I need HELP with my LP12 based system

I always love back-handed complements from LP12 bashers. The LP12 is still the deck to which all other tables are compared, and it has certainly stood the test of time. Anyway, I'd start by having your LP12 tuned-up by your local dealer as suboptimal setup can affect performance markedly. The Ittock is still a pretty good arm (assuming proper setup), but the original cable should be replaced with the newer Linn Silver tonearm cable (about $300). The Akiva is spectacular cartridge, easily bettering the somewhat similar Lyra Helikon. It costs all of your $3000, but I'll bet your dealer won't charge much for the tune-up if your buying the cartridge and cable!

I was in exactly your situation about 2 years ago and auditioned many turntables. There are a number of well documented design limitations in the Linn LP12 that will prevent you achieving your goal of deep, tight bass.

I found that turntables with rubber belt drive and suspended sub-chassis all had the same limitations as the Linn to varying degrees. In contrast, those using mass to damp resonance were capable of far better performance.

25 years ago the Linn shifted expectations of analog reproduction but there have been huge strides in technology since then.

I would suggest you check out the Galibier Serac turntable which falls within your budget range. I haven't heard one yet but I bought it's bigger brother, the Gavia, and it's designer is passionate about good analog sound.

The other option I would suggest, which is not approved by the audiphile taste police but works, is a Technics SL1200 table fitted with a modified RB250 arm (Expressimo or Michell Tecnoarm) and the cart of your choice. Being direct drive it delivers great speed stablity and mounted on a sandbox shelf would be well isolated from resonance problems.

The adapter plate for the arm is sold by Origin Live. Sell the standard fit arm on ebay. I tried an old SL-150 and was surprised how much better than the Linn it was when fitted with an Expressimo and mounted on a sandbox. The SL1200 is ridiculously underpriced because it has been in production so long and the tooling cost has been amortized.

A third choice would be to check out the "Building high-end 'tables at Home Despot" thread and join that experiment. I did and it really does work.

Welcome to LP12, a table that does need TLC. I had a similiar situation that was cleared by wall mounting. Seriously. When I wall mounted mine the infamous Linn midbass tightened up. I did a DIY shelf I found at the vinyl asylum. Good Luck.

Some of the characteristics you speak of were(are ) inherant in the recording itself. most digital remasters enhance the bottom end as well as other frequencies. in many cases, newer remastered lps sound closer to their cd counterparts than the original recordings....sometimes a benefit....sometimes not. in any case, trying to make the two formats sound the same through changing gear is often a circlejerk. since you have one of the greatest analogue front ends, you might play with several phono stage comparisons, but the software itself is usually the biggest difference. the linn and the clear audio are just doing what they do....accurately retreiving information.

Thsalmon - I do not think Dougdeacon's comments were bashing at all. In fact I would agree with them ... and I owned an LP12 for nearly 18 years. Perhaps the people whose systems are all Linn and/or Naim components might feel the LP-12 to be the TT for which all other tables are still compared. To the many rest of us, there are a lot of TT's that we consider reference products.

The LP12 as a reference went away years ago when the Goldmund, VPIs and Versa Dynamics all quite easily destroyed it. Even against a friend's Sota Star, it was evident my Linn's weaknesses...but I still enjoyed it for many years. There's always a more refined product out there....the key is to be able to accept this rather than continue to be blind to the fact(s).

I so vividly remember in 1984 when I went to a Linn dealer in Los Angeles that was also a Goldmund dealer. I had the LP12 2 years by now. I wanted the opportunity to hear what all the fuss was about concerning the Goldmund (Studio). And the shop owner was very helpful to demo both TTs for me. I do not remember the cartridge but it was the same. Such comparisons we never forget. The Goldmund brought on so much more of the "you are there" factor. I was so mightily impressed as I remember the Linn doing the same to my old B&O TT I had in the 70s. But compared to the Goldmund, the Linn sounded small. I could only dream too own the Goldmund and so I continued to enjoy the Linn for many years .... until I heard the Clearaudio Ref do the same to Linn. Again it was not close. All the Linn's flaws were right there in the spotlight again 15 years later. I upgraded to the Clearaudio. Once you hear the bass rendered so incredibly well by many other TTs, and a wealth of low-level information throughout the frequency range, staying with the Linn is tough. That's progress.

It's interesting that Linn FINALLY has recognized what a disaster their tonearm cable was. If you want a killer tonearm cable, at a heck of a good value, check out the SilverBreeze cable. This cable brought on so much openness and resolution on the top. And I still have it after all these years; it competes very well to the much more expensive Kubala-Sosna and Purist cables that I have auditioned and ultimately purchased. But these are so much more.

Pscialli - Exclusively locking yourself in the "Linn Box" in any upgrades, cables/arms, etc., only limits your options. If you want that bottom octave performance, there are so many great deals on A'gon for TTs that will resolve this weakness for you.

You can even try a Graham 1.5/2.0/2/2 arm which is readily available as so many people upgrade to the Phantom. These were claimed to perform quite well on the Linn. And then if you find a TT that knocks your socks off, move the Graham to that. You can do a lot without spending so much at once. But I would not put any more money in Linn upgrades. If you want a fully decked out Linn, you're a lot better off selling yours and getting a used one with all the "fixes". It would be a lot less investment.

But I concur with Dougdeacon: your LP source severly lags behind the performance of the rest of your system.

John