[Bob2]

Sound quality of the recording.
Sound quality of the listening room.
Sound quality of the playback gear.

[srb]

1. Fuses
2. Carbon Fiber outlet covers
3. Cable Elevators

[G Georgopoulos]

1-money
2-money
3-and more money

 

[JLM]

Speakers (and set up)

Room (proper shape and size)

Recording

[Speedskater]

1] The room.
2] The loudspeakers (with happy amplifiers)
3] Making sure that everything is the system is operating correctly.
(Siegfried Linkwitz just had one of these experiences)
And in the case of digital equipment, making sure that it's in the mode that you think it is.

[martydmnt]

1.  A glass of wine.
2.  Another glass of wine.
3   A third glass of wine.

I think you meant "three things to help improve sound quality."

[martydmnt]

This was a topic on another forum and I found it intriguing enough to post the question here.

1. Recording quality
2. Speakers
3. Room

[Pundamilia]

1. Recording quality
2. Speakers
3. Room

+1

[Elizabeth]

#1
System is plugged in to a functioning AC delivery.

#2
System is turned ON, and a recording is being played.

#3
Someone is IN THE ROOM, listening.

[sweetspot]

 Bryston, Bryston & Bryston

[Randy]

1. A transparent preamp
2. A transparent preamp
3. A transparent preamp

[paul79]

Speaker and room interaction
amp and speaker interaction
neutral components that do not add artifacts or mask detail

get the first 2 right, and the rest is pretty simple.

[Tympani]

1. Fuses
2. Carbon Fiber outlet covers
3. Cable Elevators

I fully agree with SRB's tweaker's approach. I am assuming speakers, room, equipment are optimally setup, given cost and practical considerations, so where do I go from here? In my setup, I would say:

1. Polarity
2. Fuses
3. Tubes

If I could add another factor, it would be turning off sources of digital noise/hash such as computers and AV equipment

[NIGHTFALL1970]

Correct, its sad one have a super system and listen to heavy metal.

Metal rules!

[bummrush]

Speakers  amp pre amp

[rollo]

  1. Clean power
  2. A good source component
  3. good speakers


charles

[dminches]

1. Fuses
2. Carbon Fiber outlet covers
3. Cable Elevators

Coffee spew!

[dminches]

1. Recording quality
2. Speakers
3. Room

+1

I would put "gear" as #2, but same difference.

[Anonamemouse]

Correct, its sad one have a super system and listen to heavy metal.

Why is that? I have spent quite some money on my set, and listen to Slayer, Pantera, early Metallica, but also to high res James Newton Howard, London Grammar. Name it, chances are it is in the collection.
I enjoy music that I like. The set is secondary.

[decal]

left ear
right ear
brain