Just to clarify my prior post, Mr. Tiefenbrun's intelligence, confidence and aggressive promotion of Linn products struck - and may still strike - many as arrogant. The company sometimes reflected its founder's attitudes and some US dealers opted not to deal with Linn, thus depleting their previously strong US dealer network. US distribution changed a couple or three times through the years and that seems not to have helped maintain the dealer count.
More recently, Linn has focused increasingly on digital products, even digitizing the signal taken from an LP12 and converting it to a digital signal at the phono preamplifier, transforming that signal back to analog only at their speakers that include their own built-in DACs and amplifiers. I have heard one of these systems in an all-Linn shop in Europe that was set up under supervision of a senior Linn representative. The sound did not appeal to me but I may not have given it adequate opportunity.
I love my LP12 and have upgraded it to a high specification. I would probably need to spend more than I am willing to improve upon my LP12 so I am likely to keep it, maybe forever.
More recently, Linn has focused increasingly on digital products, even digitizing the signal taken from an LP12 and converting it to a digital signal at the phono preamplifier, transforming that signal back to analog only at their speakers that include their own built-in DACs and amplifiers. I have heard one of these systems in an all-Linn shop in Europe that was set up under supervision of a senior Linn representative. The sound did not appeal to me but I may not have given it adequate opportunity.
I love my LP12 and have upgraded it to a high specification. I would probably need to spend more than I am willing to improve upon my LP12 so I am likely to keep it, maybe forever.