Linn LP12 turntable

@signaforce you said "But not sure what listening at the dealer might do. They have my speakers, but a different cartridge, electronics & room acoustics. Would that not be too many variables?"

and you also said "a P10, the table I had planned to purchase."

Wouldn't the same variables been in play for the Rega or were you going to buy this table without auditioning?  I do agree with the above post that if the Linn sounds excellent in the store then at least you know it is capable of doing so.  Good luck with your decision which ever way you go.

@signaforce I have bought my LP12 about 10 years ago for around $5000. It’s today almost up to top drawer level around $30,000. I have always been happy with it and enjoyed the ride. 

95% of the people giving negative comments on the LP12 have never seen not too mention listened properly to one. Hifikabin is the only platform with people knowledgeable because LP12 users, industry experts, techs.

my non Linn dealer here in Paris sells and tunes top decks for the like of Dohmann, CS Port, AMG, Reed, Thrax, Sat and StSt. Obviously he would be happy if I buy a new deck from him. When he came to install a new cartridge he candidly told me not to change the turntable. If I had any doubt of moving to another deck as for the dual GAS, that made me understand that I should spend money on my existing deck or elsewhere. In fact I think I’ll add a technics SP10 mk3 so to have a top direct drive to complement my LP12.

Back to YOUR LP12:

get something post 2010.
Any part is replaceable / upgradable. 
check the plinth is not warped. 

Regardless of the motor / power supply it comes with, I recommend you to have at least a Lingo unit to power the deck, ideally a Lingo 3. 
akito arm will do just fine. As a cart you can go for the Adikt or popular DV carts.

regardless what your deck will come with, the most important parts to have will be the following and this order:

- Karousel bearing

- At least a lingo PS

- Kore sub chassis 

I’m not here to convince you to go for the LP12, but if you like a sound which is not banal, not excessively coloured and if you like the design of the deck itself, then I would give it absolutely a try. Buy second hand upgrades little by little and in the worst case you’ll sell it. I’m sure you’ll have fun even if you sell it eventually.

@signaforce very important thing I have forgotten to mention:

I had my LP12 serviced my system 4 times in 15 years:

1) When I bought it 

2) when I relocated to France 

3) 1st set of upgrades 

4) 2nd set of upgrades 

and if you check YouTube you will see it’s not rocket science. So I have bought my next upgrade together with a jig and from next week I will start doing the maintenance myself. It’s fun, it’s a new thing to learn, it will make me save some money and not having doubts if my deck is fine or not. 

regardless what your deck will come with, the most important parts to have will be the following and this order:

- Karousel bearing

- At least a lingo PS

- Kore sub chassis 

That's appox $3,500 worth of upgrades.  See how upgrading a LP12 can escalate quickly.

@lewm you surprised me as with your technical bent thought you would understand the low frequency filter a well sorted spring system ( like the SOTA ) provides… and frankly many on the market today TT isolation bases… HRS to note my favorite. 

I am not going to get into the Rega low mass vs rest of TT world debate… i have audiophile / music loving friends quite happy with hot rodding various levels of Rega decks… with … aghast… after market upgrades.. but the RP-10 is an excellent deck… i must admit to giving away a P3/Moth/Signet TK9… hopefully to ?… who will put it on a Rega or Target WALL mount.

re the SOTA… we sold them from day one and had a spare demo table w a Dynavector Ruby that we would loan customers that had footfall issues w lesser ( spring suspension ) TT… Thorens, Linn, B&O, etc…

I don’t remember the SOTA every coming back… and yes it would take a light hammer whack…

re Rick in Colorado… a true analog lover who also sells speakers that are flat in room to 20 hz… so he is VERY aware of environmental isolation….

have fun

if you look in my system photos you will see most of the TT including a 60# Denon w a constrained layer plinth… live on springs..

ymmv always applies