Significance of different components of audio ...

Jerzy,

I don't think anyone seriously concerned about sound quality could possibly fail to agree with your four broad categories. Critical, Important, fine-tuning and negligable - the exact order within those categories is perhaps a personal preference.

For me there is no doubt that speakers, recording quality and room acoustics are the top three by far, however, my focus is on the sound quality rather than lots of imposing chrome.

I expect many will disagree with you. Many like a system to look like something - a statement - a work of art - something immediately obvious to even an untrained eye - the Pompidou Centre (internal parts displayed externally in an ostentatious manner). For example; imposing source transports, large arrays of tubes, heavy wires suspended on electrical power isolators will be the most important components of those who want s system to be a statement. A perusal of many virtusal systems here will confirm that these systems often resemble a holy shrine or a kind of place of worship. There is nothing wrong in this and these displays will often influence the perception and mood (critical for music enjoyment - just as the venue of a good restaurant adds to the enjoyment of the food)

As Tom Petty put it "It's good to be king, if just for a while
To be there in velvet, yeah, to give ‘em a smile. It’s good to be king and have your own world. Excuse me if I have some place in my mind
Where I go time to time"

For many, I suspect the "audio room and shrine" are indeed a place where an audiophile can go time to time" - the music, system and shrine provide the launchpad to places in the mind.

IMHO your omission of the "critical" impact of a preamp and/or volume control, is typical of this hugely overlooked component.

Like it or not, the signal path must run through some kind of volume control. And the Huge misconception that volume control doesn't enormously effect the OVERALL sound of the system is just that.

This may be the most overlooked and misunderstood area that exist in high end audio today.

For me, preamp would go into critical, speakers to important.

I agree with your list - but I would add preamp/volume control into the "important" category.

Count me in for a disagreement. I place quality of recording in the "neglible" category. I place performance in the critical. A Walter Mahler or a Klemperer Beethoven in scratchy mono will be more satisfying to me than a not-so-inspired latest and greatest with sonic gymnastics. It'a all personal, like ye said.