Is a Linn Sondek LP12/Lingo/Ekos with a Cirkus update, the last turntable I’ll ever buy?
Linn aren’t going to rebut anything! Ivor’s son Gilad who now runs Linn (though his dad came back as ’advisor’) has never shown any interest in the LP12 or even turntables in general. I wouldn’t be too surprised if he sends out the kill order sometime in the near future. I’m guessing it’s just the revenue from the various add-ons and upgrades that are keeping it afloat and the accountants at bay - for now. For sure it’s a nice deck and is kind of iconic, but it started off with a terrible cheap motor and comparatively poor speed control, issues they’ve been addressing ever since. Nearly all LP12s out there still have two other serious problems, and where is the fix? The first is the way Linn chose to attach its arms to the sub-chassis - the structurally disastrous armboard. The need for absolute structural integrity between the bearing and the arm pillar was long known. So why did it take Linn so long to address this issue (Keel £2600 /Kore £800) themselves. And what about the cost? And why do it twice? Is there going to be a third effort, or even a fourth? Rega seem to have tackled this issue in a far more economical fashion with its metal top brace. Here’s another reminder of its importance from the creator of this design. https://youtu.be/OOlAua3tBSw The second, more intractable one is the issue of a floating 3 point sub-chassis attached to a motor via a rubber belt and a thick arm cable. Just how do you intend to ever improve stability and speed accuracy without a truly radical overhaul? May I suggest a direct drive motor mounted underneath the floating sub-chassis that would do away with the outdated belt attached motor? I don’t know if you remember but Linn used to claim that belt drives were superior because the rubber would would isolate some of the AC motor vibrations. Well, it looks as if that concept has finally reached the end of its useful road. There are better options now. [Anyone care to publish the top of the range current Linn specs for rumble and wow/flutter?] The astronomically priced LP12 is little more than a period piece now. Even its makers know it. |
@cd318 Like I stated in my prior post, I'm sure this is falling on deaf ears, but I would like to know how you know so much about what is, or is not, happening at Linn? Particularly when it comes to Gilad? When Ivor first designed the table, it clearly could be bettered, over time. Linn have always offered a path to an improved version...how many other table manufacturer's from that era, or even today, offer this same aspect. Please do not tell me that there were perfect turntable designs out there back in the day that needed no upgrades... |
I don’t want to pile on top of the heap of LP 12 naysayers, but I guess I will in a way. Regarding the metaphor comparing the LP 12 to a Ferrari, I would say it is more apt to compare the LP 12 to a Morgan sports car. Still doggedly being built in the same way it was built, out of wood, in the 1930s, but with occasional upgrades to make it faster and stiffer. Yet for those who adore it, Morgan sports cars continue to give a great deal of fun and pleasure. That’s the only thing that counts in the end. |
