Linn LP-12 still competitive with the very best?


Hi folks, I wonder if the Linn LP-12 is still competitive with the best offerings from Avid, VPI, TW Acoustics, Teres, Galibier and Transrotor. If that is the case, then it's cheaper to go for a LP-12. What are the weak points of the LP-12? Which tt is better: the Thorens TD124 or Linn LP-12?

Chris
dazzdax
Ok but what about the original question , Thorens 124 or Linn 12???
The LP-12 and the TD-124 are both supremely well-executed examples of completely different approaches to building a turntable . . . the comparison is like Porsche vs. Ferrari . . . a practically unanswerable question.

Edgar Villchur's original AR turntable was designed to address many of the specific problems of mid-20th-century idler-drive turntables (rumble, motor noise, and acoustic feedback), and it did so very successfully. The LP-12 is based on the AR design . . . and one thing it's hard to fault Ivor Tiefenbrun for is his persistent, dogged determination to improve it, little by little, year after year. And just like the Porsche 911, the people that never liked it . . . still don't like it. Tiefenbrun himself is also a polarizing personality, and many people don't like him . . . and dislike the LP-12 out of proxy.

The TD-124, on the other hand, exudes all of the attributes that we value in a piece of fine machinery, and because of this it's satisfying to own, work on, and operate in a way that the LP-12 simply cannot match. Those negative attributes that define the performance of most idler-drive turntables are very effectively dealt with in the TD124, mostly by sheer manufacturing prowess. And the traditional Achilles' heel of a traditional suspended turntable - variation in pitch with suspension movement - is completely absent.

In the end, if one's looking for the turntable of their dreams . . . both of these machines are "required listening".
I'm the hundredth poster, Do I get a prize? Let me sum this up, the Linn still makes music and can make you happy. I finally bought one this fall because I found one that had been for sale for years in great condition with a Grace 707 and F9E for $400. Does it sound as good as the Scoutmaster I have set up? Probably not, but how could you tell, different arms and cartridges. I sure hope that the new Aries I have coming with 12.7 arm and most of the goodies sounds considerably better but I don't think that the Linn will be totally embarrassed by it. The Linn is still a good table that can work in a top system, Martin Colloms still uses one and so do many others.
Great post, Kirkus. I also agree with Stanwal. It is very satisfying for a large number of listeners.
"It is very satisfying for a large number of listeners."

Would we even be having this discussion about a product that debuted so long ago if this were not the case?

Longevity is one of the best indicators of utility.....
All tables 'Give Up' something in the Sound Spectrum........Many are still, after all the years, satisfied at what the Linn does, and does not do, for that matter. It is still very SYSTEM dependent; albeit given the right scenario, with the right associated components, a Proven Winner!!!!!!! That's what they see in LINN, and what LINN represents.