…lovely deck and photo!
From the pictures already posted it looks like the Naim Aro is favoured over the Linn arms. Some really high spec decks too.
I am told there were only about 1200 Aros ever made.
I’ve not a done count but the Aro seems very popular with Naim owners which I guess shouldn’t be a great surprise. I wonder what difference in sound is between two decks of the same spec bar the arms or course and how many Aros are used outside of a Naim system?
Really enjoying this thread… There are some lucky owners of some wonderful LP12s.
Mine was built by Peter Swain. A walnut plinth with Class A serviced Lingo 1. Cirkus bearing. Tonearm is an Akito 2b and cartridge is an Audio Technica vm530 en.
I read a thread some years back ref top Linn arm Vs Aro. One guy described the Linn arm as like being kicked by Wayne Rooney in Bover boots, Whilst the Aro was like being kicked by Nureyev in slippers.
I have to confess that my Aro is my only Naim product but I have had it 29 yes and I still love it
Great photo and plinth.
I always wanted to try an Aro on my Roksan.
It’s such a cool looking arm.
A lovely and a very accurate description
Here’s mine. Black fluted corner braced plinth, Lingo, Cirkus, Kore, Ekos, ESCO Troika, Black Mogami T-Cable, Solid base. Sorry for the picture quality
Dumb question: the “top plate” is what sits under the platter, and sometimes is silver and sometimes black . . . correct? I’m wondering about the color differences, as I don’t see “top plate” options per se from Linn. So I must be missing something!
Bart - various after-market/other provider options are available:
Shiny steel is Linn’s original
The matt aluminium is most likely a Tiger Paw Khan (it also comes in black) or a Tangerine Karmen - do a web search for pics with the platter off.
Of course, when looking at (for example) @Arthur-Lee 's deck above, the Tangerine Stiletto is a one piece plinth (plinth without base but with top-plate machined from one billet of aluminium).
FYI, it’s jolly expensive but to my ears = big improvement over the wooden-based plinths. Noise floor much lower (pre Karousel).
I think @Charlie 's also has Tangerine’s baseboard Skorpion & Eklipse sub-platform - I’ll let Charlie add details (as they may be willing).
@Bart - you’ll also notice there are various after-market products for the suspension, being akin to Linn’s Keel.
My LP12 is feeling a bit left out especially with so many fantastic plinths and supports
Other than a change to an Ittok it is still more or less the same as when it was manufactured (mid-1980s, pre-circus) and still sounds fantastic to me. Must admit though some of those plinths have me thinking
I do love the fluted plinths, and especially the Aro’s, they all look good and I am sure sound great too. I miss my LP12 at times, but also enjoy my Holbo linear tracker as well.
Must admit though some of those plinths have me thinking
@Jack – You have a fluted (afro?) plinth. There may be “better sounding” plinths out there, but none better looking, as far as I’m concerned.
It’s just a matter of taste. My wife didn’t like, at all, the more ‘exotic grain’ plinths from Woodsong. So we’re getting a Woodsong, but a fluted American cherry. Pretty traditional.
I agree with @TheKevster that a fluted Linn plinth, afro or other woods, looks pretty great.