Certainly when I bought my 'balanced' system in the 80s the ratio in price was 3:1 turntable vs speakers (and both the turntable and speakers were made by Linn!). The argument was, the speakers can only reproduce the quality of the sound they are presented with. You can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear. If the music source is picking up all the subtleties in the music then it will sound better whatever speakers you use.
And I seem to remember that the argument was contentious at the time. However I have always thought there was an element of truth in it.
Why is it that some people today prefer vinyl to digital. I suggest it's the same principal, the quality at source is vital.
That is certainly the line of thought pushed by Linn. If i were a manufacturer of expensive turntables (as were Linn's tables in the 70's) I'd push that mantra too. It was difficult to get people to spend 10x what they thought was reasonable on a turntable in those days. The price had to be justified somehow, especially when faced with the sexier but cheaper direct drive designs from the likes of Technics and Denon. And to an extent, the turntable did affect the sound, but no where near the extent that speaker choice did. A great speaker always sounds great, but maybe just a bit greater when used with a great TT and cartridge. That doesn't mean you could skimp on speakers because you had a superior TT,
We are also forgetting to mention the importance of the recording itself, which, in my opinion, is the biggest factor of all.
The people I know who prefer vinyl do not base that preference on sound quality. Its based on nostalgia, large format, and ritual, Most of them also play old cassettes. That should tell you something.
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