I wanted your thoughts on my purchasing dilemma. I am looking to get a new Rega turntable, cartridge and phono-stage. My budget allows me to get one of the two setups. Which one would you choose.
Naia turntable with Aphelion cart and Aria MK3 phono stage or the Planar 10 with the Aphelion cart and Rega Aura phono-stage?
The rest of my system is the following:
VTL TL 7.5lll Preamplifier
VTL S400 amplifier
Magnepan 20.7 speakers
Linn Klimax DS lll
Kimber Kables - 6065 speaker and 1136 interconnects
My thought is do it once and be done with it. Assuming your budget can accommodate it the Naia/Aphelion/Aura is the way. The Aria Mk3 is fine, but you’ll be second guessing yourself with it vice the Aura.
If strictly between those options. I would go with Naia. Selling Aria to upgrade later is likely to be easier than selling the P10, probably will lose less money too.
I’m kind of leaning that way. It’s roughly a 2k difference btw the 2 options as my dealer is giving me a really good deal. I really want the Aura but will most likely have to purchase that one next year. I’m going to do a full comparison this weekend with both setups.
Yeah I messaged Harley and he told me he uses the Aria MK3 and it still sounds pretty damn good. So I will see this weekend. Hey I’m coming from Pro-Ject RPM-10 Carbon with a Ortofon Cadenza Red cart and Pro-Ject Phono Box RS2 so I figure with either Rega table I will be happy!
I agree with Al. The cartridge and phono stage should return more performance per dollar spent than the turntable upgrade. The P10 is a pretty great turntable. Just my opinion.
I agree, my only concern is that I’m trying to also weigh long term. Buy a once in a lifetime turntable or pass and get a really good turntable, cartridge and phono preamp today. That’s my dilemma! At $6345 I would probably lose 50% if I was to trade at a later time for the Naia. Which would put me in $10k deficit, compared to trading up for Aura and receiving close to 50% for the Aria and a $5k out of pocket cost to my dealer for the better phono stage.
I don’t think there is a bad option in your trade space. If you are sure you “need” the NAIA, I agree that it would be better to get it now rather than look to trade up to it later with something you paid retail for. For what it’s worth, I have your second option and couldn’t be happier (no NAIA lust whatsoever). This configuration relegated a very respectable Technics 1200g, Manley Chinook and Ortofon Cadenza Bronze to a secondary system. My expectation is the sound improvement of the Aura over the Aria MK3 will be greater than the difference you would hear between the P10 and NAIA. I think you’ll be in for a treat regardless of which direction you go!
I gave my RP10 to a friend. He really likes it much more than I would enjoy the money I could get for selling it. Audio is a poor investment for long term capital gains. And speaking of buying an endgame turntable. My RP10 was supposed to be that sort of purchase. The $8k+ I spent on it seemed absurd. $8k on a turntable? To listen to clicks and pops? Insanity. My $80K turntable is much better though and next month I will replace my perfectly good and much loved $10k cartridge with a $15k cartridge. The best laid plans sometimes are not reality based. Who knows how slippery the slope will be NEXT WEEK?
(Did I mention my phono cable for connecting the TT to the Phono preamp lists for $11K?)
(A phono cable!!!)
(But the clicks and pops are to ashamed to appear. Money well spent.)
Sound advice. One consideration, ask your Rega dealer if a full price trade-in upgrade to the Aura in a year or so is an option. Some dealers offer this on other brands.
I was offered $4k trade in for my existing cartridge towards the purchase of the new cartridge. The joy my old one will bring to whomever I give it to will exceed $4k to me. I just wish it was a cute girl. But it will most likely be some guy.
That will make someone most happy, as it is a most fine cartridge, having heard one a a buddy’s place. My Mutech Hayabusa is none too shabby. Unfortunately it is sidelined, it has shifted slightly on the tonearm, thus the precision alignment is skewed. My setup guy is going to stop in next week and we will evaluate and correct.
A friend just installed a Dohmann turntable with the Supatrac Nighthawk tonearm.
