Tier L · Reference (listening philosophy, open architecture)
Costs appear only as signed percentages against each tier’s (unpublished) baseline; absolute prices are not shown.
Forward (source-first)
| Slot | Component |
|---|---|
| Cartridge | Ortofon MC Windfeld Ti |
| Step-up transformer | Audio Note AN-S3 |
| Tonearm | Rega RB Titanium |
| Turntable | Pro-Ject Debut Pro (with cart) |
| Phono stage | Cambridge Alva Duo MM/MC |
| Preamplifier | NVA P50 MKII |
| Power amplifier | NVA S80 Stereo |
| Loudspeakers | Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 |
| Chain cost vs tier baseline | +0.1% |
66.6
node quality
3.77
edge synergy (raw 3.77, 6 edges)
0.00
drive delta (sut-stepup)
power
architecture
Feasible; no blockers.
Architecture competition
| Architecture | Quality | Synergy | Cost vs baseline | Feasible | Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| integrated | 67.3 | 1.78 | +0.3% | yes | |
| power | 66.6 | 3.77 | +0.1% | yes | ✓ |
| mono | 67.8 | 2.81 | −1.5% | yes |
Costs appear only as signed percentages against each tier’s (unpublished) baseline; absolute prices are not shown.
Aft (speaker-first)
| Slot | Component |
|---|---|
| Loudspeakers | Rogers LS3/5a Classic SE |
| Integrated amplifier | Rega Osiris |
| Phono stage | Rega Aria Mk3 MM/MC |
| Cartridge | Goldring Eroica HX MC |
| Tonearm | ProJect Tonearm 8.6 Carbon (Debut PRO) |
| Turntable | Pro-Ject Debut Pro (with cart) |
| Chain cost vs tier baseline | +0.4% |
69.2
node quality
4.85
edge synergy (raw 4.85, 5 edges)
0.00
drive delta (n/a-integrated)
integrated
architecture
Feasible; no blockers.
Architecture competition
| Architecture | Quality | Synergy | Cost vs baseline | Feasible | Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| integrated | 69.2 | 4.85 | +0.4% | yes | ✓ |
| power | 67.0 | 4.49 | −1.0% | yes | |
| mono | 66.6 | 5.03 | −0.7% | yes |