Thoughts on the Linn LP12 turntable

I am plenty happy with my LP12- next yer will be my 25th year owning it. Anyone who says the LP12 easily drifts out of adjustment has not had experience with an LP12 in at least 30 years. Frankly, one of the more remarkable improvements over the years to the LP12 was relatively recently- the Karousel bearing. And as it costs less than what many spend on a cartridge, yeah, it’s a great addition to the LP12.

No one is saying keeping an LP12 in current form is cheap. It’s not. But a great deal of high end audio gear isn’t cheap either.

What I don’t understand is why so many get butt hurt by the fact that a number of us really like our LP12’s. Shall we argue about ice cream flavors next?

@no_regrets 

Don, thanks. I completely agree. 

@daveyf , all you have left are insults? Common davey boy, how about that cheap stamped sheet metal sub chassis sitting atop three springs tuned to the wrong frequency and the crappy Masonite arm board flapping around in the breeze, the two piece platter that rings like a bell. The tiny little dink of a motor that I can stall with a Q tip. Then there is that pathetic sort of wood base stapled together at the corners. Walmart wouldn't sell a turntable like that. If you think that is representative of a high end turntable in this day and age you are in the wrong forum. You might look into basket weaving. And for your information I built a cherry base for one thirteen years ago.

You can insult me all you want but that will not change the fact that the LP 12 is archaic and interesting only from a historic perspective. It's days have long passed. It was all but done in 1980 with the release of the original SOTA Sapphire. Over the next decade a pile of them were dumped into the used market where they could be picked up for pennies on the dollar by people like you who want to turn them into some kind of panacea. They are just an old turntable that the vast majority of serious audiophiles wouldn't go near. 

@mijostyn

"cheap stamped sheet metal sub chassis sitting atop three springs tuned to the wrong frequency and the crappy Masonite arm board flapping around in the breeze, the two piece platter that rings like a bell. The tiny little dink of a motor that I can stall with a Q tip. Then there is that pathetic sort of wood base stapled together at the corners."

Err... yes. That more or less sums it up.

I was going to post a link to Peter Swain’s 4 hour Cymbiosis LP12 set up guide (seeing as how @daveyf was kind enough to suggest paying him a visit) but unfortunately those clips seem to have strangely disappeared off the internet.

A real pity, since long term stability concerns have continuously plagued this deck ever since it's inception.

Oh well, since Leicester is fairly central, the next time I’m passing I might just drop by Cymbiosis.

Especially as it seems even Linn themselves have now given up the ghost in promoting their one time highly lucrative cash cow.

@mijostyn … You are a modern day Hans Christian Andersen,