Radikal Linn LP12 or Palmer 2.5?

Thanks very much for your reply, daveyf. Really appreciate it.  I hope to hear the full spec LP12 as well before making the call, but there will be so many variables between that experience and the Palmer experience (e.g., different cartridge, electronics, speakers, room, and month) that I don’t know how meaningful it will be.

All I know at this point is that there were quite a few high end turntables at the audio show I attended (you would know the names), and most of them didn’t make much of an impression on me. The one standout exception was the Palmer room, which I returned to three times and was very favorably impressed each and every time. I can’t quite explain what made it so compelling, but everything about the performances had that very direct “suspended in time” feeling one gets at a particularly good live performance.  Hopefully, the top of the line LP12 will be able to accomplish this as well. (Or maybe, hopefully not - since that would make my decision a lot easier!)

Excellent/timely discussion as I have had my Cirkus/Lingo/Ekos/Rhea/Shelter  for quite sometime, and listened to the Radical/Ekos SE/Keel/Kandid combo at my local dealer earlier this afternoon.  I went to hear the cartridge primarily but you know how that goes.  This is not the first time he has emphasized the radical upgrade before the cartridge, I'm just not convinced it is significantly better than the Lingo or should be more important than the cartridge...……...I'd be glad to hear your opinion. 

So, xagwell, what did you think of the difference between your LP12 setup (which is very similar to mine) and the maxed out version your dealer demonstrated?  Dramatic or incremental improvement?

@xagwell The Linn protocol is to upgrade from the inside out...so the power supply first, then the sub chassis then the arm and cartridge last.

I replaced my Valhalla with the Radikal D...a huge upgrade! But here’s the thing, like many large improvements, the actual sum of the improvement isn’t that obvious until after a little time has gone by. It is then that you begin to hear the many differences...as more and more LP’s hit the platter! So, IME, the Radikal D brings the following: much greater inner detail, speed accuracy that increases imaging precision and timbre reproduction. Lastly, we have the biggest improvements in my experience....the increase in overall dynamics. This isn’t quite as noticeable until everything else in the system is dialed in. So, if your amps or preamp, or speaker synergy, aren’t up to the task, this aspect will probably go unnoticed!
With a more resolving cartridge as the final step, all of the benefits of the Radikal become even more evident!
You heard a snippet of the reproduction when you went to hear the Radikal, and most likely did not AB against your Lingo at the same time. I believe IF you had done that...and the system was resolving enough, the difference would have been very obvious and as extreme as I am describing!
Linn charges a lot for their Radikal D upgrade, for very good reason IMHO.

Hi again, daveyf.  If I understood xagwell’s post, what he heard was the maxed out LP12 (Radikal/Keel/Ekos SE/Kandid - each of which would be an upgrade to my LP12).  That’s why I was interested in how it compared to the level of LP12 he currently has (which is very similar to my current model). I’m really curious  about xagwell’s impression of the top of the line Linn rig since that is what I will probably go with (should I choose to stay with Linn rather than take the Palmer 2.5 / Audio Origami PU7 path).  That said, your comments on Linn’s upgrade philosophy make perfect sense to me and are very helpful.  Thanks again for your input.