I posted this on the LP12 Lounge facebook group but I thought it might be of interest to some here as well.
This is primarily aimed at LP12 owners. Every single review you will read of the Ania Pro puts it on a Rega turntable. There is also a myth that Rega tonearms don’t work on the LP12 but I’ve known for years that Rega arms work very well on the Linn, especially the modern ones. So does the Exact and I wanted to find out if the Ania Pro is something a Linn owner should consider too. Rega cartridges are generally not used outside of the Rega fold but is this reasonable?
The Ania Pro is the second cartridge of four in the Rega moving coil line up, the Ania is the first. I don’t know why they didn’t give this cart a different name. The most noticeable change over the Ania is that it has a Vital stylus instead of an elliptical but the cantilever and even the body are different too. In fact, as far as I can tell, the Ania Pro is an Apheta 2 in a plastic body. It should have had its own name.
Perceived value is not strong. Plastic body, alloy cantilever and a Vital stylus when for two hundred less Audio Technica give you an alloy body, boron cantilever and SLC stylus on the OC9-XSL. Even the packing is minimal, the same small plastic box the moving magnet carts come in. You also get a stylus guard best left in the box after the cart is fitted, the shortest allan key you’ve ever seen and three Lilliputian bolts. The three point fixing removes the need to align the cart on a Rega arm, you just have to deal with the terrible Rega cartridge tags. The comedy bolts and alan key also make sense, Rega don’t want you to crank this cart on too tightly. All cartridges are sensitive to bolt tightness but this one seems more so. If the bolts are too tight the cart sounds congested, narrow, lacking in dynamics. The transparent body lets you see that the cantilever is aligning with the magnets. It’s a hard, engineering plastic but it’s not solid. The inside of the black body is partially hollow with three threaded metal inserts in islands sticking upwards, a bit like an upturned Lego brick. Like I say, it doesn’t look like you’re getting a lot for the money but Rega are a quirky company who do things differently. They do things for a reason and the generator design is unique for which Rega claim big advantages.
On the arm it certainly looks unusual, Rega carts don’t look like anything else. One annoying feature is the plastic triangle Rega have moulded on just above the cantilever. It doesn’t offer much protection, the assumption is that it’s meant as pointer to aid queuing but it has the opposite effect. Because it is black plastic, unless the room is brightly lit, it blends in with the vinyl and does a good job of hiding the cantilever.
Sonically, the Ania Pro has something going on which is really…likable. Yes, an XSL might give you more in material terms and is significantly cheaper but does it sound better? I’d say different. AT carts are very detailed and quick but typically lightweight, maybe even thin sounding. By contrast I love the Exact because it is full bodied and tuneful if somewhat blunt. The Ania Pro may well be a perfect middle ground.
It’s got the typical moving coil attributes. It’s highly detailed with air and space, that 3D sound etc but it’s more solid sounding than usual. Not thick. It’s quick and lively but has a strength of tone which makes notes sing out. Like the Exact, you find yourself singing along and it’s heart-warming. If you listened to it blind and someone told you Linn had made you’d totally believe them as this cart has the characteristics we love about classic Linn. This is a music lovers cartridge which is also pretty good in hi-fi terms. Tracking is very good, it’s quiet, the top end is smooth when it should be, not class leading but good enough. Bass is very good. The plain vanilla Ania is regularly criticized as being bass light but not the Pro. The bass is very deep, clear, tight and powerful when the record allows it but technically impressive though it is, it’s the damn tunefulness that wins you over. It’s so musically enjoyable that you don’t want to take it off. There is a lot of information but this isn’t a detail for details sake cartridge. It’s musically candid. What you hear is more expression, more soul, more musicianship.
I wouldn’t describe it as a bargain or a giant killer but it is a really good cartridge which deserves to find a wider audience. Should you consider it for an LP12? My answer would be why not? Forget the fact it says Rega on it. It’s just a well-balanced, highly accomplished cartridge which has exactly the kind of character Linn users value. And there is one final card it has to play.
When your Ania Pro wears out or if you break it, Rega have an exchange scheme which lets you swap it for a freshly rebuilt one. And that will cost you…. £350! Yip, once you’ve bought one of these carts, it’s going to costs you less than half the new price to get the next one.
Would it would work on a Linn arm? I don’t know. I think it would suit an Akito, not so sure about an Ittok. Just a guess but it’s got a forward upper midrange which might be a bit much on an Ittok on an older spec deck. I also don’t know if the third bolt hole would line up with a usable hole on a Linn headshell but I don’t think that would stop me trying it considering you don’t want the cart cranked up too tight anyway.
So yes, it’s a lovely, musical cart. I kept thinking of the Troika when I was listening to it but I think it's better than the Troika. It was en experiment but I’m keeping it. If you like the weight and punch of MM, find MC just a bit too delicate sounding, I think you might be delighted with the Ania Pro.
