Linn LP-12 still competitive with the very best?

First, let start out by saying newer is not always better!
In response to Schipo. Linn is still considered to be one of the better turntables around(according to most of the audiophile rags)and the reason that they haven't change their design philosphy is because one, its been tried and proven and two, if ain't broke don't fix it.
Linn has been at the forefront of turntable design philosphy for the last 35 yrs. or more. They must be doing something right! They're still selling a hell of a lot of turntables! I'm sure that having been in business as long as they have, they're intellegent enough to know when a major design change is necessary.(how many turntables has the audio critic sold?)
Folks kill me with this obsolete design argument. Its not about design or specs, its ultimately about how it sounds in your system. Again, folks have been saying for years that tube amps are an old antiquated design yet, the tube amp industry has been florishing for the last 10-15 yrs.
I wonder why? Its because real audiophiles listen with their ears! Its not necessarily about the latest technology or newest design, its about how the component performs!!!

Schipo, to answer your question about if it ain't broke don't fix it, its real simple. Linn has been selling thousands of turntables a year for over 30 yrs. using the same "obselete" design so obviously its competitive! Again, if it were not I'm fairly sure they would have changed. As mentioned above they've been in business for over 35 yrs. so I think they have a little understanding about how to sell good turntables. You don't stay in business that long selling inferior and obsolete products! So again, I say if it ain't broke don't fix it!
Also, if you can tell me how many more turntables Vpi and rega sold than linn, then maybe I'll consider your competive argument. But I doubt that will happen.

Schipo, just listen to yourself. You talk about marching backwards in the 21st century when you were told sometime ago that analog (turntable) was old outdated technology.
Digital is the way to go, the latest technology!!yet you are embracing that very technology which is supposed to be old an outdated. So, who's maching backward in the 21st century?
Make-up your mind as to where you want to be.
Finally, your argument is suppose to be about being competitive, not about where you are in space and time.
So, one more time(obviously there's a learning curve problem)
Competitively speaking, if you are in business to be successful and make money and you are making millions of dollars selling your product, why would you change what your're doing? !! Would you change because somebody thinks you should use newer technology or would you let the market dictate that?
Again, Linn a company that's been in business 35 plus years and sucessful at what they do obviously knows what they're doing. They don't need you to tell them when they should make a change.
By the way, how long have you been in business?

Schipo, The last time I checked, we live in a free enterprise society(at least in the free world)
What that means is you have the option to buy a product or not to buy! Linn is not putting a gun to anyone's head making them buy their turntable.
Based on the responses you've read on this forum thread, you should have by now gathered that people who buy linn tables and keep them do so because they like the way they sound, which is the bottom line in any audio purchase. Folks are not interested in whether or not its the latest technology.
If that were the case, tube amp sales would not be flourishing and have been doing so for the last 10-15 yrs.
Again, its old antiquated technology but folks that like the tube amp sound buy them for that reason period!!
Folks that buy a linn table from a reputable dealer I'm sure have the opportunity to demo it and if they don't like it they can bring it back. I don't consider that an unfair marketing advantage.
Finally, if you don't like linn tables(which is obvious) that's fine but what's not fine is you trying to make everyone else not like them just because you don't.
Life is about options and everyone has the option to buy whatever they want. And please don't talk about arrogance because anyone who has read your responses surely can see who is exuding arrogance.