Show us your Sondek

That’s right and they’re spread around worldwide.

FWIW I put my name down with Wayne at Cymbiosis for an ARO, (it’s a great service they operate for all sorts of secondhand/traded-in stuff if folks didn’t know) and after a year of waiting I got the call. My understanding is that another dealer in Scotland had one going spare from a client who’d traded in their deck and made the call down south. It wasn’t cheap but it is very good. I’m presently with Kore but I do believe a Keel’s a special fit as others have mentioned and if anybody wants one of the arm lifters it requires a spot of drilling too.

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I remember Peter getting them made by Linn for Aro. :joy: :+1:t2:


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I think it’s time to chime in……… Richard Dane knows I do try very Hard to stay within forum rules regarding retailers so here goes answering the whole series of questions dating back three weeks:

My understanding is 1350 Aros were made.

There were also a number of tops made which were sold separately and these are not included in the number above.

The Aro was discontinued as it was not considered viable to continue production as it would’ve meant buying a lot of new parts. This sadly happened around 2012 from memory just as the vinyl revival kicked in big time :roll_eyes:

Anyone looking to buy and use an Aro on an LP 12 actually has at least potentially five subchassis options! The keel is just one and it’s still available like all the others I’m about to list.
There is a Kore for Aro, just as there are options for Rega, SME and Linn mounts too.

All Kore sub-chassis started life as a Majik Introduction before a machined from aluminium arm board was bonded/attached to it. Consequently retailers can order all these versions of the Majik too!

And of course there’s always the secondhand option using a Cirkus steel sub chassis and an arm board. All of which are still available with the addition of a blank arm board for anything else that you might want to fit to a Cirkus steel sub-chassis. The fifth option is of course a third-party subchassis perhaps something like a tangerine Phoenix which I know it’s available for the ARO too.

Although price list from Linn does packages, the only complete LP 12 shipped to retailers as a complete entity is the Majik.

Obviously the name Klimax and Akurate (now Selekt) nomenclature of these packages was meant to make life easy when people are choosing which is the appropriate level to pitch in for them and to make life easier for the retailer. However, nothing in hi-fi is ever straightforward or easy as you all know :joy:
So in reality there are a lot more steps that you can make within the framework of the LP 12. Consequently, the LP 12 these days if it’s not supplied in a Majik form is basically supplied as an empty vessel which you and your retailer can then populate accordingly.

LP12 plinths are available in five wood finishes and each of these finishes now has a fluted variant. You can also order bespoke paint finishes now as well so I suppose the number is pretty much unlimited!
In addition to a plinth what you would get in the box is a top plate already attached. A carousel bearing and inner platter. An outer platter complete with felt mat and belt. You also get the crossmember, lid, hinges and then a complete suspension kit comprising springs, bushes nuts etc along with a chassis earth and a vial of oil.

To this you would then choose which Power supply you wanted and this could be a Lingo 4 or a Radikal ((of which there are two versions one in a conventional folded aluminium box and the other in the machine and aluminium box) Akurate and Klimax respectively Then comes the choice of the sub chassis you wanted, and which arm and cartridge you wanted. (many options as you all know).
Additionally you do need to consider which baseboard to go for is one is not supplied in the LP 12 package because you have a potential choice of three.

The solid baseboard which like all the other baseboards these days is made from aluminium and deserved and comes with simple rubber feet.

The Trampolin 2 which is thankfully a huge improvement over the original trampolin 1 because it’s made of aluminium and is earthed again rather than just thick Formica. But it does share the very same diaphragm mounted larger feet. Finally, the trampolin Can also have a phono stage mounted which then sits within the LP 12 and there are two versions of the phono stage. The first one is the Urika 1 and this would be the one that would be of most interest to you guys on here as it’s analog and will connect easily into a conventional stereo (Naim) system. The second is called the Urika 2, I guess because it came after the original analog phono stage. This one is purely digital in its output and will only connect into Linn System. There are no phono plugs, it uses an ethernet cable!
Quite a few people on occasions have asked me if it’s possible to use this phono stage in the context of a all Naim system, and the answer is no because it speaks in Linn digital language and so you wouldn’t get much joy plugging it into anything else!

I would like to pick up on something that Graham 55 mentioned about three weeks ago: this was his thoughts on how the Keel/A was the biggest improvement he has heard, made in the context of his LP12 I believe. I am pleased about this because I think likewise. I should point out I have never met Graham and consequently he is not a customer of mine but I’m very happy that he is happy with his LP 12/Aro👍🏻.

Yes it is true, I’ve been fortunate to be able offer a helping hand with quite a number of products associated with the LP 12 and vinyl replay generally over the years including things as diverse as the lifter Aro lift/lower device and also the Airplugs for the Superline along with many of their optimal loadings and this was only possible because of the help of Naim’s very own Steve Sells.
Anyway, the important thing to remember here is not who, it’s more about were the improvements worthwhile and beneficial to the users. :slightly_smiling_face:

In summary, the LP 12 generally is a kit of bits and you can put it together and configure the specification that you require, hopefully without spending more than you want to precisely because it is a case of bits and you can buy new and secondhand bits to do the job and in this respect it’s just the same as a Naim system as so many of us have, systems comprising elements that were bought new and elements that were bought secondhand. What matters is that the items fit our respective budgets and aspirations as far as possible.

I hope The above answers most of your questions and proves to be an interesting read.
I do apologise if there are any typos but I’m having to dictate this post on my iPhone as my Internet went down Earlier this evening!
KR,
Peter

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That is an extremely helpful summary, Peter, if I may say so, which I think will be welcomed by Members who are interested in having their LP12s ‘fettled’.

May I ask a couple of questions, please, about The Lifter, as I believe it is called?

  • Am I correct in thinking that this is an Audio Technica (or something similar) product which you have adapted for use with the LP12?

  • Is drilling a hole in the Keel/A a fairly simple procedure, and am I right in thinking that there a hollow on the underside of the Keel/A which makes it obvious where the hole needs to be drilled?

  • Does the weight of The Lifter mean that the subchassis needs to be reset when it is fitted?

  • Can I ask my dealer (Audio T in Brighton) to contact you direct to buy The Lifter? And can you give an indication of the price?

Essentially, what I’m wondering is whether I need to get the deck back to my dealer (it has just recently come back from having a Dynavector Te Kaitora Rua fitted, although an illness has intervened to prevent me hearing it) or whether they can just pay me a visit at home to do all the necessary work?

Many thanks, in advance, for your help.

It could be even more complicated…

How would you rank (say) the Stack and Tangerine sun-chassis and top plate compared to Linn Products?

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Hello Graham,

The lifter is actually based around a standard Rega arm lift rather than an AT. It’s comprised of a simple pillar which attaches to the sub chassis via a 4 mm Allen head screw fixing from beneath. This along with the outrigger that attaches to the standard Rega lift/lower pot and also the extended cueing bar are bespoke to the lifter and following the demise of Tiger Paw a few years back I was able to persuade johnnie7 of AO To fabricate these items for me. :blush:
The REGA lift/lower it’s really the only moving part. Consequently, in the future if anyone ever gets any problem this should be an easily available replacement part. All this is needed to adjust the lifter perfectly once the pillar is fitted is a 1.3 mm Allen key which is supplied in the kit. There are three adjustment points FYI.

There are actually six revisions of the Keel/A and a modification in the webbing underneath the arm board was made on version 3 to accommodate a specific drilling point for the lift lower. So hopefully you will have a V3 or above but if not I’m sure John at AudioT in Brighton who I’ve known for quite some time along with Julian Chapman who of course has now retired should be able to position the 4 mm hole required pretty accurately for you so as it can do the job for you.

If he doesn’t have a mounting template then he can mention it when he contacts me as I can provide one.
I’ve deliberately made these things as easy as possible to fit but obviously you would need to consult directly with John as to how and where he would fit the lift for you. However, I fitted one only this afternoon whilst the LP 12 was sat in a jig, So I don’t imagine installation of course him too many issues.

Cost? Obviously I can’t say it here but let’s say it’s less than a SNAIC 5 :wink:

KR
Peter

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Thank you very much for your speedy reply, Peter. I’ve checked the price of a SNAIC5 (prices seem to vary), and that seems okay. I have never had a problem hand cueing the ARO (in fact I find it rather quaint to do it all manually), but I’m not getting any younger, and don’t want to get too doddery to be able to cue up my LPs.

I need to get in touch with John in any event, as they sent my lovely NAT01/NAPST units back to Salisbury for a service (it wasn’t tuning properly, which is less than ideal for a tuner!), and they’ll be dropping those back to me soon.

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It could be more complicated of course, as many third-party manufacturers offer products for both Linn and Naim. But as a retailer and I think Richard Dane would agree with me, that it’s probably inappropriate for me to comment further other than to say I have a huge respect and admiration for the work of the late Derek Jenkins.
KR,
Peter

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Many thanks.

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@Cymbiosis Off topic but can you use the new Utopik (hey that rhymes) power supply with the KRadikal2?

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Time to own up - who counted the boxes?! :joy:

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Utopik is a substantial advance over the Dynamik PS I am told. However, I haven’t heard one yet as obviously only the first examples are emerging from Glasgow currently. My understanding is that sometime next year this will be made available to Radikal LP12 owners!:blush:

KR

Peter

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In anticipation of receiving my LP12 next week (more details to follow when it arrives), could I ask a boring question re: stacking order? :hot_face:

My proposed layout is …

  • LP12
  • CD5si
  • NDX 2
  • Supernait 3
  • Radikal 1

Does this sound right?

TIA

PS Ideally I would like to keep the 3 Naim boxes next to each other for aesthetic reasons…

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Others will know better than I, but to me that is exactly right.

If one day you decide to ditch the CD player (probably having ripped your CDs), you could use the space for an XPS for the NDX2 (if it is by then your main source) or a Hicap PS for the Supernait.

If you have the sockets available, having the Radikal on a different socket to the rest often helps SQ. Tha Naim boxes are happy to share a supply with each other, with a Hydra from just 1 socket being my preferred option,

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I don’t stream but my stack is
LP12
Supernait 3
Cd5si
K Rad2
Not sure about Streamer placement if it has antenna then high or hardwired doesn’t matter.
IMO

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Another milestone reached.

Ekstatik after 150 hours on the clock continues to bring smiles.

The detail it reveals is astonishing with a wonderful balance of lows, mids and highs. The only downside I suppose is that it’s so revealing that poor recordings are exposed easily. It needs lovely clean vinyl to show its full capabilities. My recent investment in Degritter ticks that box easily.

Oh ……and the £23.99 stylus timer thingy is a bit geeky but it keeps me happy.

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That set up looks perfect to me. I found the CD5Si not as good as a lower grade LP12 than yours and not as good as the ND5XS with external DAC. So not sure that source is on the same level quality wise. Very nice it is though. Much preferred the CDS2 and CDS3 with XPS and XPS 2 respectively.

Lovely cartridge (I love my two stylus timers too!) and the Degritter is getting excellent reviews too.

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Harumpf. My stylus timer not quite as aesthetically pleasing :wink:

I hope that reset button needs a long press!!?

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It does luckily :smile:

Never accidentally reset any of mine yet!

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