Old Linn Sondek (1970s) in comparison to a Rega P3-24

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Its been a few years since I owned a decent hi-fi system and Im looking at getting myself another.

I had a 1970s Sondek with Naim nait (original), naim cables and homebuilt speakers which all sounded fantastic.

How would a Rega P3-24 with Nait 5i sound in comparison to this now?

The sondek was pretty standard if I remember.

Thanks.

 

[chebby]

A "1970s Sondek" would probably have sported a Grace G-707 or Hadcock 228 or even the SME 3009 arm. (I seem to remember Supex 900 cartridges being favoured with the Grace arm.)

This was before Linn starting marketing their own-brand tonearms.

The original Naim Nait was launched in 1983. I only heard it once (with Sondek + LVX arm and Linn Kans) and didn't like it at all.

My preference would be for the latest Nait 5i (obviously).

I would also choose the P3-24 if only because 1970s Sondeks went 'out-of-tune' within minutes of getting them home from a visit to a Linn Klinik. Sondeks back then were very 'needy' bits of kit and demanded a lot of the owner's time and money.

I knew someone back in the early 1980s with a Linn Sondek + Ittok/Asak and all the upgrades, tweaks, spring changes, Kliniks etc. cost as much as running a small car. Something new was happening to it almost every week.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Chebby,

The Sondek did have the grace arm and I had a Denon moving coil cartrige before my son got his hands on it, had to swith to something else then .. possibly goldring .. can't really remember. The Denon was a superb cartridge though.

 

[Anonymous]

Regarding the Sondek, Nait and Caans .. this is a system my Dad ran for a while and he was equally unimpressed with that set up and ended up buildind some more speakers. I bought the Sondek and Nait from him.

 

[Anonymous]

While Chebby is right about the tuning, it's also true that the Sondek sounds a lot better than the Rega P3. There's something about the depth combined with the liveliness (prat) of a Sondek that few other decks can equal. Also, it's not a fair comparison as the Sondek was always middle climbing to high end as the years progressed while the Rega Planar 3 and now the P3-24 are more budget orientated.

However, a 70s Sondek does not sound like the current crop. It's warmer and slightly more coloured. If you have one which is in good condition I'd keep it, and check at the Linn forum what mods yours will have, or alternatively search the web for Sondek serial numbers - there's a couple of sites that list what was introduced at what serial number onwards.

 

[jerry klinger]

Grottyash:

While Chebby is right about the tuning, it's also true that the Sondek sounds a lot better than the Rega P3.

Except he wasn't asking about the Planar 3 - he was asking about the P3-24.

Having owned a variety of Linn Sondeks since 1980, I can tell you that the P3-24 kills the lot in terms of timing and detail. One of the reasons of course is the motor/TTPSU combination, but a much less heralded change is the new RB301 arm, a huge improvement on the RB300 IMHO and almost as good as their best.

Linn - comfy old armchair. P3-24 - nice new Nissan NSX.

 

[Anonymous]

jerry klinger:Grottyash:
While Chebby is right about the tuning, it's also true that the Sondek sounds a lot better than the Rega P3.

Except he wasn't asking about the Planar 3 - he was asking about the P3-24.

Having owned a variety of Linn Sondeks since 1980, I can tell you that the P3-24 kills the lot in terms of timing and detail. One of the reasons of course is the motor/TTPSU combination, but a much less heralded change is the new RB301 arm, a huge improvement on the RB300 IMHO and almost as good as their best.

Linn - comfy old armchair. P3-24 - nice new Nissan NSX.

Let me rephrase, then: the Sondek sounds a lot better than the P3-24. I wouldn't say the Sondek was a comfy old chair either - after all, Linn and Naim gave the world PRAT!

Each to his or her own - I prefer Technics DD decks over the Regas. Linn I'd love to own but can't afford at current prices.