Turntable Survey

Peter

Johnh

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Who's not using an LP12, and, if not, what?

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Mine's a P9 / MC25FL. How I got here from 1978 was: Lenco 75, Leak 2001, Ariston RD80, Roksan Xerxes, Linn Lp12!

Nagging regret: Not being able to properly audition the Nottingham Analogue Hyperspace when I landed the P9.

Happy coincidence: The P9 is incredibly close to being non-ferrous, so does not have any adverse effect on the rest of the kit.

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...with an AT1007 arm...

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Is the AT1007 the thin straight one with a fluid damper? If so its what I had on my old RD80.

Tony.

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Originally posted by Alex S.:

Who's not using an LP12, and, if not, what?

Alex

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Thorens TD160B MkII/Modified RB250/Ortofon MC1-Turbo.

The reason I don't have an LP12 is 'cause I don't (yet) listen to vinyl enough to justify one and the Thorens was cheap.

Cheers
Steve

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Who's not using an LP12, and, if not, what?

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I'm using a Rega P9, with stock RB900 arm and the required Rega P/S. Cartridge is a Dynavector XX-1L, balanced by an Expressimo Heavy Weight counterweight. It sits on a custom-built one-tier wooden stand.

Joe

My setup

LP12 (no base bord)
ARO
Troika
Prefix
Hicap
Mana

Anders

Were other people's decks compared to LP12s and others? When I bought my LP12 I wasn't really given a choice.

I never went to the trouble of auditioning the Pink Triangle which was offered in the 80s as an LP12 alternative and never regretted it, but what are the thoughts on perspex platters? There's a lot of them about.

I'd like to know more about Well Tempered decks - I know Dev's swapped to and fro, anyone using one and happy with it/keeping it?

Alex

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Did you all compare them to LP12s?

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Not only did I compare a Rega P9 to an LP12, I sold my circa 1995 LP12, Ekos and Lingo to buy one.

The P9 is certainly not a table for everyone (even if you exclude round earthers who wouldn't appreciate its strengths) but it demands to be placed on every flat earther's short list. The P9's strengths are pace, timing and explosive dynamics, but some think it's a bit over the top and sounds metronomic. Others have found it too lean but I think that's probably more to do with the MM Rega cartridges it's often demmed with than the deck itself.

Cartridge matching is, therefore, essential, which is made just that much harder by the RB900 not having easily adjustable VTA. You obviously want something that's tight, tuneful and fun, ideally with a tonal balance on the juicy side -- something like a Troika.

All this is in flux, however, since Rega is about to launch a new P9. Anyone got a release date yet?

Joe

Does the SOTA Sapphire that I have on consignment also count?

Cheers

Keith.

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I'm also (occasionally) using a Rega Planar 78

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Interesting, what music do you like that is on 78rpm? Early jazz fan perhaps?

Tony.

It's always a nice day for it Have a good one!
Steve.
It's good to get back to normal.

In desperate need of service. TerryR where are you?? And when serviced will be about due for a new cartridge - any ideas ??

michael

Rest of kit is 62/SNAPS/140 with Tukans

New P9 with new MC cartridge is 'rumoured' to be available by June at the earliest.

I compared this to LP12, Gyrodec, Xeres. Liked them all! but P9 did it for me. Never regreted it and still loving it!

I favor the Lp12 to the P9 after having owned both of them (lp12 for 6 years---P9 for 12 months). I won't get into the reasons why--they are the same reasons just about everybody who favors the Lp12 to the P9 does so (also the same reasons--in the opposite--that the P9 is favored by those who do).

Also, I'm bothered by the fact that Rega felt the need to revamp a relatively young product shortly after a less expensive unit came on the market (P25).

Judd

Almost upgraded to the P9 but when it came time to write the cheque, got a CDX instead. As Alex S. astutely pointed out "Is Billie available on vinyl? Didn't think so."

Dreaming of a P9 anyways,

mike

PS I don't use an LP12 because 2nd hand is a rarity 'round here and they're not available for dem- I'd have to blind buy one!

[This message was edited by Mike Sae on FRIDAY 11 January 2002 at 19:59.]

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Somebody wrote me a while ago suggesting that "there seems to be a limit to how good the P9 can sound" (was this Bob?)

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Yeah, it's gotta be Bob. Anyway, that's true of any component. I don't think any P9 advocate here has ever argued the Rega is perfect, just that they prefer it to other decks, or think it's the best value for the money.

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I favor the Lp12 to the P9 after having owned both of them (lp12 for 6 years---P9 for 12 months).

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Fair enough. Dev did the same thing after flirting with a Phonosophie and a Well-Hung table.

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Also, I'm bothered by the fact that Rega felt the need to revamp a relatively young product shortly after a less expensive unit came on the market (P25).

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I agree it's annoying if you're trying to maximize trade-in value, but Rega is hardly a product-of-the-month company. If they've revamped the P9 it's almost certainly because they feel they've improved on the design. (Linn, of course, does the same but, thankfully for LP12 owners, most improvements are retrofitable.)

Joe

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brand new P3 fitted with an RB600/Elys from a Rega employee. However, it is much less of a bargain than I thought (at GBP 260) 'cos it sounds worse than my Rega Planet CD player

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Something's most definately wrong. I've gone Planet->3.5->CDX; it took the CDX to significantly improve on the P3.

Feel free to e-mail me about P3 setup.

...into a Tom Evans Groove. yeehah!

Wouldn't worry about plans to update the LP12. Linn has been changing this and changing that on the LP12 for over 20 years with the changes always be retrofittable.

Depending on where you are, there may be a good supply of used LP12s about so you may not have to buy new. I bought a dealer demo about three years ago.

Oh, and I agree with the others on the P9 and P3. The P3 kicks the arse of most CD spinners if settup correctly. Which brings us to the other point: Rega decks are easier to settup correctly than LP12s. The only thing I didn't like about the P9 was the screws going into what looks like a chipboard plinth. This didn't look ultra secure to me. Word I got was that this less-than-Linn-tight coupling of the inner and outer plinths provided better sound than a more secure arrangement.

- GregB

Insert Witty Signature Line Here

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Originally posted by ashley:
steve,
there is loads you can do to a 160 for next to nothing. linn springs and bushes, you should be able to get there for nothing. fun, easy and cheap upgrades.

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Ashley,

Thanks for that - are there any good sources of tweaking information on the web?

Regards
Steve