Amp Speaker combination

[TV Sunil]

Hello everyone,

I’m new to this forum. I’m looking for some advice. My present setup is a Denon Turntable (basic model), Marantz PM7000n Amp and Wharfdale 12.3 Floor Standing speakers. I’m looking to upgrade to the next segment and am considering the Rega Planar 2 with the Carbon Cartridge turntable and the Wharfdale Super Linton speakers. I plan to continue with the Marantz PM 7000n for now. Is this a decent combination or are there any other suggestions/ recommendations? Would greatly appreciate any leads and advice. Thanks

 

[General_sound]

Hello TV Sunil. While the Denon DP 29 F is a very basic TT it does sound good for the price. Tracking at 3.5 g it may not be kinder to records than the Rega Planar 2 which tracks at 2 to 2.5 g using the same cartridge that is AT3600. However Planar 2 is a definite step up from the Denon DP29 F. Listen before you buy, always.
I had the opportunity to listen to both the Diamond 12.3 and Linton at HI Fi Mart Listening Room in Colaba in Sep 2025. There is a vast difference in sound. Mr Anil was patient enough to let us audition in detail and his commitment to ensure customer satisfaction is exemplary. You can speak to him if not already spoken.

 

[TV Sunil]

Thank you for the response. I have heard the Linton at the Hi Fi Mart Listening Room last month. Mr Anil was very helpful. However, Yhave not heard the Super Linton. THUS, am not too sure if it is worth the INR 1 Lakh price difference. Are there any other options for the Turntable and Speakers within the same price range?

 

[General_sound]

Hi Sunil. I have not heard the Super Lintons , so I cannot comment on the sound, however there have been some upgrades in the new design. Depending on your listening/ musical tastes , speakers from Elac and Focal come in mind. At the same time cost increase is not related to sound quality increase!
As regards tts, I have had a Rega RP 1. It was actually one of the best sounding tts. However that had a low torque motor and I was not happy with the ‘drive’. My present Project Debut iii, comes second, and not a close second. So Rega, despite quirks , is a good choice.
As always, try to audition. Warm Regards

 

[TV Sunil]

Hi Sunil. I have not heard the Super Lintons , so I cannot comment on the sound, however there have been some upgrades in the new design. Depending on your listening/ musical tastes , speakers from Elac and Focal come in mind. At the same time cost increase is not related to sound quality increase!
As regards tts, I have had a Rega RP 1. It was actually one of the best sounding tts. However that had a low torque motor and I was not happy with the ‘drive’. My present Project Debut iii, comes second, and not a close second. So Rega, despite quirks , is a good choice.
As always, try to audition. Warm Regards

Thank you very much!

 

[Beast_of_burden]

If you are set on a Rega, for me it has to be the P3 or even better the P3 RS. This is the TT in their lineup which starts to pull away from the rest. The RB330 arm is pretty much an institution all by itself. Cartridge can be the AT 95 ML or a Goldring E3/E4 or Nagoaka Mp100-200(depending on the outlay). The P3 RS comes with a very good Ortofon IIRC. Rega Carbon is too basic and not an upgrade in any sense. All this comes at a not insignificant upgrade to the price, but satisfaction with a vinyl setup requires a certain minimum outlay to cross the threshold to excellent sound. Otherwise vinyl by itself isn’t worth the effort.

 

[RT3]

I doubt you will get a clearly perceivable difference with a P2. I was in a similar boat with a DP300F until a month ago. After much research and thinking (maybe a year of dithering - irritating the better half because she wanted to gift me a nice TT and I was putting it off) I ended up getting a really sweet vintage 1200Mk2 with a couple of tasteful upgrades from a gent who turned out to be a fellow FM. Considered everything on the market and came close to pulling the trigger on a few of them, including a vintage Garrard 301. To be very honest, the difference between our trusty DP300F and the Technics with the same cart is virtually unnoticeable at this point but that’s probably because I probably need to upgrade my basic amp to something that resolves better which is on the cards. Also, I suppose it’s fair to discount the ‘audiophile’ factor of whether you listen to music or you listen to your gear so there’s that

So I personally would jump two levels on the TT for any kind of noticeable difference and for future upgrades. Particularly if you’re looking at the Super Lintons. At least a P3 or P3RS as recommended above. Or a P6 or a Clearaudio Concept. Or a Technics Mk7 if you want to go Direct Drive. There are a lot of options in the vintage market but that’s a whole other conversation. Also consider a nice standalone phono stage. Said gent from whom I picked up the Technics, kindly lent me a really high end phono stage to audition and it was absolutely incredible, even when used with my entry level amp! The difference it makes is nothing short of shocking if never experienced before. Btw it’s a Trigon and it’s up for sale on the Classifieds section here - great product and price and even nicer person. In short, look at a level above the P2 at least and keep some cash for a nice phono stage or consider investing in that a little further down the line.