Tier M · Characterful (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Costs appear only as signed percentages against each tier’s (unpublished) baseline; absolute prices are not shown.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 | Etsuro Urushi Cobalt Blue MC |
| Step-up transformer | Audio Note AN-S3 |
| Tonearm | Audio Origami PU7 GTS Titanium 9" |
| Turntable | AVID Volvere SP (no arm) |
| Phono stage | Rega Fono MM Mk5 |
| Preamplifier | NVA P50 MKII |
| Power amplifier | NVA S80 Stereo |
| Loudspeakers | Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 |
| Chain cost vs tier baseline | −0.3% |
68.3
node quality
3.30
edge synergy (raw 3.30, 6 edges)
0.00
drive delta (sut-stepup)
power
architecture
Feasible; no blockers.
Architecture competition
| Architecture | Quality | Synergy | Cost vs baseline | Feasible | Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| integrated | 69.2 | 2.52 | −0.6% | yes | |
| power | 68.3 | 3.30 | −0.3% | yes | ✓ |
| mono | 67.6 | 2.61 | +0.6% | yes |
Costs appear only as signed percentages against each tier’s (unpublished) baseline; absolute prices are not shown.
Aft (speaker-first)
| Slot | Component |
|---|---|
| Loudspeakers | Falcon LS3/5a Gold Badge |
| Monoblocks | Leema Hydra II Anniversary (bridged-mono pair) |
| Preamplifier | Leema Neutron |
| Phono stage | Rega Aria Mk3 MM/MC |
| Cartridge | van den Hul The Frog |
| Tonearm | Roksan Attessa Unipivot tonearm |
| Turntable | Pro-Ject Debut Pro (with cart) |
| Chain cost vs tier baseline | −0.3% |
69.5
node quality
6.73
edge synergy (raw 6.73, 6 edges)
0.00
drive delta (drive 19.87x)
mono
architecture
Feasible; no blockers.
Architecture competition
| Architecture | Quality | Synergy | Cost vs baseline | Feasible | Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| integrated | 69.1 | 5.23 | −0.1% | yes | |
| power | 68.4 | 5.85 | +0.5% | yes | |
| mono | 69.5 | 6.73 | −0.3% | yes | ✓ |