A very few comments.
1. I really like the headphone idea - if one has good headphones and a good headphone amp, which can a) be modest in cost and b) have no room interactions.
2. While this will spark more debate, i do believe that speakers are the biggest contributors to distortion, and that amps, in the last 20 years, have progressed a TON. I hear what was said above and still think sources - whether a DAC or a TT/tonearm/cart/setup/prayers - is next. Don't take offense at the prayers part, getting a TT set up is HARD. I would suspect most are not. If a DAC properly re-clocks i don't buy the importance of a CD transport, and never heard it (once re-clocked, without - its a form of analog time-base distortion and very, very real).
3. Putting aside strange interactions, swapping one item at a time is the only way to really tell. This demands that you truly patronize, loyally, a good retailer who will let you do this. You will pay more. It will be worth it. (unless the journey and the pain are the point of the effort...)
Have fun.
G
1. I really like the headphone idea - if one has good headphones and a good headphone amp, which can a) be modest in cost and b) have no room interactions.
2. While this will spark more debate, i do believe that speakers are the biggest contributors to distortion, and that amps, in the last 20 years, have progressed a TON. I hear what was said above and still think sources - whether a DAC or a TT/tonearm/cart/setup/prayers - is next. Don't take offense at the prayers part, getting a TT set up is HARD. I would suspect most are not. If a DAC properly re-clocks i don't buy the importance of a CD transport, and never heard it (once re-clocked, without - its a form of analog time-base distortion and very, very real).
3. Putting aside strange interactions, swapping one item at a time is the only way to really tell. This demands that you truly patronize, loyally, a good retailer who will let you do this. You will pay more. It will be worth it. (unless the journey and the pain are the point of the effort...)
Have fun.
G