Ariston RD-11S (1974)

A 2-speed belt-drive turntable designed in 1971 and manufactured in Scotland. It looks and works a lot like the Linn LP12.

Overview

The Ariston RD-11S is a 2-speed belt-drive turntable made by Ariston. Hamish Robertson designed it in 1971, and it was released as a 1974 model. Castle Engineering in Scotland built it, the same factory that later produced the Linn LP12. It is considered very rare today and is often the subject of restoration projects, as seen in dedicated forum threads. Owners point to its visual and mechanical similarities to the Linn LP12, calling it "eerily similar" and saying it "looks and plays fantastic!"

Specifications

Drive	Belt drive
Motor	24-pole hysteresis synchronous motor
Motor mounting	on silicone isolation sub-chassis

Design

The platter and sub-platter design, the suspension elements and the layout are nearly identical to the Linn LP12. One key difference: the arm board on the Ariston is not detached. Many popular upgrades developed for the Linn LP12 Sondek, such as the Valhalla electronics package and Nirvana springs, are compatible with the Ariston RD-11S.

Context

Hamish Robertson, founder of Ariston, designed the RD-11 in 1971. He left the company in 1973 after Dunlop took control. That same year, Linn announced the LP12 with a statement reading: "The turntable previously available under the name Ariston RD11 is now available under the name Linn LP12." The Ariston RD-11 came three years before the Linn LP12 and set the basic design that Linn later refined and popularized.

Market

The Ariston RD-11S is described as "Very Rare," which counts for something with collectors and restorers. Its close relationship to the Linn LP12 and the shared upgrade path make it a sought-after piece for audiophiles interested in the origins of the LP12 design.

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