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Naim Solstice officially unveiled . . .

G T Audio said:
They probably could, assuming they still have the expertise to design such a thing, but it would be significantly more costly to make in house than buy from another supplier more geared up for such a product...
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I wouldn't have to be more costly, Linn just want it to be. They do make a budget tonearm, just that they charge two grand for it! Seriously guys? The Audio Origami PU7, which is also hand built in Glasgow, costs that and competes with the Ekos SE.

There isn't an excuse for it. Linn have the knowable, the capacity and the tools to make a budget tonearm if they wanted to. Rega have been doing it for forty years. They just don't want to make a budget anything. They want to charge people the highest possible prices for everything they make.
 
Mr Pig said:
I wouldn't have to be more costly, Linn just want it to be. They do make a budget tonearm, just that they charge two grand for it! Seriously guys? The Audio Origami PU7, which is also hand built in Glasgow, costs that and competes with the Ekos SE.

There isn't an excuse for it. Linn have the knowable, the capacity and the tools to make a budget tonearm if they wanted to. Rega have been doing it for forty years. They just don't want to make a budget anything. They want to charge people the highest possible prices for everything they make.
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To be honest I never understood why Linn didn't or don't use a Rega based tonearm or the PU7 in latter years.
 
Darren L said:
To be honest I never understood why Linn didn't or don't use a Rega based tonearm or the PU7 in latter years.
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What? For Linn to give any sort of legitimacy or acknowledgement to Rega products these days? It's not in Linn best interests to point anyone in Rega's direction. ...In fact, I'd bet if you ask a Linn Rep about some Rega tonearm as an alternative to a Linn Krane tonearm Linn would tell you the Rega's not a good fit and that they believe their "least expensive" tonearm is better than any Rega tonearm, or Rega Who?? with a little laugh..
 
Linn manufacture a Rega mount arm board for anyone foolhardy enough to want to fit a Rega arm to a Linn.

Which is more than Rega do, so which is the more open architecture?
 
Back in the day, I worked on a lot of RB300 arms on LP-12s. It was 70% of an ittok for the same price as a basik. it was a no brainer. The arm is a little lighter, so the springs needed to be tweaked, and yes the corner brace needed filing. And VTA is a huge pain in the butt. But it works, sounds good and looks good. Ittok/Ekos 1s a better arm tho. I have not heard an RB3000. I would very much like to.
 
The rega arms don’t feel very nice to use IME. Couldn’t care less what Linn want to charge, I have an Ekos which I bought circa 20 years ago & it sounds fine to my ears.
 
chris geary said:
I have not heard an RB3000. I would very much like to.
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I have and it's lovely.

I've tried an RB250, RB300, stripped RB300, stripped and rewired RB300 and RB3000 on the LP12. The best is the RB3000, obviously. The best value is the RB300 with the paint striped off. It's the lack of paint that makes the biggest difference to these arms.

I've also had Basik Plus, Basik LVX, Akito and Ittok LVII. I'd take the stripped and rewired RB300 over the Ittok, which is exactly what I did. The RB3000 is really just more of the same, as you would expect. With say the standard RB300 compared to the Ittok it's like 'Yeah it's quite nice...but'. With the mods the RB300 is better than the Ittok in almost every way. Detractors could still point to a couple of things the Ittok is slightly better at but it's really just being obtuse as the Rega is the better all rounder and more musical of the two.

The RB3000 just ends the argument. It ups the dynamics and clarity to warm fuzzy satisfaction levels. The only arm I'd consider swapping it for is a PU7 but I doubt I will. The RB3000 is beautiful. There are no buts, it's a stunningly good arm.

NB: You do need to dress Rega arms properly for them to work well on the LP12. Yes, you need to dress any arm properly but it's easy with a Linn arm and trickier with a Rega. However, the light weight of RB3000 is great as light arms work better on the LP12 than heavier ones do. Ask anyone who's messed with LP12s, there is something about the sound of the deck with a light arm on it, just grooves better.
 
FWIW, in my time at Rega, Linn did indeed contact us for an OEM tonearm solution. There was absolutely no snobbery about Rega’s OEM offering not being good enough or any silly competition. However, it didn’t work out because Rega were at full capacity at the time. Linn were nice people and the business went to Pro-Ject because they had the bandwidth to help. The idea that either company are closed off to the other is just daft. Both companies have traded perfectly happily with each other for years on a different OEM basis already.
 
pocketkitchen said:
FWIW, in my time at Rega, Linn did indeed contact us for an OEM tonearm solution. There was absolutely no snobbery about Rega’s OEM offering not being good enough or any silly competition. However, it didn’t work out because Rega were at full capacity at the time. Linn were nice people and the business went to Pro-Ject because they had the bandwidth to help. The idea that either company are closed off to the other is just daft. Both companies have traded perfectly happily with each other for years on a different OEM basis already.
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Always good to get some facts into these threads.
 
I was in AudioT Brighton last weekend, dropping off my DX2 to have it serviced by Roksan and phono boards added.

Someone here mentioned they’d seen a Solstice there, but it wasn’t hooked up. I was hoping for a listen, but apparently it, and their other stock (one other I believe) had sold quickly.

Anecdotal for sure, but perhaps they’re not doing too badly with them?

Not my cup of tea looks (or price!) wise, but I’d love to hear one.
 
Whaleblue said:
Anecdotal for sure, but perhaps they’re not doing too badly with them?
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You mean to say they've sold two?? Wow!

For context, I was in Stereo Stereo in Glasgow one week after the Linn CD12 CD player came out. I was talking to the owner about the outrageous price of the player, seems normal now but it wasn't back then, and who would buy it. A big grin spread over his face and he said 'We've sold six!' In a week...
 
Mr Pig said:
You mean to say they've sold two?? Wow!

For context, I was in Stereo Stereo in Glasgow one week after the Linn CD12 CD player came out. I was talking to the owner about the outrageous price of the player, seems normal now but it wasn't back then, and who would buy it. A big grin spread over his face and he said 'We've sold six!' In a week...
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Normal? £12K is a normal price for a CD player? Seems like an outrageous price to me, even now
 
Whaleblue said:
I was in AudioT Brighton last weekend, dropping off my DX2 to have it serviced by Roksan and phono boards added.

Someone here mentioned they’d seen a Solstice there, but it wasn’t hooked up. I was hoping for a listen, but apparently it, and their other stock (one other I believe) had sold quickly.

Anecdotal for sure, but perhaps they’re not doing too badly with them?

Not my cup of tea looks (or price!) wise, but I’d love to hear one.
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They told me they’d sold four and I believe all as second decks to LP12 owners.

Be interesting to hear how a £16k LP12 compares to the Solstice given £16k is some way from a top specced Linn now.
 
JezmondTutu said:
They told me they’d sold four and I believe all as second decks to LP12 owners.

Be interesting to hear how a £16k LP12 compares to the Solstice given £16k is some way from a top specced Linn now.
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Four was it? Blimey. Out of my little universe, but would be an interesting listen.
 
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