tonearm for linn axis

Garth

I have a Manticore Musician arm. This is a Linn mount and I am 99% sure it has height adjustment. By all accounts it is far better than a RB300. I saw one for sale for £195.00 a few weeks ago.

However, I suggest you buy a cheap Technics turntable until you child is at least 12 years old (I did). There is no way she is not going to play a record when you are not in the room.

Fatcat

Keep the Rega until your child is older preferably with a cheap and cheerfull budget MM
just in case. Avoid a cheap Technics at all costs if you like music.

Yours in Music

Syd

Thanks for the advice guys. I think I will just stick with the Rega. It really does sound pretty good to me. I suspect that the axis with akito is more a parallel move than a clear upgrade. It would probably give more weight and richness but my stereo is in a small room already and my planar 3 - 32.5/90 - ninkas fill it quite nicely. if I have to search the internet and pay $500 CDN - or thereabouts - to get a good arm like a manticore to get a clear upgrade I think I would probably be better to just wait and get a rega p25, used LP12 or something else when my little cherub is abit older and I may have a little extra cash in my pocket. I also like the idea of having a turntable that she can learn to play records on without being to freaked out about damage. Incidentally, Gene Rubin - california naim dealer - as a great piece on his website about kids and hifi.

cheers,
Garth

Hi Garth. I have heard the Linn Axis and also compared it few times to the Rega and the Linn is clearly the more capable turntable. If you can get a good deal on it I don't think you will be disappointed.

Good luck

Wall mount shelf also keeps TT away from the little ones(unless they are budding mountaineers of course). That way I managed to keep my styluses intact unless the misses used the TT. ALL her music is now on CD.

Howard

Garth,

It may be a moot point (as you seem to have made up your mind already) but the Axis/Akito is no slouch compared to Rega3/RB300. As well it should be, as the list price including K9 cartridge topped out at $Cdn 1750. before Linn got round to discontinuing it.

For one thing, motor noise is virtually absent from the Axis, resulting in a much quieter than usual background. It really is very good in this respect, better in fact than the P25 and quite possibly rivalling the P9 (although I've not directly compared Axis/P9).

Simple reason being that the Axis PSU board was the model upon which the Lingo was based. The later incorporated much of the Axis PSUs technology including; hard start tapering off to reduced voltage for quieter running, switch selectable 33/45 rpm speeds and, dual class A power rails separately driving each of the two motor phases with a cleaner hand off than a resistor/capacitor network - or indeed the Valhalla could manage.

Anyway, it is the sound of the thing that matters, and compared with the Rega the Axis' is very obviously different right from the first note. The Linn exhibits a warmer sound that also shows more depth and breadth to the music (not in the spatial sense but in bandwidth and tonality).

Initial impressions are that detail is lacking relative to the Rega, but further listening reveals that all is more or less there, but that it just isn't being thrust at you in the way that Rega decks can with their midrange bias. Dynamics are still very much present and accounted for, and also at frequencies that are outside of the Rega's reach.

I'd describe it as a full but subtle sounding device that draws you into the music. Rather like its big brother used to be yet with a tauter bass than the early LP12 could manage.

The Akito 1 is actually a very competent tonearm and does seem to match the decks virtues quite well. As far as replacing it with a Rega RB arm goes, I can't see it being worth the bother, especially considering that the Linn's one piece top board would have to be drilled to allow the Rega arm to sit slightly further away from the spindle (the Regas are longer than Linns). This modification would leave a large crescent shaped hole showing in the top plate on the spindle side of the Rega's base (no doubt compromising the Rega's strengths) and at least two of the 3 Linn arm collar mounting bolt holes showing (not a pretty sight). Add to that the fact that the Axis has a rather small key shaped arm cable exit hole in its bottom board and the headaches associated with this line of modification grow by leaps and bounds.

And before anyone asks, Linn have never supplied alternative none drilled top boards for the Axis as the deck was always intended to be marketed as a complete package with the budget Linn tonearms. The deck was initially released with the Basik LV-X fitted (likely as a way of dumping the remaining stock), then with the Basik Plus, and followed thereafter with the Akito I (IIRC the Akito II was only ever factory fitted to the later production Basik turntables).

The presence of the Akito I on your dealers example indicates that the deck itself is an unofficial Mk II with top board mounted LP12 Lingo style power switch (rather than mounted on the plinth top edge), improved reliability PSU, and a slightly altered plinth which allowed the bottom board to be mounted flush wrt the plinth sides (both stiffening the plinth and improving the cosmetics).

Assuming the dealer still has the turntable in question, why not borrow it for a home dem against your Planar 3 and then decide if its presentation suits your expectations of how your system should sound?

My guess is that Axis/Akito/DL110/32-5/90/Ninkas would represent a very well balanced system (not quite source first biased, but not back heavy either). I would go so far as to suggest that your Ninkas will play tunes in the bass somewhat better than they do now.

Craig

Thanks Craig for the info. Its' the same TT I was cinsidering around Christmas but apparently was sold by the time I got around to requesting an audition. Apparently it wasn't sold afterall. Go figure. Unfortunately it doesn't have a cartridge on it so they will have to be willing to put one on or perhaps switch mine on for demo and switch it back if I decide against it. Also, they want $600 CDN for it and it has a cracked dustcover. I figure if they are willing to replace the dustcover and keep the price the same and put a cartridge on for demo then I will give it a whirl. If all works out and I get a demo, then I will report back. Suspect I would like it from your comments Craig.

Thanks again,

Garth