I need HELP with my LP12 based system

I was in exactly your situation about 2 years ago and auditioned many turntables. There are a number of well documented design limitations in the Linn LP12 that will prevent you achieving your goal of deep, tight bass.

I found that turntables with rubber belt drive and suspended sub-chassis all had the same limitations as the Linn to varying degrees. In contrast, those using mass to damp resonance were capable of far better performance.

25 years ago the Linn shifted expectations of analog reproduction but there have been huge strides in technology since then.

I would suggest you check out the Galibier Serac turntable which falls within your budget range. I haven't heard one yet but I bought it's bigger brother, the Gavia, and it's designer is passionate about good analog sound.

The other option I would suggest, which is not approved by the audiphile taste police but works, is a Technics SL1200 table fitted with a modified RB250 arm (Expressimo or Michell Tecnoarm) and the cart of your choice. Being direct drive it delivers great speed stablity and mounted on a sandbox shelf would be well isolated from resonance problems.

The adapter plate for the arm is sold by Origin Live. Sell the standard fit arm on ebay. I tried an old SL-150 and was surprised how much better than the Linn it was when fitted with an Expressimo and mounted on a sandbox. The SL1200 is ridiculously underpriced because it has been in production so long and the tooling cost has been amortized.

A third choice would be to check out the "Building high-end 'tables at Home Despot" thread and join that experiment. I did and it really does work.

Pscialli don't be tempted to spend any more on your Linn. None of the (expensive) upgrades suggested are good value and they will yield only incremental improvements. Accept that your table is a flawed design that has one redeeming feature - its lucid, dynamic mid range.

No matter what mods you do to a Linn you will still have a cheap motor boouncing around on springs driving the platter by a rubber band. It's impossible to get good speed stability with that technology.

To approach the quality of your digital source you really need a massy unsuspended turntable driven by a mylar belt or a direct drive motor.

Following Mcrheist's post I went to my nearest Linn dealer to hear the current spec LP12 yesterday. They are a long-standing Linn dealer in London who are still very active in analog. They claim to dismantle, measure, inspect and rebuild every new turntable they receive from the factory and, if you believe forum posts, it's said that Linn send their trainees to this dealer for training in set-up. The dealer was very confident about being able to get the best possible performance from the LP12.

The table was fitted with Akiva/Ekos with Lingo and Linto PSU and phono stage, through Magik pre/power and Akurate speakers. Initially I heard the system with the Magik cd player. It sounded slightly solid-state "hard" but had good deep bass extension and it didn't have that characteristic in which negative feedback makes vocalists sound short of breath.

Switching to the LP12, I initially noticed good tonality, detail and resolution. However, as the tracks built in complexity and ampllitude it was harder to hear individual instruments in the mix - the lead part dominated with micro-dynamics being lost. Also, compared to cd, there was significantly less bass energy and extension. All audio involves compromise of some sort, but the LP12 asks too much in my view.

I'm surprised that Mcrheist rates the LP12 on similar terms to the SME 20/2 - I would say that it is on a par with the SME 10 which is dry, organised, with deep extension although not the greatest at conveying a sense of performance.

So I stand by my original statement, the LP12 is outdated, over-rated and over-priced. If your priority is to create an illusion of live performance in your home then the LP12 won't get you there.

Finally, after 2 hours of listening to ss amplification I'd had enough. It was so good to come home to my DRDs.

Today I've been playing with the DV 507 Mk II and XX-2 but that's for another thread!