That's pretty much what I was saying. Please understand, I'm not discounting specs. I've learned over the years that "good" gear almost always has good specs. That I've stayed away from receivers in general and HT receivers in particular has a lot to do with my attitude regarding specs. Separates always have good specs, sometimes too good.
I've noticed that some place a lot of weight on having a low THD spec. IME low IM (inter-modulation) distortion and a high SN (signal to noise ratio) are far more important. When low distortion specs are achieved with lots of global feedback the results are usually not pleasing to the ear. A perfect example is the Crown IC-150 preamp which has exceptionally low THD specs. However, it sounds truly awful with a harsh irritating treble that causes early ear fatigue. One spec that IMO is quite important is the 4 Ohm or lower rating of power amplifiers. The closer an amp comes to doubling down from it's 8 Ohm rating the better the amp has turned out to sound IME. To achieve this a power amplifier needs a good power supply with plenty of current reserves. Those reserves are what power hungry speakers need. The greater the current reserves the less prone to clipping. That in and of itself is IMO a very good thing.
With a TT the wow and flutter spec is IMO the most important, especially if you listen to a lot of acoustic piano. Any variation in speed exacerbates the mis-tuning that's part and parcel of proper piano tuning. With that in mind, the SDS speed control and heavier platter (greater flywheel effect) I use with my VPI have made a tremendous difference in piano sound.