@elliottbnewcombjr
I hope you are happy carrying out the Heimlich maneuver, it might be needed when you explain the SP05 and then the SLP 98 as the Budget Option.
I'll take a wild guess, that the Aikido Pre' is a design that is 4.5/5ths of one of the Cary models at at least a 10th of the cost. Add a really fancy casing and maybe a couple of extra $100 will be added.
I have last night been with a Cabinet Maker, who is to produce for me Two Boxes for my Balanced Pre' I am having Built. The Labour Charge is agreed at £250, I already own the Densified Wood, that is to be used.
I was hoping to be the first to have a D'fied Wood Carcass, but a DAC has already seemingly took that position. I'll settle for Second Place and the settle with the concept 'Birds of a Feather Flock Together'.
As a side, I heard the Pre' as an almost finished Prototype on weekend passed, I am informed there are better quality RCA's and XLR's to be used, as well as a couple of Boutique Components, yet to be tried.
The Prototype was used in not owned system with a Value of approx' £70K, where the resident Speakers are Klipsch Jubilee Speakers. The experience of the Pre' in this system has been quite special, and the Builder made it known they were very confident there was a little more to be eked out.
The system owner wants one as well, they were 'Cheshire Cat' for the most of the demo'.
Both the Pre' Builder and system owner, had been to High End Munich 2023, and both made it known to all attendees, that not anything had been encountered at Hi End, that was a betterment to this Pre'. I will settle for that as a assessment.