At this years NW HiFi show the only Rega I saw/heard was a P8 using a 3000 rather than 800 arm. That suggests the arm matters on a Rega? Moving from Alloy to Titanium surely has an impact? Reading the thread I notice a poster with an Aro & Armageddon was mightily impressed with the NAIA. Surely you’d expect a state of the art modern arm (and PS) to improve on a well used, 30 year old arm & PS? I’d certainly expect the new Rega arm to beat my early Ekos which I chose over an Aro all those years ago. But would it beat the current Titanium Ekos which must surely beat my Ekos. Obviously if you want a full plug and play package you’d just compare the Rega package with similarly priced offerings from Linn, Vertere etc. Others might just need a new arm/PS? Just musing really! I’m sure the Naia is great by the way.
All very good points and some of the reasons why this Aro/geddon user is going to go and hear a Naia!
I’ll not be the only one interested in your feedback I dare say
I prefer the music via my Solstice to when I owned a P10. Different approaches . . . P10 was very detailed to my ear at the expense of some “warmth.” Solstice is just as detailed but overall warmer, perhaps “more musical rather than all analytic” if that makes sense. Of course not just the decks but the cartridges are different – Aphelion2 vs Equinox.
Of course from system to system YMMV, but if given a choice or if I needed a new deck I’d not go back to the P10. I’d listen to a lot of things.
As I understand it the NAIA is likely on a much higher level than the P10, so definitely would like to see a respected reviewer comparing it with Solstice and LP12 even swapping the cartridges trying them out in each to even things up
Jason Kennedy has a YT video to follow up his Ear review…
I’m sure they hit 8 belts within 5 years I’ve had the P8 and I never clicked with the foam plinth. But that arm on the Naia though, beautiful.
Blimey, the best turntable hes heard. Would defo like to hear one.
Three very different approaches to turntable design – LP12 suspension system, Solstice’s 20kg or so platter and multi-layer plinth, and the Rega ultra low mass design. I’m sure with a proper listening comparison people would have preferences and I’m guessing they’d vary.
Ed Selley is writing his annual long form review for AV Forums to be published at Christmas, and this year he has a Naia sat alongside a P10 on his Quadraspire rack - should be an interesting read, especially as he has his own Vertere (SG-1, I think) to add to the mix as well. Photo screen shot courtesy of Ed’s IG feed…
The Rega rep said it was the bearings that were made out of titanium not the arm. Rega had many difficulties finding the right manufacturer for the plinth as the costs were increasing a lot during the pandemic but eventually found a very good German company. Also the spindle is made out of the same ceramic material as the plinth which apparently was difficult to engineer but Rega believes it makes a substantial difference.
It sounded very good to me but I don’t listen to vinyl decks so I couldn’t compare it to anything else. I thought it looked superb like a piece of modern art.
Interesting . Would be glad to read the comparison, hoping it will be honest and objective.
I would expect an RB3000 to beat an early Ekos.
It really is stunning, both in looks and sound. I would go so far as to use the words *game changer *.
A ‘game changer’, exactly the words I used earlier in this post. The first thirty seconds of a track was more enough to convince me that I was listening to something really special.
Ed has a very nice a Vertere MG.
Good man
- RB titanium tonearm : One piece titanium vertical bearing and Titanium vertical spindle assembly (apparently).
Things seem to have gone quiet on the NAIA front after an early flurry of info.
Ed Selley’s first impressions of the Naia are online via the other site he writes for (“Sound Advice”), but assume the long form review for AV Forums (due at Christmas) will be much more comprehensive. From this, he does seem to like it though!
I would love to compare the NAIA with a Vertere MG1. Hope to arrange this very soon. Looking to upgrade my WT Versalex.