Where do I go now ?

Yes, vinyl is my primary source. Any good suggestions on cartridge/phonostage?

Thanks Bjorne

I can vote for a Linn Arkiv B m/c cartridge, plus a set of mc boards for your preamp.

Other m/c cartridges are Lyra, Dynavector, Ortofon etc.


Also, what about a good stand for the deck?

DS

Thanks David.

My stand is a Target 4 tier rack. Is it a better choice to upgrade that and get a cheaper cart ?

Bjorne

Hi Bjorn

I would agree with Davids comment - the cartridge is probably the way to go if vinyl is your primary source. If you can wait a while and get up to around £1800, the new Akiva from Linn is pretty awesome. If you hear it after hearing the Boron, you will not want the Boron - good as it is. I normally loath "simply spend loads more money" as a response, but I have actually heard both cartridges.

You would also get a trade in on your existing Linn cart!

Regards

Mike

Mike

Thanks, but £1800 is a bit to much for me to spend on a cartridge. Family with two kids and some travelling also cost a lot.

Any other options for a good cartridge to go with the Lp12/Aro?

I got a Dynavector XX2 a few months ago, which retails at a shade under 1000ukp, and I give it a hearty thumbs-up.

You could also consider a Dynavector 17D2 which is very good at around 500ukp, and maybe a use your remaining cash for a used prefix/hicap.

Both of the above work very well with an Aro.

Chris L

Audio technica moving coil cartridges are pretty good.I used to run an OC9,cost about 260GBP.Very detailed & good value[delicate cantilever though,so watch-out with young children!]
A prefix and flatcap + an OC9 would cost about 1000GBP,but you'd probably find the OC9 would work really well with MC boards in the NAIT,leaving plenty of cash for some more records.

Thanks.

Chris, yes I have heard and read here about the Dynavectors. Would they be ok with internal mc boards of the Nait 3r or is a seperate phonostage needed? If they are ok with the internal boards I'm tempted to give the xx2 a try as I strongly believe in source first, at least when it is a vinylsource.

Simon, is the Audio Technica oc9 still being manufactured, I think I remember that one from the late 1980:s?

You could try a Tom Evans Microgroove, at about 400 GBP, plus cartridge of choice. I’m not sure if you could get a demo of the Tom Evans stuff in Sweden. You can upgrade to Plus specification (much better power supply regulation) at a later date for 300 GBP.

Simon

Thanks LoFiSi

Never mind some heresy ! I have heard a lot good about Tom Evans phono stages, and surely there must be some competent audiodesigners not working for Naim .

However, if the Nait's mc boards are good enough, I would like to stick to them. I just like the idea of not having so many "boxes" and still getting a "killer" sound. But if it's a better solution to get a seperate phonoamplifier I will do that.

Bjorne

Thanks Liquidken.

Does someone have the web adress to Trichord?

Bjorne
They did stop making them,then resurrected design because it was so good and at about half original price.I bought one about 4 years ago,so may be out of production again,however I'm fairly sure that they're still manufactured.
Simon

In my view, there is a mismatch between the ARO and Arkiv. I think the Arkiv works well in the EKOS but it sounds hard and bright in the ARO. I haven't heard the Akiva yet.

I am a Dynavector fan so I would recommend the 17D2 or XX2 heartily. However, you mentioned that word 'family'! If it's a young family, there is a higher risk of cartridge breakage associated with your purchase. You may wish to stick with a £500 cartridge until they understand the fragile nature of the deck!

The Naim boards are very good boards indeed. However, they do not pull out every last nuance of the music and I believe you have to look elswhere for that (Tom Evans is my choice). However, different phono stages mean a different musical presentation, so it is important that you try before you buy. If you really don't want to go down the route of the external phono stage, then you have more to spend on the cartridge.

Incidentally, one other cartridge with a lot of life and pace is the £750 Ortofon Kontrapunkt B. I prefer the XX2 since it has richer tone and better general fidelity. However, the Ortofon has excellent pace and tonally it's better than any previous Ortofons I can think of, so it's one to look at.

Also note, the Dynavectors have low output (around 0.2mV) whereas the Ortofon is around 0.4mV. The S boards work best for each cartridge, but the higher output of the Ortofon is very nice since it means you have a lower noise floor for the same volume level of music.

Regards,
Frank.
All opinions are my own and do not reflect the opinion of any organisations I work for, except where this is stated explicitly.

Another vote for the 17D2. Delighted with mine although I will probably upgrade to the XX2 when it needs replacing. If you want to spend the rest then a dedicated phono stage or improved support for the LP12.

Regards
Steve

Firestly, I wold only fuss about a stand once you have sorted out the equipment to a established level.

The old chestnut about a Rega P3 on a Mana Ref stand being worse than an LP12 on a coffee table is relevant here.

My experience of Arkiv is with an Ekos, so I would listen to Frank on this, or try it and see.

The Tom Evans phono stages are great, (I use one), but you need to get a top flight cartridge as a first step.

DS

Thanks for helping and sorry for not replying in a long time but I have had some really bad problems with my pc.

I have decided to try the 17D2. In that way I can spend some money on more records also .

Thanx again. It's good to get help from experienced vinylusers

Bjorne