What tonearms $1500 work well with the Linn?

With a Linn and $1500 to spend you should look for a used Ekos.

The Linn does not like either Regas or SMEs, so they're out. The Linn does love the Aro unipivot by Naim, a very common pairing, though it's only available used, now. So I assume it works well with unipivots generally, but check a little bit on this. I have a unipivot on a similar 3-point suspension which works great, an old Mayware in a modded AR-XA, fantastic. I use a Black Widow tonearm on aother similar 3-point suspension 'table, an Ariston (very close to the Linn in terms of mass and design) which is a great arm and a great match if you use MMs like the Grados and so forth. Of course the Ekos is a synergistic pairing. You have quite a lot of choice, with the two exceptions above. The classic 3-point suspension designs sure do boogey!

I agree completely with Johnnantais assessment of the Linn/Aro combo: about 2 1/2 years ago I put an Aro on my 20-year old Linn, and I've been very, very happy with it. Single most significant upgrade I have made since I bought the Linn LP-12 in '83. If you can find a minty one used for $1500. - buy it.

One caveat - there's no cuing device supplied with the Aro. I bought an "Aromatic" cue from Naim to mate with the Aro -- works great. I'm not sure you can still find the Aromatic, as Naim quit making them some years back - - mine was NOS from Naim USA in Chicago.