of the sound quality.

Playmore.  Thanks for the support (and others).  As to the Pioneer, it's only an adequate player without the mods (six capacitors, of which some are power supply related, my engineer friend is the one who does the mods) and the A/C cable.  I bought six hoping for him to upgrade them all but he only did three (his business is GroverHuffman cabling), of which one is now owned by Oregonpapa.  Oregonpapa then installed SR blue fuses to further upgrade the sound.   Too bad I can't post an interior shot of the caps.