First post, so be gentle. I’m midway on my Naim journey but have become seriously diverted by vinyl. Having embraced streaming and reluctantly boxing up my CDs I thought I’d dip my toes in the vinyl pond and I find myself hooked. I’m sure this is partly nostalgia and the tactile nature of ‘records’ (as well as some great boot sale finds) but I’m wondering if anyone has advice or experience about matching turntables with Naim kit. My current system is a cdi5/uniti serve/272/300dr/Russel k red 150s. My turntable is a rega planar 3. With regards to turntable upgrade path, where would you go next? Thanks all.
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Planar 8 with Apheta 3 and a suitable phono stage. Rega Aria is the obvious candidate, but it’s a competitive price point. My phono stage is Trichord Diablo with NCPSU.
Well, it’s where I went from P3 anyway 
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A damm good phono stage is always good. It also opens up options for better cartridges. Mm and mc. Different gains, loadings, capacitance. Then of course a power supply for the stage.
How much are you willing to spend?
How much ongoing tinkering would you like to accommodate?
Rega P8 + stock Rega cart a solid next step and a nice system fit.
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What’s your current phono stage?
@Sls - adding a power supply to your P3 is a big upgrade. My brother added a Rega NEO PSU to his P3 and said he was blown away by the improvement.
I’m looking at doing that, and changing the Elys2 which isn’t the best.
I thought the Vertere DG-1 with its stock MM cartridge was better than the Rega P8 with its stock MC cartridge. But as @MaxiMe said, what phono stage are you using at the moment?
Several others have already asked about your budget. The potential for improvement is incredible. I used to have the Linn LP12, but If you want to go all in on vinyl, as I did, look into a Kuzma TT. There are several from which to choose, but they are all wonderful. I went with their top of the line Stabi XL DC with their 14" 4 Point tonearm and a Koetsu Rosewood Signature Platinum cartridge. It is very expensive but the result is sublime!
As you can see from my pics, I also upgraded my 500/552 to the Statement. the sound is phenomenal, especially when spinning 45 RPM audiophile discs.
The bottom line is that there are many options to create an incredible sound, but I thought I would share my path.
Anyway, congratulations on coming back “home” to vinyl, the best source available (outside of R2R).
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I went from Planar 3 (in the mid 80s) to Linn Lp12. By the 2000s my LP12 was in disrepair and I no longer had a B&M Linn dealer to help (just some dealer working out of his house on appt…no thanks). I went back to a modern P3 with upgrades, but was never that impressed, so I got a Clearaudio. Now I am quite happy with my setup: Clearaudio Ovation with Universal arm, Dynavector XV-1s and Superline with a Cymbiosis provided Z-foil 453R Airplug.
I’m at end game with my current system.
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Sounds great. I’ve been at “end game” at least3 times…and I’m about to upgrade from my Superline/SupercapDR. I don’t think I believe in “end game” anymore! LOL
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Thanks for all the advice. My current phonostage is the rega mm and mc. Budget. There’s a question. Depends if you ask me or my wife. I’d say around £3k…
Never ask the wife!
For £3k you have plenty of very nice options. If it were me, I’d be very tempted by a mint secondhand RP10 for around £2k and put the rest towards cart/phono stage upgrades.
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P8 w/Ania Pro is seriously good vfm. If you already have an Aria phono stage (which is how I read one of the later messages in this thread) that’s obviously a good match. Other good phono stages around the same price point could be Trichord Dino with one of their separate power supplies (I use that with my LP12 w/Krystal) or the Vertere Phono-1 Mk II (which I use with my P8 w/Ania Pro).
I don’t know a lot about turntables. Like the OP, I have my original Rega Planar 3, and I had a Bias 2 stylis and Rega fono mm phono stage added, along with a service, 3 years ago. Is there any low cost upgrade I can add to that lot? I’m not keen on swapping it out.
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@Sls I’m going to throw in the Technics SL1200GR (or 1210 of course), should last you a lifetime. Spend the rest on a good cart and phonostage. My suggestion would be top MM/MI from either Ortofon, Nagaoka or AT and spend the rest on a good phono stage. Perhaps an EAR Phonobox or Lehmann Black Cube SE II ?
Edit: If you can stretch a bit, or manage to get a discount on the lot, perhaps even the Lehmann Audio Decade
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Neo PSU if you don’t have one.
Funk Firm Achromat, relatively cheap to evaluate, I’ve got one on a P3 and like what it does.
Replace the belt at regular intervals, I use an Edwards Little Belter which works nicely on Rega decks.
Rega wall shelf perhaps?
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Is that for the phono stage or TT? Edit: I see it’s for the turntable, but it has a wire direct to a power socket, so I need to see what is involved with that.
I’ve a full Fraim shelf coming for the NDX2, then the Rega is going back on the top of the rack on a level of Fraim Lite (might use a spare glass shelf with ball bearing and nuts for it…).
The new reference EBLT is worth getting. £25.
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