No I took that out when fitting the Stiletto . I used to have Superline / supercap but swapped to Whest Titan Pro phonostage last year. This was a huge uplift in SQ
You’ve been able to improve and upgrade over the years Graham , as I have. I wonder if the P3 offers the same path? I’ve tried out a few other decks over the years but have always prefered the LP12. As mine now stands it has all that Devraj points out in his LP12, but my mid range is strong too - a combination of the Etna SL, Furutech and Whest Titan. To be honest the only original part of my LP12 is the Ekos SE and I’ve had the internal wiring changed on that 
The Dynavector is a great cartridge- we used a XX2 for many years and now a 17DX, same price but a different (a bit cleaner, faster, sound)
Enjoy your Linn. I can’t wait to hear a Solstice at some point.
Odd, isn’t it. Part of the fun of owning an LP12 has been the incorporation of the improvements/upgrades over the years. I think that, with donating the black plinth for the LP12 that Grahams are putting together for my son, the last piece of the LP12 that I bought all of 40 years ago will be gone.
Yet it still feels like a continuation of the LP12 that I bought (from Howard Popeck of Subjective Audio in Camden) all those years ago!
The biggest upgrade in all that time was replacing the Ittok that I had originally with the elfin ARO.
And I don’t feel any need at this point to go chasing after a Solstice. (And I wonder how the introduction of the Solstice will seem to Naim users 40 years from now.)
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This morning I did some extensive listening to the LP12 vs P3. As I posted earlier both of similar quality. The P3 is mighty, it is even handed, natural but has the power and the dynamics without attracting attention to one part of the presentation. It fronts our active 552 SL2 system that is super revealing of source deficiencies. The NAT01 and CDS2 sound excellent, and the recent change to a 555PS (replacing the XPS2) on the NDAC means that the HDX sounds competitive to the other sources but LP, Tuner and CD still wins here.
In comparison the Linn has the signature that we love, juicy mid bass, meaty bass as well as the Ekos slam. It draws attention to these aspects but is fun to listen to.
I think the differences are down to personal preference like all things in this great hobby, but for us the LP12 is an excellent choice but we prefer the P3 just by a fraction.
Good listening !
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Aw, you’re just saying that because you have one!
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Hello Graham
No not at all 
If you want a clear upgrade to either please consider a Garrard 401 with Aro, My friend Richard (of this forum) brought his one to my house 9 years ago, fronting then passive 552, 300 into Isobariks (everything else the same), the Phonosophie was into a Superline and the 401 had a prefix, cartridges were Dynavector XX1L on P3 and Modified Denon DL 103 on his Garrard.
Without question the Garrard was better, meatier, propulsive, more drive and weight but amazing rhythm. The pace was slightly slower than the P3, and that respect the LP12 and P3 are better. If we were ever to get another TT it would be that or a Rega P10 (and saying that we would love to get one)
His 401 was Loricraft plinthed and serviced.
Happy new year!
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Get thee away from me, Satan!!!
But you’re quite right. I’ve seen many photos of a Loricraft/Garrard 401, which looks to be an absolute beast. And built like a brick outhouse too!
I think Richard Dane uses a Loricraft 301 or 401 (with an ARO?).
It’s a 401 with French Walnut Loricraft plinth and Aro arm base machined by Nigel. The 401 itself has since been replaced by a very early one that was totally rebuilt, re-plated and re-finished to “as new” by Peak Hifi. They even managed to get the paint colour and finish spot on, although of course the paint quality is far higher than it ever was from Swindon.
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This is the one I heard - it is epic!
That is very special indeed, Richard. You should count yourself blessed, as I am sure you do, to have something so beautiful.
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One more deck to consider and on my wish list and that may be as good as Richards 401 is a nouvelle Platine Verdier with Aro and Prefix with Ortofon SPU Royal N. I have a YouTube video of this deck from a German hifi show many years ago. Allegedly amazing and on our list!
Note some similarities with the Solstice in platter design and magnetic bearing.
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Richard - what are the mat and clamp? I have a Loricrafted 401 with Hadcock/Troika alongside the P3/Aro
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The mat is a custom made cork composite type - I can’t recall who made it now, but it was specially for the 401. If I can recall I’ll let you know. The clamp is an ancient ADC Pro-Grip - I’m generally not a fan of clamps, but the Garrard and cork mat works well with them and the Pro-grip was one of the best (along with the utterly brilliant Systemdek clamp, sadly super-rare though).
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Hey Richard, I’m sure this deck sounds great. There’s a lot to be said for direct and idler drives! But what is that green bit? Why is it green? And why is it the kind of green one normally finds on hospital walls?
You’re most kind, teegekay…
Originally when I was discussing the top plate with Terry and Nigel, I said I was looking at something like the old BMC almond green, however, I think something got lost in translation somewhere and so I was shown something more like BMC Berkshire green that Terry had painted onto a new type of top plate (using ply instead of MDF). And I thought about it, and I rather liked it. It’s more fun than the other top plate cut for an SME, which is a deep burgundy red, and I think it sets off the lovely french walnut figuring very nicely.
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Folks, temptation lures me with a diabolical offer…I have found (but not heard yet) a Phonosophie P3 with Naim Aro and Naim P3PS (power supply specially made for the P3) for sale at a considerable but justified price in view of the respective individual prices.
Because I, like probably most of us, don’t have the money just lying around, I ask myself the following questions, which I’m sure your expert opinions could help me answer:
Will looting my bank account, tempered by the sale price of my current Phonosophie P3 with the pedestrian Thorens tonearm, give me so much extra pleasure from listening to records that I’ll never look back? Or are we merely talking about a noticeable improvement?
You understand – cheering or grinning? Thank you.
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Obviously, only you can decide on looting your bank account, and how much additional value the higher specs’d P£ will bring to the party. But…
.You have a rare opportunity to have a superb turntable, which is even more superb than the superb one you have now.
I say grab it with both hands.
(I’ve lusted after a fully kitted out P3 myself, but could not justify it now, as I’ve just maxed out on my LP12, which I’m waiting to get back from Audio T.)
Richard, it’s Thomas, ex ML – just in case you don’t know in which spirit to take my post 
Nevertheless, I do find the green a bit too bright, maybe it’s the camera …
On the subject of the P3: I once ran both a Naim’ed LP12 and a Phonosophie P3 in parallel and thought they were on equal footing, both were really, really good. In the end I sold the P3 and kept the LP12 solely because I didn’t want to keep both and the LP12 made slightly more sense of Mingus’ “The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady”.
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Thomas! It has been far too long! I hope you’re keeping well. The forum username makes sense now…
The green is quite bright, but I was happy with it, even though what I was originally after was somewhat different.
Here’s an earlier picture when it was the original 401 and I was running an SPU Royal N in the Aro.
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