Linn, Naim, Rega - oh bugger!

[guydarryl]

Hi all,

I was beginning to sidetrack the thread about "which forums you post on", so I thought it could be of interest to start one here.

I use an LP12 (pre cirkus) with Ittok and DV20X. I bought the LP12 nearly 25 years ago after listening at various dealers to direct drive and belt drive alternatives. I very nearly settled for a Systemdek (2X ?), but was persuaded by my wife to go for the Linn as she felt it had the edge. Other tables auditioned really did not do anything for me. I am fairly sure that I listened to an STD, Ariston, AR, and various Techics and Pioneer DD's, definately not Luxman or Trio though - that is something which I would like to remedy at some stage.

The LP12 has done its job for a considerable time with only one major problem - the Valhalla board went to Valhalla about 5 years ago, and looking around in the deck made me think that putting a power supply inside a wooden plinth is not very sensible (fair bit of scorching on the board), so I replaced it with a Heed Orbit (not auditioned, but excellent in my opinion, although I was comparing a knackered board sound memory with a new product).
I very much doubt that the Linn will be replaced as I know it and expect music to sound the way in which it has trained me. If it did get broken/stolen whatever, then I would look elsewhere - I wouldn't consider the basic Linn, I looked at one fairly recently and the finish really looked quite poor (particularly when current prices are taken in to consideration).
But all in all it is/was a great deck, just the marketing and blinkered attitude it engenders are annoying.

The Rega Ela mk1 were love at first hearing, I still remember going in to the upstairs dem' room at Pro Musica in Colchester and walking in to a demo of them playing some bass guitar, I can't remember who was playing but it was the bass line from a Jimi Hendrix track , I had never before heard such lucid definately not "one note" bass. My greatest concern regarding my system is when the drive units of these speakers finally wear out (can they be repaired? I understand that they are Royd modified units?).

My Nait 3 (sorry Lindsay), well I am open to suggestions on this.
I have swapped in an Onix OA2O which I use in the study normally (also bought at Pro Musica), and found that in some respects (less forward presentation, but doesn't seem to loose detail as a result) I prefer it.
Would it be possible to use NVA A40 monoblocks with a Meridian 101 which I have in a cupboard - I notice that Sovereign has a pair for sale.

Sorry the post has been a bit me me me, any comments/answers welcome. Guy

[Lindsayt]

Drive units on speakers don't really wear out. Foam surrounds can rot after a few years, especiallhy if exposed to sunlight. Latex surrounds last and last and last. I have 45 year old speakers that are 100% original and still going strong. Every chance they'll be fine for another 45 years. When foam surrounds do go, they are repairable. Quick and easy enough job for someone who's done it before. Not too bad a job if you haven't, if you've got any sort of DIY aptitude.

If at all possible, get together with other hi-fi enthusiasts, taking some or all of your kit along and compare them. If you find something you like, buy one for yourself. You'll find that most posters on hi-fi forums are amazingly hospitable when you send them a personal message asking to visit them to listen to their systems. Otherwise, feel free to do a bit of google research and then take a punt on anything that takes your fancy that's selling at a low price. Low enough for you to not make a loss on it if you don't like it and want to sell it on.

Choice of hi-fi kit - especially speakers can be a very personal thing. It's not just the sound and the price, it's the looks, size, age, convenience, reliability, running costs that can be important to varying degrees to different people.

The sort of hi-fi kit that I like is the sort that I would only recommend to someone who has a similar set of priorities to me: world class sound for the lowest price, regardless of looks, age, size.

[guydarryl]

cheers Lindsay,

Reassuring about the speakers, the Ela has some sort of latex/rubber surround. I had assumed that the rubber would eventually perish, particularly given that they move so much.

Guy.

[jammy395]

Guy you have plumbed for the Marketing mans hifi system right enough........Hyped to high heavens, Rip off price, And dubious sound........Not a prob, if it sound's good to you..!!
But you could probably sell the bad guy's - NAIM, LINN, REGA, MERIDIAN.
And get some good guy's - NVA, ROTHWELL, JAP D.D. T.T.
And never listen to a wife unless she is talking about housework,shopping etc etc.

[dazmb]

Ahem... excuse me but I demand a retraction of Rega from your list of marketing man's Hi-Fi ! First of all Rega don't do ANY paid for magazine/web advert marketing of their gear. Roy Gandy is adamant about that. It's word of mouth / dealer only + reviews good or bad. Pound for pound it's great value with much so called exotic hi-fi gear trounced by Rega's entry level stuff, and it does sound bloody good too.

So there.

[jammy395]

Rega don't do ANY paid for magazine/web advert marketing


Mmhh are you sure about that dazmb....There was a short while back when everywhere ya looked there was a Rega advert. (someone gotta pay).
Not too sure who pay's for the adverts then...!!!........Maybe it's the Ad fairy's.

[dazmb]

Nah, you're mistaken or have been on the Whiskey laced Robertsons Jammy...

For a company that doesn't have a marketing dept (like Richard no product brochures available) and has not even bothered to update their website with the news that one of their amps won a 2011 WHF product of the year award, the idea that you saw loads of Rega paid for ads is not going to fly. Sorry. You may have seen dealer/distributors adverts as Rega provide images for them to use. That is certainly possible, but no ads directly paid for by Rega. I stand to be corrected, but personally I have never seen one. Only thing I have ever seen is a yearly magazine produced by the dealer I bought my RS1's from.

Roy Gandy states in this interview that sales in countries where there are no hi-fi mags are better for Rega than where there are produced.

http://hifi-unlimited.blogspot.co.uk/20 ... -rega.html

[Lindsayt]

I guess it must be the Rega dealers that are the Ad fairys then?

I think it would be fair to say that over the years, UK and USA hi-fi magazines have done Regas advertising for them by giving them glowing reviews and recommendations, going right back to the 70's and 80's when they'd say "Buy an LP12. If you can't afford that buy a Rega. If you can't afford that buy a Dual."

[guydarryl]

Guy you have plumbed for the Marketing mans hifi system right enough........Hyped to high heavens, Rip off price, And dubious sound........Not a prob, if it sound's good to you..!!
But you could probably sell the bad guy's - NAIM, LINN, REGA, MERIDIAN.
And get some good guy's - NVA, ROTHWELL, JAP D.D. T.T.
And never listen to a wife unless she is talking about housework,shopping etc etc.

Oh dear,

The LP12 was bought on the basis of listening to many record decks many years ago. The direct drives I listened to at the time were really not very good. I haven't bothered with later Linn "improvements" (not even a cirkus ) as I don't particularly like the hype.

The Rega Ela were bought on the basis of walking in to a dem' room and being gobsmaked with the lucid natural sound - I understand that the initial design was done in partnership with Royd, something I was unaware of at the time.
Like others here I am surprised by the marketing man hype label being applied to Rega, but you obviously know better
However they pissed all over the noises being made by Epos es11 and 14's which were very heavily marketed/shilled by the mag's at the time (and seem to be back in favour at present).

The Nait, which I think may well be the weak point in the system, was bought second hand from a non Naim dealer at a very good price when still quite new (less than £100 as far as I can remember).

good guys/bad guys? strange concept. Anyway thanks for the comments, must rush it's almost bedtime and "the wife" still makes sense to me :D

Guy

[Daniel Quinn]

Quite like the differentiation of good guys/bad guys in any aspect of life myself , I do however take jammies treatise on sexual politics with a large pinch of salt. :D

I suspect he spends his off shore time , vacuming , polishing and cooking mince and tatties whilst his missus messes with his hifi ,playing the proclaimers "cap in hand" on repeat