Component with most effect on soundstage/imaging?

I agree with those who feel that the room itself bears a great responsibility for soundstaging and imaging. I feel that the most important aspect in this regard is where in the room you place your speakers. I have experienced amazing changes in depth perception by a small, few inches, speaker moves into the room. I also have had great luck with close to corner placements as far as the speaker disappearing act is concerned. Also I have experienced greater imaging and soundstage by placing my speakers on the long wall of a room. This did not make any sense to me when it was recommended, but it was an obvious improvement.
Good Luck.

Thanks for the input, everyone. As far as components go, I will be keeping my speakers (Ryan Acoustics MCL-1B monitors on Atlantis sand-filled stands). My listening room is actually pretty good. Perfectly rectangular, with dimensions approximately 18' x 9'. The speakers are along the long side of the room. I have hardwood floors, but there are two pretty thick floor rugs, and a rather plush couch. There is a window on the right wall, through which street noise can filter in, but this is really not much of a problem since I usually listen later in the evening. I'm moving down to an NAD C340 amp... any experience with this component in particular?

Thanks again,
Eric

1.Speakers, 2.Amp, 3.Pre, 4.DAC, 5. Power conditioning, 6. Power cables, 7.Rack, 8.???, 9.???, 10. Interconnects.

Speakers include placement in the room as well as the room and it's treatments. If you don't get the first part right, it will never improve from there. IMHO, unless your interconnects just PLAIN SUCK, they shouldn't be the bottleneck in soundstaging/imaging. And I would imagine that would be because (perhaps?) the ICs are sucking the quality of bass out of our equipment, and thus strinking the soundstage?? ..speculation..

This has been my recipe:

Determine what room you are going to use for the "rig." Find speakers suited to this room and your tastes/budget. Buy said speakers that will work in YOUR ROOM and whose PLACEMENT is ACCEPTABLE to you and the other occupants. If you can't place them correctly from the start, find another pair like Vandy 1C's that can be nearly up against the wall. Perform some MINOR room treatment, dampen the back wall, consider placing speakers along the LONGEST wall which avoid side deflections. Also put the chair/sofa/beanbag in the sweet spot.

Next buy the amp that matches well for you speakers in your room. Most decent amps "shouldn't suck" in the soundstaging/imaging dept. But I may be wrong. Mate amp to a synergistic preamp match. For me, I've never noticed a problem with my Audio Alchemy DLC and OM150 combo.

Though for me, swapping speakers and swapping DACs has dramatically changed the soundstage in most cases. I included the pre and the amp head of the dac, since I assume that no matter how good the DAC is, if the pre and amp are collapsing the soundstage, you'll never realize the DACs potential. And perhaps the same could be said of interconnects, if the ones you're using particually suck. Though that has not been my (limited) experience. I have noticed quite a difference in depth of soundstage AND imaging while A/B'ing a Adcom GDA600 (my current) DAC against a stock MSB Link III with stock PSU. That difference was very pronounced.

Finally, another thing that improved my soundstaging was my power conditioner. I swapped in a VansEvers model 85, and noticed a *slight* increase in soundstage *height*, but not width. the real reason for the PLC was to get the "blacker black" in the presentation, since I live in a condo. I am aslo running DIY belden powercords.

I believe that there should be the reference component from which you will build the soundstage. Imagine that one of your components is a constant.
I have an example when the analogue fan built up the system starting from Koetsu Onyx Signature + -> Arm + -> Table... having his personal opinion on how big soundstage Koetsu can through if the right rig is bieng used upto the speakers.
Unlike in Gulliver story in audio too many ends to start building and many of us have different personal opinions from where to start or what's more important.
To me I believe you can start building system from any component(not cables) taken as reference.

tough to have a great image and soundstage if you have choked out the info before it gets to your ears!

1 Source
2 Connections/cables etc...
3 Pre
4 Power
and of course your voice, SPEAKERS in that order and no other!