Which item has the biggest lasting factor as other components upgrade?

My 30 year old Spendor SP2s.

I'd echo Huge - for me also it's the speakers.  Mine are KEF Reference 104-2s, and I bought them in 1987!  I guess I could do better but at considerable expense these days.  They still allow me to hear each improvement I make to the system.

There's no one answer to this. I think if you get the right speaker match with the room then they will survive any number of changes in electronics provided it's a good match each time. 

That said a NDX/SN2 will comfortably run any number of speakers - indeed a few months ago I heard the SN2 performing very well with the Sopra 2s.

Many ways to skin the cat.

Regards,

Lindsay

How about a Powerline. 

A HicapDR or SupercapDR may have lasting application, but I agree with HH about PL being universally applicable to any powered component.

Fram?

Is that like spam?

Spam Fram double width equipment rack

Pcd posted:

Spam Fram double width equipment rack

No point frittering money away on a new one.

I'll get me coat.

The room?

A dedicated radial spur is arguably the best investment no matter what your system. 

NDS/555DR and 300DR? Not sure I really understood the question.

Chag -

I'm hoping it might be the XPsdr, as I have one on demo for the next couple of weeks 

In my case NACA5 - at the moment 

CDS3 was a particularly pleasing addition to me, finally providing evidence that cd's could sound good.  Adding a hi-line to this was a great step forward and a 500 finally provided the nbl's with the juice they seemed to be striving for in my living room!  But the cds3 has stood the test of time for me.

Peter

552 and Speakers.

552 + ARO + Superline

My Audience AR6 PDC is here to stay no matter what I upgrade to in the Naim family 

552, NBLs and Aro

Wow, a variety of thoughts - great cross section too.  I appreciate source first has been advocated by many - in a sense I suspected there might be a consensus on speakers and possibly the pre, but equally all the other factors remain.. interconnects, power line, room. Surely questions of this nature dictate someone's upgrade path?

Ears?

G

Ears?

New set?  

Chag -

The item that's lasted longest is my NAD 4020A, I would have upgraded it years ago but we've been 5 years from the end of  FM for the last 10 years it seems. My Elite Rock has held its own since 89 seeing new suspension and going from RB300/Eroica L to Aro/Proteus losing its paddle and trough along the way and seeing a cheap stepup transformers and a Sansui AU217/Mission 700s become a supercapped superline/552/500/NBLs.

If, like me, you started with a shit rack and moved to something more proper it can be a real ear opener. A quality rack, along with Powerlines and a decent powerstrip, are components that will serve their value well through subsequent upgrades. They can be moved effectively between listening rooms as well. Get those right from the beginning and all else should fall into place.

Chag... posted:

Ears?

New set?  

Yeah, lately I find my aging ears more a variable than a constant in my system, but I'm stuck with 'em