Tier M · Romantic (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Costs appear only as signed percentages against each tier’s (unpublished) baseline; absolute prices are not shown.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% |
67.9
node quality
3.14
edge synergy (raw 3.14, 6 edges)
0.00
drive delta (sut-stepup)
power
architecture
Feasible; no blockers.
Architecture competition
| Architecture | Quality | Synergy | Cost vs baseline | Feasible | Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| integrated | 68.9 | 2.05 | 0.0% | yes | |
| power | 67.9 | 3.14 | −0.3% | yes | ✓ |
| mono | 67.4 | 2.42 | +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Costs appear only as signed percentages against each tier’s (unpublished) baseline; absolute prices are not shown.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 | Rogers LS3/5a Classic SE |
| Integrated amplifier | Chord ULTIMA INTEGRATED |
| Phono stage | Rega Aura Reference MC |
| Cartridge | Audio-Technica AT-ART9XI MC |
| Tonearm | ProJect Tonearm 8.6 Carbon (Debut PRO) |
| Turntable | Pro-Ject Debut Pro (with cart) |
| Chain cost vs tier baseline | +0.6% |
69.6
node quality
3.64
edge synergy (raw 3.64, 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 | 69.6 | 3.64 | +0.6% | yes | ✓ |
| power | 68.1 | 3.98 | +0.8% | yes | |
| mono | 67.3 | 4.61 | −1.7% | yes |