I chose an RP10 vs a base model LP12 originally. I found there wasn’t much to pick between them and there was another 15 grand to spend to maximise the LP12.
I’ve now moved to the Naia + Aura Phono stage which was a nice upgrade and still less money than that LP12 maxed out.
It’s a super personal choice. For me the LP12 looks like something from the 70s and the P10/Naia look cool.
It’s fun to demo both but definitely suggest you do it with your own setup.
Don’t know where you’re based, but assuming the UK as you’ve used GBP.
For that money, a dealer would be able to make up a good spec LP12 using pre-loved parts.
A good starting point is to have a chat with Peter Swain at Cymbiosis and see what options he could come up with, they are also a Rega dealer so it would be easy to compare during a demo.
I am a long-time LP12 owner and whilst I love it and wouldn’t change it for anything, it has been upgraded many times over the years. However, I do think you could be better off buying a second-hand Rega 10 with an Aria phono stage, which I think you should be able to get for your budget. The beauty of the Linn is that you can upgrade it but as you do not seem to want that I think the Rega route is more suited to what you are looking for.
I made a similar move a couple of years ago, going from a P2 to an LP12. For me is was as much about nostalgia as an upgrade because I owned an LP12 in the 1980s and foolishly sold it in the mid 90s.
As others have said go to your dealer.
My local dealer is Cymbiosis so very easy to compare the two decks and they have a mind boggling array of demo LP12s and pre loved parts.
My budget was £3.5k which at the time could have got me a new Majik. But I ended up with a new base deck, MM cartridge and motor, and used sub chassis, Ittok tonearm and Lingo 1 power supply. This was way better than the Majik package for about the same price.
That said Regas are very good as well, you could get P10 with a modest MM cartridge for the same money.
The only way to decide is I am sure you know, go for a demo and compare.
Good luck
I had a P6 with ania cartridge;; I bought a Lenco 75 with a AT 95 in a custom plywood plinth and other bits to tune it and it trounced the p6 in sound reproduction to my ears and I’ve still got it and it makes me smile every time I play a record . Best thing is it only cost £600 from a guy called Don down in London it’s all he does is Lenco 75s and I sold the p6 for £900.
SN3 has a built in MM phono stage so why are you not using that?
If buying a Koil then I’d reconsider, go for the Adikt, and invest the cost difference / sale of the Rega phono in a used Lingo 1 or 2 (serviced by Class A using Linn-supplied components). A Lingo 1 may need the main conditioner removed to play nice with the SN3 but Darran can do that if needed.
Agree, a home dem would be ideal. Whilst I would hope that a dealer can demonstrate the musical differences, a home dem will do that plus confirm that the LP12 will also sound well balanced in your system, otherwise you’ll be trying to fix that afterwards, which may cost more money.
And as others have stated, it also makes sense to compare to a £4k Rega.
I did exactly that about three years ago, went from a P6 to an entry level LP12. The caveat is that the LP12 was a 1987 pre-cirkus with black lining. The tonearm I used was an RB880/VM540ML which is what I had on my P6 back then. The LP12 sounded a bit more tuneful but somewhat warm (colored). the P6 was more neutral sounding with better focus and dynamics. Both very good but neither a clear winner. I ended up selling both and building another LP12 from the ground up to my liking.
Unless you’re set on buying new and fair enough if you are then there’s some very sound advice here.
Look at it like a car. Base spec brand new out the dealership or some bells and whistles used for the same price. It’s the long term ownership experience for me. How long before the wish it had Bluetooth or the bigger satnav screen thoughts start. I’ve been there!
The other advantage of used LP12’s is they have rarely been upside down in a ditch and badly maintained.
you could also start with a different perspective: rigid base vs suspended sub-chassis (or whatever is its name, I never get it right ). After all, it’s what differentiates the majority of turntables.
I’ve had a couple of rega and a couple of Thorens in my audio adulthood, and have a soft spot for the latter. To my experience, rega have good to excellent tonearms, so&so motors and smart solutions for the base, privileging lightness, low mass, rigidity - provided that is the ideal choice. Suspended sub-chassis with heavy platters have more momentum, may rotate with more accuracy and are, in my opinion, visually better.
A short experience with an older Technics didn’t prove anything special. It span properly but the tonearm had issues managing a low-mass Goldring e3, that a rega P2’s RB220 drove to perfection. But the rega had minor speed issues. My current Thorens TD145 rotates at 33.67, needs rectifying the pulley but is built to last and the modestly-looking TP16 tonearm is unsuspectedly accurate as far as tracking and tracking force are concerned.
What do you like best, as a general idea? Rigid or sub-chassis?
Best for your quest
M
). After all, it’s what differentiates the majority of turntables.