I agree with the recommendation made above on the Goldring 1042 cartridge. Very satisfying piece. I will say I do not like the Akito arm, that never did it for me. I would recommend you spend no more than the Goldring for that arm. If you want to spend more money, I think you will get much much much better sound by buying a lower grade cartridge and using $600 to buy a used Ittok rather than a cartridge. May sound crazy to you but the Ittok with a low grade cartridge will sound better than your Akito with a mega buck cartridge. Do not forget to tune your Linn for best performance. I have owned many many linn tables and currently use an LP12 with Pink Linnk and Naim Aro as 1 of my two main tables. This is my opinion but an experienced one. You will probably get many more. Dont sweat it, pick a path that fits your budget and ideas and go with it. The odds of being able to audition your choices is slim to none. So go with what you think is best. Good luck on your search.
Cartridge for my Linn Sondek LP12?
My Linn K9 cartridge has bit the dust, and I am taking this chance to try something else. The Grado Prestige Silver/Gold has been suggested. My budget is under $300 and I do not own nor plan on buying a step-up transformer soon. Reasonably high output and tracking, along with a warm but detailed sound is paramount. The arm is the Linn Akito. My album collection is classical/jazz/classic rock/folk/...you get the idea.
Your suggestions are truly appreciated. My tastes are eclectic; mostly jazz, classical, classic rock, and whatever is worthy.
Your suggestions are truly appreciated. My tastes are eclectic; mostly jazz, classical, classic rock, and whatever is worthy.