where to invest???

gold...and as much as possible

yes... I did mean Goertz. I never can recall that co. name. I've had no adverse issues with my Micros and FWIW Stereophile recommended them some time back in their budget components list.

Be it all one brand or a mixture of, once all is in and settled down, it matters not. Then you'll have a base line regardless.

for each change thereafter, the sound will be different anyhow. At a certain point in system resolution, you'll begin to hear even the most minor of alterations. Footers... Tube rings... platforms, cones, cables, adapters, outlet changes... even humidity differences!

When I have to redo or just start out now, I start at the bottom and work up... for me that's power cables, stablization of the components, ie., rack, stands, and/or footers, and power conditioning/filtering.

Then work fromt to back on the signal path. Source to speakers, as it were. usually.

good sense too is a real aid. so is paitience. Just get in where you fit in. Do what you can, when you can... and enjoy the affectation and effects, as much as possible.

Most people's power coming into their apt. or home, isn't too good, too much of the time, and that one thing really, really does matter... and why I said do a PSA Duet soon. I've also posted reviews here on a couple power filters you can get some ideas from too. Also some on power cords... a couple of them were done very late at night and I tended to ramble some, but you'll get an honest appraisal there with them being used in a mid fi system.

I used whatever for racks and stands for a good long while myself... due to not being convinced they even mattered sonically. They do. Most of the stuff in the hobby is like that too. I'd say to myself... you either have lost your mind or have more dollars than cents, so you all buy into all this nonsense! Then I tried these things... cables, racks, power conds, nodes, footers... etc. They do matter. Some more. Some lesser.

In the best bang for buck categories, with component quality aside, I see it this way:

1. Power cords
2 Power filteration/conditioning
3 cables
4 isolation, racks, stands.

There's plenty of arguments for or against any and all of the above items, but I've proven to myself those areas when addressed yeild very good to excellent results most all of the time... with power conditioning likely being the most contested.

But just try some things here and there and if you don't hear or see a diff... send it back, or flip it.

good luck and do enjoy the trip.

Get a Porter Port cryo hubble receptacle from Albert Porter
this is where to start your tweak at . The receptacle only cost $35.00. If your on a tight budget and you can diy try making your own power cords, ic's and speaker cables.
Also I found the use of Deflex Paneling a significant tweak
for vibration control not only inside the peakers,but everywhere else,around your cables all of them, on your wall plate,behind the wall plate,inside the bottom of your cd player chassis.
Well have fun tweaking.
Don C.