LP12 Ultimate Spec Advice

Posted by: Peter Holmes on 22 October 2002

My system comprises LP12/CDX/52/Supercap/250/Epos 22. My main source is Vinyl so will leave XPS upgrade until Analogue source is operating at Max.

I am ordering a new LP12 with Lingo in Maple and was wondering what members have found to be the ultimate spec in terms of Arm, Cartridge and Phono stage. On the arm front I am currently considering Ekos or Origin Live Silver; for cartridge Arkiv2 or Lyra Helikon and for Phono either Linn Linto or Tom Evans Microgroove Plus or even a Tom Evans Groove. The difficulty is finding a dealer in the UK who will demonstrate these various permutations which nowadays is impossible. I need some advice from those out there who have been down this road. Any suggestions would be gratefully received.
Posted on: 26 October 2002 by Energy
quote:
Originally posted by Mark Dunn:

Please tell more of your DV phono stage. I use an XV-1 and would appreciate the input.

What's the rest of your system btw?



Hi Mark,
My system is LP-12 Maple/cirkus/vallaha/mod RB-300/DV17DII/DV P-100/DV-200 pre/ICL Model 1 Single Ended 2A3 tube amp (active550HZ+ mid's & highs)Quantam electronics power amp (mid's & lows)/Energy Veritas V2.3 speakers.

I replaced A Linn Linto about 6 months ago with the Dynavector DV P-100 phono stage. The Dv was well more musical with more inner detail and pure black background from which the music just springs from.... as for PRaT the thing boogied like my system was on fire.... (if you can get a dealer to loan you one try and keep it for a least one week as it takes about 4 days powered up
to sound at it best) One note is that the sound stage is now smaller than with the Linto but with better rhymin. I have not used it with your Dv XV-1 and was told that when the P-100 was designed the reference cartridge was the DV-17DII so should still work well with your DV XX-1....
email me if you like for more info atlNOSPAM@bigpond.com ( remove NOSPAM)
cheers

Alan
Posted on: 26 October 2002 by mmhifi
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I'd check your Ekos is an Ekos II. I really rate the Arkiv B and will be buying another. The Tom Evans Microgroove plus is about half the price and about four fifths of the performance of a groove. My mate took a prefix off his TT to put on a microgroove plus
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I did reverse operation though Microgroove+ is very very good.
Somebody wants Microgroove+ in a half price?
Posted on: 27 October 2002 by Peter Holmes
JohanR

Are you saying you have heard a fully Naimed LP12 against a a fully Linned LP12 and the Naimed version was significantly better?

What experience have other members had of these two combinations as I'm now in two minds which way to go!

Peter
Posted on: 27 October 2002 by Paul B
Peter:

You will not get a consensus here regarding the superiority of either the fully Linned LP12 or Naimed LP12. They are quite different with differing strengths. IMO both are exceptionally good. Try to listen to both in a familiar system even in different stores and decide for yourself.

You need to ask yourself - do you need 45rpm? If not get an Armageddon as it is superb and obviously meshes well in an all Naim system. If you decide on the Armageddon, then the Aro and a Lyra or Dynavector would be the obvious choice to make. You could then consider the Prefix too.

If you need 45rpm (you either already have a lot of 45rpm records or know a dealer that can get these for you) then get a Lingo, an Ekos,and an Arkiv II with a Linto.

Either table will perform superbly.

Paul