Tier Lo · PRaT (listening philosophy)
Voiced for timing, drive and momentum.
One certified system per brief. Costs appear only as signed percentages against each tier’s (unpublished) baseline; absolute prices are not shown.
The certified system
| Slot | Component |
|---|---|
| Turntable | Pro-Ject Debut Pro (with cart) |
| Tonearm | ProJect Tonearm 8.6 Carbon (Debut PRO) |
| Cartridge | Sumiko Blue Point No.3 Low MC |
| Phono stage | Rega Aria Mk3 MM/MC |
| Preamplifier | NVA P50 MKII |
| Power amplifier | NVA S80 Stereo |
| Loudspeakers | Neat Iota 2 |
| Whole-system cost vs tier baseline | +0.6% |
Amplification: preamplifier and power amplifier — an outcome of the search, not a requirement.
How the money is shaped
How the budget is shaped here — each share is the portion of the whole build this brief aims at that position. A position marked free is left to find its own level.
| Position | Share of build |
|---|---|
| Cartridge | 15.6% |
| Tonearm | 4.5% |
| Turntable | 24.4% |
| Phono stage | 15.2% |
| Loudspeakers | 21.5% |
| Preamplifier | 7.2% |
| Power amplifier | 11.5% |
Why there is no subwoofer
No subwoofer is fitted: at this tier the budget is better spent inside the core system, and the loudspeaker carries the bass range alone.