Linn LP12 turntable


I was in my favorite audio store yesterday talking turntables… Rega P10, MoFi MasterDeck etc, when he stated he had a Linn LP12 he was selling for a customer at $2,400 & the customer had $14K (with upgrades) into it. Intriguing, but knew nothing about Linn. After my research, people seem to love it or hate it. But it is installed in many fine audiogon systems. 
I would like your thoughts and recommendations. 
I have asked the following questions of the dealer: 

1. Date of production 

2. Upgrades that have been added 

3. Power supply / tone arm

4. Condition 

5. Recently serviced

I have not yet seen it, but it is there now. What other questions should I ask?

My current analog system: 

Pro-ject 1xpression carbon classic with Hana ML

Rega Aria

PS Audio BHK pre

Simaudio Moon 330A amp

KEF R11’s

Advise would be greatly appreciated. 

128x128signaforce

daveyf

Truth or not the truth, that is the question?

Why that supposition then that things have changed? An LP12 is always an LP12.

What’s the difference…..now and then?

 

panzrwagn

A friend of mine has an old British Morris Minor, he loves it. He said he has spent more time under the car than in it. I can’t believe the amount of time money and effort he has given up over the years to keep the old girl going!

 

This sounds very familiar to the hi-fi world and more so with turntables.

 

Yes, the fiddling stories came from decades ago. A lot of that is probably people not knowing what they were doing fiddling. I can only assume what has happened to make Linn the stable platform it is today is closer tolerances and material science. That make sense to me. I have a friend that is a Linn technician. When he finds a table that doesn’t sound right it is gross negligence in assembly... like putting the springs or cupped spring holders upside down. Absolutely stupid stuff. Once set up they are rock solid.

When you have an upgradable table, then you are going to have a lot of people that should not be doing it themselves... doing it themselves.  

@mylogic Perhaps a logical person would look up why the table has changed over time...and not state an LP12 is always an LP12, before making such a statement....No?

 

@ghdprentice +1

@daveyf

l only stated the obvious…,

l have a fair knowledge of the ‘upgradeitus’ syndrome. A common made up word used in the 70s and 80s.

‘An LP12 will always be an LP12’, but l was just being ironic.

I have never said that no advances have been achieved with expensive mods or that the turntable itself is bad. Others have said, basic original design faults have had to be inherently addressed with the original LP12 line. The debate on Linn copying the Ariston RD80 and not improving on that is altogether another argument for those who have owned or heard both, l for one have never owned a Linn or an Ariston so l exert no bias in my comments. Historically l have over time auditioned both but passed on both manufacturers in the end. I am guilty in stating on Audiogon l believe Linn’s claims that it was the first turntable that brought awareness that all turntables didn’t sound the same, and that this claim to be true.

A Linn LP12 is whatever a person wants to make of it, but of course those persons will need very deep pockets upgrading the basic model. That is a well known thing!

Anyone who owns an LP12 who goes on to sell it will always put in the advert, ‘Linn LP12’ before anything else. Lists of all the new parts of any makeovers/upgrades that make it any more special will always of course follow on….. To justify the aspirations of the sellers asking price, and hopefully payback time!

 

That is just my logic

 

@mylogic

Thank you for your kind comments.

My dealer is very knowledgeable about Linn matters and has been selling their products for decades. He is on Facebook every day advising people on Linn stuff old and new.

However, I am sure he’d never claim to omnipotent and there’s always room for individual preferences. I don’t know his views on wall shelves. I think he was just saying that a metal shelf might resonate.

On the other hand, my wife is omnipotent. I wouldn’t dare say otherwise :)