ABOUT 35 YEARS AGO I bought a Linn Sondek LP12 turntable. I didn't know audiophile from audio file back then, so a friend of mine who worked in high-end audio selected and set it up for me.
I guess I got lucky, because the LP12 is almost universally regarded as an example of a very well-designed turntable. My LP12 came with an Akito arm and a Linn cartridge, although I can't remember which one (I doubt they make it anymore), and I had that cartridge for about 25 years before I replaced it. I think I paid about $3,000 or so for the turntable, but it might have been $5,000 - I can't remember. These days, a new Akito arm alone costs almost $3,000 and an entry level LP12 starts at about $6,000, although you can spend up to $37,000 for the fully loaded Magik. While the cost of an LP12 might be out of range for many (married) people, there are many other turntables that cost less and will also produce a very decent listening experience. Check out these manufacturers, and maybe visit your local hi-fi dealer and take a few of them out for a listen:
The trick is to find a turntable that sounds nice to your ears, and is within your budget.
My friend, when he selected the LP12 for me, also selected some Linn speakers and a Robertson amplifier and pre-amplifier for me. Robertson has long since disappeared, but once once a very highly regarded producer of extremely high-end audio components. That's what happens to some high-end manufacturers - not enough people buy their products and they go out of business. When my amp and pre-amp eventually died after about 25 years of use and had to be replaced, their carcasses commanded a pretty good price. Other Robertson owners, it seems, needed the parts.
A few years after that t LP12 started to show signs of old age. I thought about selling it and replacing it with something else, maybe a Rega Planar 10 or a VPI Prime, but that was going to be expensive. Then I learned that for a fraction of the cost I could upgrade my LP12.
The LP12 is a modular system. This means it is possible to upgrade even a 35-year-old LP12 to current specifications for a relatively modest investment - well, relative in comparison to buying a new turntable. Linn recommends all upgrades be completed by a Linn certified technician, and so I had a look around and found Paul Morgan at London Audio, in London, Ontario.
I took my LP12 into Paul's shop and asked him what upgrades he would recommend. Without hesitation Paul suggested the original bearing be upgraded to the Linn Cirkus, a major but affordable upgrade. Doing so, Paul said, would make the turntable's body much more rigid and as stable as possible. In addition to the bearing, Paul told me it would be worthwhile to outfit my LP12 with the Trampolin suspension upgrade, especially since the floor in my living room - underneath the hardwood - is concrete. The Trampolin, Paul explained, would help isolate floor-borne vibrations (20dB at 100Hz). It also has adjustable feet to help level the turntable accurately.
Paul also replaced the original cables with newer and better ones, including the ground wire, as the original ground wire was bent out of shape and looking rather sad.
Lastly, he replaced the cueing mechanism, which moves the arm up and down. The original cueing mechanism had worn out and wouldn't keep the arm in the 'up' position. It also dropped the arm onto the record too quickly, which was problematic and potentially damaging for the record. So for a while I'd been my own cueing mechanism, slowly ushering the arm down to the record like a vinyl tugboat.
The one upgrade Paul recommended (and that I decided not to do) was the Lingo outboard power supply. I just didn't want to spend the money - about $2,500 - on top of everything else. Not now, anyway. Got to keep the budget front and centre, which means making good choices. But I will get it, eventually, because that's what audiophiles do. And also because the new Lingo 4 is worth it, especially considering it recently received a major upgrade with the addition of technology lifted from the even higher-end Radikal power supply. It's also slimmer than previous versions due to on-board circuitry that fits inside the deck, which means I could easily find room for it on the shelf.
It took Paul about a week to complete the upgrades, which all together cost under $2,000. But it was worth every penny. It's as though I have a brand new turntable and the improvement in sound quality is noticeable. And the best part is I saved about $8,000 - which is a lot of records!
UPDATE: After moving to the east coast a couple of years later I decided to trade-in my Linn for an Acoustic Solid Classic Wood Midi Extended turntable, which unlike the Linn has an outboard motor. The Linn was making some noise (an annoying hum that I couldn't figure out) and maybe it was just time for a change. The dealer gave me $3,000 trade-in for my Linn, on top of which I had to pay an additional $1,600. I took the new turntable home, connected it to my system, and … hated it! Every record I played sounded flat and lifeless. Several records skipped, even though the tracking angle was aligned correctly and the surface the turntable was sitting on was perfectly level. I realize music appreciation is subjective, but this was not the turntable for me. I decided I had made a huge mistake and contacted the dealer, who - luckily for me - hadn't yet sold the Linn. I instructed him to see if he could fix the noise on it (which he did), and arranged to have him install a new Dynavector 10X5 cartridge. Then I packed up the Acoustic Solid and traded it back. I really was lucky the dealer hadn't already sold my Linn and I have to say I'm really happy with the new cartridge. I have yet to hear a better turntable than a Linn, especially for the price. This turntable will be with me for many years and eventually become something my kids will fight over.
I guess I got lucky, because the LP12 is almost universally regarded as an example of a very well-designed turntable. My LP12 came with an Akito arm and a Linn cartridge, although I can't remember which one (I doubt they make it anymore), and I had that cartridge for about 25 years before I replaced it. I think I paid about $3,000 or so for the turntable, but it might have been $5,000 - I can't remember. These days, a new Akito arm alone costs almost $3,000 and an entry level LP12 starts at about $6,000, although you can spend up to $37,000 for the fully loaded Magik. While the cost of an LP12 might be out of range for many (married) people, there are many other turntables that cost less and will also produce a very decent listening experience. Check out these manufacturers, and maybe visit your local hi-fi dealer and take a few of them out for a listen:
The trick is to find a turntable that sounds nice to your ears, and is within your budget.
My friend, when he selected the LP12 for me, also selected some Linn speakers and a Robertson amplifier and pre-amplifier for me. Robertson has long since disappeared, but once once a very highly regarded producer of extremely high-end audio components. That's what happens to some high-end manufacturers - not enough people buy their products and they go out of business. When my amp and pre-amp eventually died after about 25 years of use and had to be replaced, their carcasses commanded a pretty good price. Other Robertson owners, it seems, needed the parts.
A few years after that t LP12 started to show signs of old age. I thought about selling it and replacing it with something else, maybe a Rega Planar 10 or a VPI Prime, but that was going to be expensive. Then I learned that for a fraction of the cost I could upgrade my LP12.
The LP12 is a modular system. This means it is possible to upgrade even a 35-year-old LP12 to current specifications for a relatively modest investment - well, relative in comparison to buying a new turntable. Linn recommends all upgrades be completed by a Linn certified technician, and so I had a look around and found Paul Morgan at London Audio, in London, Ontario.
I took my LP12 into Paul's shop and asked him what upgrades he would recommend. Without hesitation Paul suggested the original bearing be upgraded to the Linn Cirkus, a major but affordable upgrade. Doing so, Paul said, would make the turntable's body much more rigid and as stable as possible. In addition to the bearing, Paul told me it would be worthwhile to outfit my LP12 with the Trampolin suspension upgrade, especially since the floor in my living room - underneath the hardwood - is concrete. The Trampolin, Paul explained, would help isolate floor-borne vibrations (20dB at 100Hz). It also has adjustable feet to help level the turntable accurately.
Paul also replaced the original cables with newer and better ones, including the ground wire, as the original ground wire was bent out of shape and looking rather sad.
Lastly, he replaced the cueing mechanism, which moves the arm up and down. The original cueing mechanism had worn out and wouldn't keep the arm in the 'up' position. It also dropped the arm onto the record too quickly, which was problematic and potentially damaging for the record. So for a while I'd been my own cueing mechanism, slowly ushering the arm down to the record like a vinyl tugboat.
The one upgrade Paul recommended (and that I decided not to do) was the Lingo outboard power supply. I just didn't want to spend the money - about $2,500 - on top of everything else. Not now, anyway. Got to keep the budget front and centre, which means making good choices. But I will get it, eventually, because that's what audiophiles do. And also because the new Lingo 4 is worth it, especially considering it recently received a major upgrade with the addition of technology lifted from the even higher-end Radikal power supply. It's also slimmer than previous versions due to on-board circuitry that fits inside the deck, which means I could easily find room for it on the shelf.
It took Paul about a week to complete the upgrades, which all together cost under $2,000. But it was worth every penny. It's as though I have a brand new turntable and the improvement in sound quality is noticeable. And the best part is I saved about $8,000 - which is a lot of records!
UPDATE: After moving to the east coast a couple of years later I decided to trade-in my Linn for an Acoustic Solid Classic Wood Midi Extended turntable, which unlike the Linn has an outboard motor. The Linn was making some noise (an annoying hum that I couldn't figure out) and maybe it was just time for a change. The dealer gave me $3,000 trade-in for my Linn, on top of which I had to pay an additional $1,600. I took the new turntable home, connected it to my system, and … hated it! Every record I played sounded flat and lifeless. Several records skipped, even though the tracking angle was aligned correctly and the surface the turntable was sitting on was perfectly level. I realize music appreciation is subjective, but this was not the turntable for me. I decided I had made a huge mistake and contacted the dealer, who - luckily for me - hadn't yet sold the Linn. I instructed him to see if he could fix the noise on it (which he did), and arranged to have him install a new Dynavector 10X5 cartridge. Then I packed up the Acoustic Solid and traded it back. I really was lucky the dealer hadn't already sold my Linn and I have to say I'm really happy with the new cartridge. I have yet to hear a better turntable than a Linn, especially for the price. This turntable will be with me for many years and eventually become something my kids will fight over.
ABOUT 35 YEARS AGO I bought a Linn Sondek LP12 turntable. I didn't know audiophile from audio file back then, so a friend of mine who worked in high-end audio selected and set it up for me.
I guess I got lucky, because the LP12 is almost universally regarded as an example of a very well-designed turntable. My LP12 came with an Akito arm and a Linn cartridge, although I can't remember which one (I doubt they make it anymore), and I had that cartridge for about 25 years before I replaced it. I think I paid about $3,000 or so for the turntable, but it might have been $5,000 - I can't remember. These days, a new Akito arm alone costs almost $3,000 and an entry level LP12 starts at about $6,000, although you can spend up to $37,000 for the fully loaded Magik. While the cost of an LP12 might be out of range for many (married) people, there are many other turntables that cost less and will also produce a very decent listening experience. Check out these manufacturers, and maybe visit your local hi-fi dealer and take a few of them out for a listen:
The trick is to find a turntable that sounds nice to your ears, and is within your budget.
My friend, when he selected the LP12 for me, also selected some Linn speakers and a Robertson amplifier and pre-amplifier for me. Robertson has long since disappeared, but once once a very highly regarded producer of extremely high-end audio components. That's what happens to some high-end manufacturers - not enough people buy their products and they go out of business. When my amp and pre-amp eventually died after about 25 years of use and had to be replaced, their carcasses commanded a pretty good price. Other Robertson owners, it seems, needed the parts.
A few years after that t LP12 started to show signs of old age. I thought about selling it and replacing it with something else, maybe a Rega Planar 10 or a VPI Prime, but that was going to be expensive. Then I learned that for a fraction of the cost I could upgrade my LP12.
The LP12 is a modular system. This means it is possible to upgrade even a 35-year-old LP12 to current specifications for a relatively modest investment - well, relative in comparison to buying a new turntable. Linn recommends all upgrades be completed by a Linn certified technician, and so I had a look around and found Paul Morgan at London Audio, in London, Ontario.
I took my LP12 into Paul's shop and asked him what upgrades he would recommend. Without hesitation Paul suggested the original bearing be upgraded to the Linn Cirkus, a major but affordable upgrade. Doing so, Paul said, would make the turntable's body much more rigid and as stable as possible. In addition to the bearing, Paul told me it would be worthwhile to outfit my LP12 with the Trampolin suspension upgrade, especially since the floor in my living room - underneath the hardwood - is concrete. The Trampolin, Paul explained, would help isolate floor-borne vibrations (20dB at 100Hz). It also has adjustable feet to help level the turntable accurately.
Paul also replaced the original cables with newer and better ones, including the ground wire, as the original ground wire was bent out of shape and looking rather sad.
Lastly, he replaced the cueing mechanism, which moves the arm up and down. The original cueing mechanism had worn out and wouldn't keep the arm in the 'up' position. It also dropped the arm onto the record too quickly, which was problematic and potentially damaging for the record. So for a while I'd been my own cueing mechanism, slowly ushering the arm down to the record like a vinyl tugboat.
The one upgrade Paul recommended (and that I decided not to do) was the Lingo outboard power supply. I just didn't want to spend the money - about $2,500 - on top of everything else. Not now, anyway. Got to keep the budget front and centre, which means making good choices. But I will get it, eventually, because that's what audiophiles do. And also because the new Lingo 4 is worth it, especially considering it recently received a major upgrade with the addition of technology lifted from the even higher-end Radikal power supply. It's also slimmer than previous versions due to on-board circuitry that fits inside the deck, which means I could easily find room for it on the shelf.
It took Paul about a week to complete the upgrades, which all together cost under $2,000. But it was worth every penny. It's as though I have a brand new turntable and the improvement in sound quality is noticeable. And the best part is I saved about $8,000 - which is a lot of records!
UPDATE: After moving to the east coast a couple of years later I decided to trade-in my Linn for an Acoustic Solid Classic Wood Midi Extended turntable, which unlike the Linn has an outboard motor. The Linn was making some noise (an annoying hum that I couldn't figure out) and maybe it was just time for a change. The dealer gave me $3,000 trade-in for my Linn, on top of which I had to pay an additional $1,600. I took the new turntable home, connected it to my system, and … hated it! Every record I played sounded flat and lifeless. Several records skipped, even though the tracking angle was aligned correctly and the surface the turntable was sitting on was perfectly level. I realize music appreciation is subjective, but this was not the turntable for me. I decided I had made a huge mistake and contacted the dealer, who - luckily for me - hadn't yet sold the Linn. I instructed him to see if he could fix the noise on it (which he did), and arranged to have him install a new Dynavector 10X5 cartridge. Then I packed up the Acoustic Solid and traded it back. I really was lucky the dealer hadn't already sold my Linn and I have to say I'm really happy with the new cartridge. I have yet to hear a better turntable than a Linn, especially for the price. This turntable will be with me for many years and eventually become something my kids will fight over.
I guess I got lucky, because the LP12 is almost universally regarded as an example of a very well-designed turntable. My LP12 came with an Akito arm and a Linn cartridge, although I can't remember which one (I doubt they make it anymore), and I had that cartridge for about 25 years before I replaced it. I think I paid about $3,000 or so for the turntable, but it might have been $5,000 - I can't remember. These days, a new Akito arm alone costs almost $3,000 and an entry level LP12 starts at about $6,000, although you can spend up to $37,000 for the fully loaded Magik. While the cost of an LP12 might be out of range for many (married) people, there are many other turntables that cost less and will also produce a very decent listening experience. Check out these manufacturers, and maybe visit your local hi-fi dealer and take a few of them out for a listen:
The trick is to find a turntable that sounds nice to your ears, and is within your budget.
My friend, when he selected the LP12 for me, also selected some Linn speakers and a Robertson amplifier and pre-amplifier for me. Robertson has long since disappeared, but once once a very highly regarded producer of extremely high-end audio components. That's what happens to some high-end manufacturers - not enough people buy their products and they go out of business. When my amp and pre-amp eventually died after about 25 years of use and had to be replaced, their carcasses commanded a pretty good price. Other Robertson owners, it seems, needed the parts.
A few years after that t LP12 started to show signs of old age. I thought about selling it and replacing it with something else, maybe a Rega Planar 10 or a VPI Prime, but that was going to be expensive. Then I learned that for a fraction of the cost I could upgrade my LP12.
The LP12 is a modular system. This means it is possible to upgrade even a 35-year-old LP12 to current specifications for a relatively modest investment - well, relative in comparison to buying a new turntable. Linn recommends all upgrades be completed by a Linn certified technician, and so I had a look around and found Paul Morgan at London Audio, in London, Ontario.
I took my LP12 into Paul's shop and asked him what upgrades he would recommend. Without hesitation Paul suggested the original bearing be upgraded to the Linn Cirkus, a major but affordable upgrade. Doing so, Paul said, would make the turntable's body much more rigid and as stable as possible. In addition to the bearing, Paul told me it would be worthwhile to outfit my LP12 with the Trampolin suspension upgrade, especially since the floor in my living room - underneath the hardwood - is concrete. The Trampolin, Paul explained, would help isolate floor-borne vibrations (20dB at 100Hz). It also has adjustable feet to help level the turntable accurately.
Paul also replaced the original cables with newer and better ones, including the ground wire, as the original ground wire was bent out of shape and looking rather sad.
Lastly, he replaced the cueing mechanism, which moves the arm up and down. The original cueing mechanism had worn out and wouldn't keep the arm in the 'up' position. It also dropped the arm onto the record too quickly, which was problematic and potentially damaging for the record. So for a while I'd been my own cueing mechanism, slowly ushering the arm down to the record like a vinyl tugboat.
The one upgrade Paul recommended (and that I decided not to do) was the Lingo outboard power supply. I just didn't want to spend the money - about $2,500 - on top of everything else. Not now, anyway. Got to keep the budget front and centre, which means making good choices. But I will get it, eventually, because that's what audiophiles do. And also because the new Lingo 4 is worth it, especially considering it recently received a major upgrade with the addition of technology lifted from the even higher-end Radikal power supply. It's also slimmer than previous versions due to on-board circuitry that fits inside the deck, which means I could easily find room for it on the shelf.
It took Paul about a week to complete the upgrades, which all together cost under $2,000. But it was worth every penny. It's as though I have a brand new turntable and the improvement in sound quality is noticeable. And the best part is I saved about $8,000 - which is a lot of records!
UPDATE: After moving to the east coast a couple of years later I decided to trade-in my Linn for an Acoustic Solid Classic Wood Midi Extended turntable, which unlike the Linn has an outboard motor. The Linn was making some noise (an annoying hum that I couldn't figure out) and maybe it was just time for a change. The dealer gave me $3,000 trade-in for my Linn, on top of which I had to pay an additional $1,600. I took the new turntable home, connected it to my system, and … hated it! Every record I played sounded flat and lifeless. Several records skipped, even though the tracking angle was aligned correctly and the surface the turntable was sitting on was perfectly level. I realize music appreciation is subjective, but this was not the turntable for me. I decided I had made a huge mistake and contacted the dealer, who - luckily for me - hadn't yet sold the Linn. I instructed him to see if he could fix the noise on it (which he did), and arranged to have him install a new Dynavector 10X5 cartridge. Then I packed up the Acoustic Solid and traded it back. I really was lucky the dealer hadn't already sold my Linn and I have to say I'm really happy with the new cartridge. I have yet to hear a better turntable than a Linn, especially for the price. This turntable will be with me for many years and eventually become something my kids will fight over.
BONUS TRACK
One "upgrade" I hear a lot about is turntable mats. There are a lot of them out there that are being touted as upgrades to the felt melt that probably came with your turntable. Some are made of cork, some of rubber or plastic, some of leather and a whole bunch of other materials, too.
Are they worth it?
Linn states that the felt mat that came with my LP12 is the best mat for the LP12. I toyed with the idea of "upgrading" it to a cork mat but decided not to after talking to Paul, my local Linn specialist, who echoed Linn's viewpoint. He added that anything but the original felt mat could have a negative consequence on the sound of my records.
If you think about it, what makes an "upgrade" an actual upgrade? Why do we assume cork or leather or plastic or space shuttle tiles or whatever else is better than what originally came with the turntable? Shouldn't the manufacturers of high-end turntables know what's best for their particular turntable?
Where's the evidence that swapping out the matt makes a difference for the better? All of these "upgrades" have different weights. How does that affect my turntable? I decided to let heed Linn's advice and stayed with the felt mat. Everything sounds great, so why change it?
MORE READING
One "upgrade" I hear a lot about is turntable mats. There are a lot of them out there that are being touted as upgrades to the felt melt that probably came with your turntable. Some are made of cork, some of rubber or plastic, some of leather and a whole bunch of other materials, too.
Are they worth it?
Linn states that the felt mat that came with my LP12 is the best mat for the LP12. I toyed with the idea of "upgrading" it to a cork mat but decided not to after talking to Paul, my local Linn specialist, who echoed Linn's viewpoint. He added that anything but the original felt mat could have a negative consequence on the sound of my records.
If you think about it, what makes an "upgrade" an actual upgrade? Why do we assume cork or leather or plastic or space shuttle tiles or whatever else is better than what originally came with the turntable? Shouldn't the manufacturers of high-end turntables know what's best for their particular turntable?
Where's the evidence that swapping out the matt makes a difference for the better? All of these "upgrades" have different weights. How does that affect my turntable? I decided to let heed Linn's advice and stayed with the felt mat. Everything sounds great, so why change it?
MORE READING
