I asked this on Pink Fish Media but thought I might as well ask here too.
Assuming both decks are fully Rega and Linn (deck, arm, cart, phono), can anyone who’s owned or listened to both describe the sound differences?
I know I could organise a demo somewhere but thought I’d make a start here and go from there.
Asking for a friend obviously… 
Argh interesting. In my experience Linn have lent towards warm whereas Rega more dynamic. But that’s a generalisation. And I’m never quite persuaded on the “house” sound concept as there are so many variables at play.
@RackKit, I demoded both REGA 10 and LP12
went for the LP12 in the end one of the great plusses on Sondek is the upgrade path and budget now more than ever if your goal is to buy a deck that gives you lots of music and detail both will offer that in spades, if your journey and budget goes beyond that for me the Linn option is a truley musical experience and will give you more - I started with a budget LP12 and my current deck is in my BIO - and the music!!!
I don’t have much experience of Rega other that a year or so with the R3 which replaced a sick Xerxes while thinking about sticking or not with vinyl.
What I will say is that I loved the R3 enough to take the plunge with an LP12. I would also say that the modern LP12 is not a rosy, bass heavy, warm player. You might say it’s a lean, mean fighting machine. I love it…
@stuart.ashen. Stuart I think that’s an excellent point. If there is a Linn “house” it will have surely changed over the years.
Ok, let’s change that to ‘current’ Linn house sound…
Antz … just out of interest, what level of LP12 did you demo against the RP10 and why did you prefer it? 
audiophile man mini review, new rega planar 10
Posted on 10th September 2019
The Planar 10 features the new RB3000 tonearm fitted with an improved, low mass, bias housing. It’s constructed using a lightweight Tancast 8 polyurethane foam core, sandwiched between two layers of HPL (high pressure laminate), making the new Planar 10 skeletal plinth 30% lighter than the original RP10.
That plinth combines with a ceramic top brace and phenolic resin bottom brace to form a “stressed beam,” assembly.
“We have pioneered a completely new low mass, central hub bearing assembly with improved mechanical integrity,” said the company.
The tonearm uses an aluminium arm tube. Similarly, the turntable features an aluminium sub-platter and hardened tool steel spindle that runs inside a custom brass housing. A ceramic top brace creates a platform between the tonearm and central bearing: a first for Rega.
The P10 uses a ceramic, flywheel effect platter, produced from ceramic oxide powder which is compressed, fired and diamond cut.
The Planar 10 uses Rega’s latest generation, 24v synchronous, low vibration motor technology. Each motor is hand tuned to match its own custom matched P10 PSU power supply before fitting to the turntable. In addition, the deck uses the EBLT, a drive belt featuring a new, bespoke new rubber compound.
The electronic power supply is housed in a new, metal custom case, featuring electronic speed changes and user adjustable electronic fine speed adjustment. The speed and control of the motor is generated via a new DSP (Digital Signal Processing) generator built upon a high stability crystal.
The Planar 10 will be made available with a new MC cartridge the Apheta 3, as a factory fitted option. This new cartridge was developed alongside the Planar 10 and features a “Fine Line” diamond profile.
A new, removable, single piece dustcover has been introduced too
I don’t think they aim for very different things. Think about it, for the longest time a Rega was the deck you bought when you didn’t want to pay for an LP12. Even today people pick some of the more upmarket Rega offerings over LP12s for reasons such as being plug’n’play, or easier to site, but not necessarily because of a vastly different sound signature (or other such nonsense).
In my view, it’s a leaner sound than the LP12 but not in the sense that it is more correct, but rather that it doesn’t quite convey the same sense of body and scale that is there on some recordings. They do a lot right, though, so I get them as a viable option (and have owned a few over the years, including a P6/Ania in a second system recently). YMMV.
Caution. As I discovered when I purchased my deck there are many options beyond Rega and Linn.
@Mr.Frog started by vinyl love again with buying a deck from a good friend and then colleague @Rod_Smith who got me in to NAIM, it also then helped (or did not) that @Cymbiosis in Hospital street were under a then customer of mine
so purchased Rega P1 then and then started by journey with a view to see how far Vinyl would take me, demoded a number of decks but the LP12 bug got me and I have never gone away, there are some superb vinyl players out there but the upgrades path either with third party or Linn worked for my plan and my deck is 99% finished now, and come to that so is my system
Hi Antz …what level of LP12 did you demo against the RP10 and why did you prefer it?
As a RP10/Aphelion/Aria owner I can understand why you say that, but it can depend very much on the phonostage and it’s siting relative to the preamp. A demo 10 months ago of the Aura into 252/300 DR completely changed this, but it took a week to warm up and leave me gobsmacked the day I had to return it.
I now have a 552/500 serviced late 2016 but not DRed and with the Aria on Naim glass etc and in the right location it has most of the qualities of the Aura when I demoed it. I’m just trying to be content with the Aria at the moment.
Phil
That is true, but the question was about one vs. the other, hence I responded based on how I’ve observed people making that particular choice.
I’m talking about both going into the same system (including the same phono stage), but you are right: there are ways to tweak things in multiple directions.
The Naim phonostages seem to not be matched to the Rega cartridges. 100 ohm plugs do not provide the 100ohm load their cartridges require according to Peter of Cymbiosis who should know.
Phil
I’m not a big fan of the Naim phonostages in general (though I’m currently using the boards on my 52 in the main system). I’m also most often using the same cartridge when I compared them.
For instance, the Ania I listened to in the shop, but I replaced it with an OC9 when I had the P6 home, so was able to compare the decks (I was also using the same arm in the latest comparison, mind you, an RB330). Same tonearm, same cartridge, and one deck was quite a bit leaner than the other. It has also been my reaction to every time I heard a Rega deck even if I still rate them highly.
I would argue that cartridge and phono stage matching are a separate discussion from the decks, though I concede that the OP does suggest we include them as part of the characteristics of the systems.
I’m quite keen to hear the Aura as I think of next steps for my system - despite not having another Rega component in it.
Yes, I thought it would be easier to pin down the sound of each brand with a complete deck, arm, cart & phono from each one. I’m wondering how the Rega Planar 10/Aphelion/Aura will compare to the Linn LP12 Klimax. That would be a pretty decent shoot-out!
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