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Repair Linn turntable vs buying a different one

Dear turntable experts:

I would very much like you opinion and recommendation if I should go ahead with repair  my old Linn LP12  turntable system which has Karma cartridge and Ittok tone arm. If the repair job include replacing with Krystal cartridge and Akito tone arm plus Linn cable and other misc parts, the  cost of parts is about $6000 plus labor, with estimated cost of about &7000 total. Would there be advantage of proceeding to do the repair of the Linn turntable system vs. buy some other turntable at equivalent of $7000? Thank you very much.


moses189
tubehead120's avatar
tubehead120
35 posts
 
I love Linn tables.  I have seven, including 2 with DC motor; the others use either Valhalla boards or 2 other board types for speed control.  I have Jelco, SME, Micro Seiki, Grace and Linn arms for them.  I have installed counterweights on most of their subchassis to even the spring loading.  I have one with an oversize plinth that uses 12 inch arms.  IMHO Linn is God's gift to tweakers like me who WANT to mess with it, and I believe they can as good as anything out there.  That said, I wouldn't recommend one to somebody who just wants to play the music and regards occasional adjustment as a chore or an expense.  There are plenty of tables around that you can buy and forget about maintenance until they just stop.  Of course, unless they are very expensive they won't have a suspension capable of the isolation the Linn provides.
dumacker
22 posts
 
It cost me a little over  $250 for a motor replacement and an Audioquest tonearm cable.  My 1978 Linn is doing just fine.  My audiophile neighbor has coined the term "crazy stupid"  when he looks at some of the way people spend their money...

what a way!

jhv
mazy1957's avatar
mazy1957
1 posts
 
I started with an lp12 with ittok and karma then changed to an Elite Rock with Excalibur tone but kept the Karma cartridge this was much better than the Linn set up.  I now have an Alphason Sonata with Zeta tonearm and a Mr Brier cartridge again this is much better again than the elite rock turntable so why would you want to spend that much on the Linn. Sorry but in my opinion the Lp12 is a complete waste of money you can spend far less and get much better and you don’t need to keep upgrading. I am from the UK and there seems to be a big backlash against Linn over here as most audiophiles have seen the light when it comes to the Linn LP 12 and rightly so.

Maz
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