Linn LP12......That good??

Thanks for all the responses guys, looks like i touched on an interesting topic!

Right now i have sold the Ariston and am using the TD 160 (slight mods) with a Shure v15 III........and i find it hard to believe that for around $1200 i will get a worthy performance gain......Is it possible the Linn is over rated?

I like the Shure over the Grado red, although the grado is a little quieter but less dynamic.

I wish i could put my turntable up against a Linn just to see the difference.

Nobody has mentioned price.With the $3K cart the Linn system is $10K so it ain't cheap.Again I mentioned that I have a Linn as a second deck which I keep saying I am going to sell but don't.Just not sure of I want to invest in upgrades when other decks like VPI,Blue Note,and otehrs exist.But one urban myth is you have to adjustthem every second play.Even though more susceptible to losing there setting because of being sprung once perolerly set up they do hold the setting for a while.Maybe not like a SME10 but there is a tade off for how you set up the suspension hard onmes will give hard maybe faster paced sound sprung ones have there virtures as well.
Chazz
Chazzbo

I know this is way behind but I do not post much. Try out the tripping the linn lp12 Fantasic site and you will see where these can go! I have  measurable improvements in bass and midrange with oscilloscope  readings!!!!   

I drank the Linn koolaid for years. I built a state of the art LP 12
with a keel, Radikal, Cirkus bearing. Then upgraded the Ekos Se to an Audio Origami PU 7 tonearm and finally a Tangerine Audio Stiletto solid aluminum plinth and skorpion base plate. This set up is as good as the LP 12 can get and noticibly better than a stock LP12.
But.......
It is still a wonky design quite antiquated relying on three crappy springs fighting against each other. The LP12 requires periodic adjustments as the sprung suspension behaves differently depending on atmospheric conditions, tonerarm cable flexibility and tension. Even trained Linn techs have to fidget with these things.
After all the money spent (over 16K) there are many superior reference tables that do everything that an Lp12 does lght years better. I know this is true as I have a Spiral Groove and a Tw Acustic each for comparable money and they blow away the LP12.

I had an LP12 in my house for about 2 years....I probably spent 22 months adjusting it.