Its interesting task to make a priority list, there is so much detail to anything that its easy to get distracted into thinking about small details that might not be too important in the end. On the other hand its the small details that add up and make the top result how do you know whats important without listening a lot? While there probably is a priority list for all the details of a playback system I think it can be condensed philosophically to single minimum requirement that needs to be met: problem free
system*
Example, I see many people start a speaker project by buying drivers and then wonder how to put them together. While it is as valid approach to the hobby as any, the hobby is mostly about having fun, still all the important things that actually affect the sound most are never thought about. The concentration is in making a pair of speakers when in reality the goal is to make very good sound and concentration should be there, how to make a good sound system, what is good sound?
Now you start asking why, why doesn't my speaker sound good even though I have fashionable drivers in? What actually sounds good to me, what do I really like? how about effects of room, does it make a system that allows one to tune out the room as necessary? Does it play loud enough because everything seems to sound better the louder it is, until it doesn't anymore because of distortion somewhere? Whats that buzz, can't hear the details due to it? All kinds of things start to pop up into mind if one pays attention past the small details and at that moment the drivers are irrelevant. Starting from drivers is backwards approach to me, end result would get much better if starting with thought process, about what I like, does the room and positioning affect, can I compensate some with a speaker system? with what kind of a speaker system? What are the important things in a speaker system? what kind of prototypes and tests I need to do to find it out what sounds like what, do I really want to go that deep or just enjoy what ever I have already? and so on.
While doing a priority list with lots of detail a lot of questions arise which might affect the order, like if the loudspeaker system size is limited for some practical reason and its now impossible to meet SPL and bandwidth requirement. What then, whats the next important thing and can that be met? or what actually is SPL and and bandwidth requirement I should target, where is the nice compromise and what are the trade-offs, can I live with that or should I renegotiate if bigger system would be okay? Or, can I compensate the size limit by pouring in more amplifier power and whats the trade off with that? Any other ways to overcome size restriction?
In reality its about always like that, some constrains, some missing information, lack of experience and all kinds of issues that do not concern the playback system directly. Ask for advice and someone gives it for a different context, because its difficult to see/think each others context without living together. This kind of high level thinking that outlines a context enables to determine what details go in and why and in which order.
And the common thing to all this is the enjoyment in the brain, having fun with the hobby, finding out what I like and how to achieve. So, perhaps the priority list should actually be to
1. have fun
2. think, find out and explore to learn
3. reorganize the setting towards direction you think is the right one
4. enjoy life and spread it to others
Now that you are on a positive feedback loop you'll hopefully get to better and better sound at your own pace in your own context.
Well, please continue its interesting subject on many levels
* problems are many, some more severe than others, but the common theme is that they are such things your hearing system doesn't get used to, doesn't adapt to, doesn't filter out. These are issues grab your conscious or unconscious attention, the attention is now away from the music, connection to music got lost.