I must say your post concurs completely with the double blind listening tests we conducted at the NRC on CD players, cable, amplifiers, and speakers. The big gains come from the speakers. Well designed speakers, not necessarily related in anyway to price, will give you large performance gains in relation to any of the other components. The linearity of the reproduction and amplification is very consistent from the CD player and the amplifier. Quality amplifiers will almost all concentrate their improved performance around improved dynamic head room in order to play those required high power peaks of music and movies without distortion.
Ian Colquhoun
President & Chief Engineer
