@daveyf All they have done is make a burlap sack out of a silk purse. It has become a caricature, a joke. You can never turn a bad execution into a good one. It is a waste of money trying.
Thoughts on the Linn LP12 turntable
I don’t see many discussions that include the Linn Sondek LP12 turntable and was wondering why? They’ve been around since the late 70’s and other then power supply and a few other minor changes (IMO) are relatively unchanged. I had one in the early 80’s and another in the late 90’s. They are somewhat finicky to get setup correct and once you do, they sound great. That being said I know there have been a lot better designs to come out since the LP12’s hey-day. Are they worth considering anymore or has the LP12 just become another audio vintage collectors item?
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@mijostyn And you would know this how??? The last time you owned the table was in the 70's...which says it all! |
Honestly, I have to laugh at all the naysayers of the Linn LP12 that seem to just keep regurgitating the same old mis-information. The LP12 IS a great table! Why is it perfectly acceptable for other turntable manufacturers to be allowed to make upgrades/improvements to their designs/products (which always leads to increased prices), but not acceptable for the Linn LP12??? I believe it is because some people have a biased hatred toward the LP12, no matter how good it sounds and performs. These people simply will not allow themselves to listen with open ears and minds. And more than likely they don't listen to any of them at all, period. Their loss, but when they perpetuate this on the forums, it can mislead others and then sadly it becomes their loss as well. Daveyf made a great point.... spend an afternoon with Peter at Cymbosis. He is a great man, a true gentleman and an asset to the audiophile community. Go with an open mind, not with a biased agenda and truly listen.... I think you may come away with a new awareness and appreciation. I love my LP12. I am not just an audiophile, but I am also a musician, playing the tenor and bass trombones in jazz venues and my Montagnana cello in classical venues. I have a great ear for tone, pitch, intonation, timing etc. and if anything is "off" it would drive me absolutely crazy! I can say that my LP12 keeps incredible speed which is one of the most important tasks of any turntable! It is incredibly transparent! I can easily hear the difference in cables, swapping of vacuum tubes, the difference in record pressings, etc. It has great tone, micro and macro dynamics and detail... but all in a very natural and organic way, just as I hear in live acoustic music.... which I hear several times a week! I can just hear mijostyn saying... this is blasphemy! For crying out loud, he is using a uni-pivot for God's sake. Yes, I'm using the Naim ARO with my Benz Ruby S Zebra Wood cartridge, and it is sublime! Years ago, there was a Linn Dealer in Chicago. They had several LP12's set up in their showroom that allowed us to compare the difference in sound between the Valhalla and Lingo power supplies, the Ittok/Ekos tonearms, etc and you could easily hear the differences. I was also able to compare the differences with the Naim ARO to the Linn Arms and the Naim power supply to the Linn supplies as well as the Pink Triangle DC supplies. If the LP12 was such a wreck of a table, I shouldn't been able to hear any differences, but the differences were huge and important. When people say that the LP12 is too fussy to set up and always needs to be fiddled with.... total BS. Set it up right and it stays right! There are a lot of happy people with Linn LP12's.... Why don't you hear more from them on these forums??? Because they are too busy spinning vinyl and enjoying their music collection to be bothered with this nonsense dribble!!! So, in closing.... These are great times for us vinyl lovers! There are many great tables, arms, cartridges and phono stages to be had. Go out and listen with an open mind - without any set bias and I think you will find that the LP12 can present music in a very enjoyable and moving way. Best wishes to all! Now, it's time for me to get back to my listening enjoyment :) Don Linn LP12/Naim ARO/Benz RubyS Zebrawood, Wavestream Kinetics Reference Level 5.1 Phono, Presence Audio Line Stage, Bel Canto SET40 Single Ended 845 Triodes, Dunlavy SCIV's Signature Loudspeakers, lifetime supply of NOS Mullards, Tele's, etc for all of my tubed equipment.
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@no_regrets +1000
As a former pro studio musician, i totally agree with all that you state about the tonal acuity and the detail retrieval in regards to the sounds of live acoustic music. To my ears, the speed accuracy is excellent, particularly with the Radikal D power supply and motor.
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