Linn Bedrok LP12 Plinth Upgrade

I am shocked, shocked I tell you, to learn the cost of a Klimax LP12 plus and minus the new plinth.  I suppose it is reluctantly acceptable to a person who already owns and loves the LP12.  I admit that I have a bias in the opposite direction; I prefer direct drive turntables and even a modified and modernized idler drive turntable (my Lenco), over any belt drive except maybe the Dohmann, among high end belt drives I have actually seen and heard, and I have not heard many in the high price category. Allowing for the possibility of buying a pre-owned turntable, which mylogic seems only recently to have discovered, there are a myriad of choices at and below the $40,000 "price point" that I would prefer.  However, I mean no disrespect to LP12 fans; the performance is probably way better than I imagine.

China? You could certainly have a Panzerholz plinth made locally in the USA for way less than $11K.  Talk to Albert Porter; he has been making a beautiful complex Panzerholz plinth for the Technics SP10 Mk2 and Mk3 for many years, probably right there in Texas.

The simple description of the process of manufacturing basic plywood is: glue very thin layers of wood "under extreme pressure and heat to create an entirely new, solid and massive material."

I'm waiting to actually see one of these new plinths in person. The "orthogonal layering" description has piqued my curiosity, as I'm wondering if the layers of beech are interwoven, interlocking, or merely stacked. I'm confident the layers are at alternating angles.

So, it remains to be seen: plywood or unobtainium?!?

Looking at the new Bedrok plinth, it is a somewhat complex inner shape with several areas milled out. Linn have also countersunk metal fasteners into the areas where the various mounting screws attach. The price asked includes a new stainless top plate, this time with a very slight rounded corner. Nonetheless, the top plate is for all and intends exactly the same as the current stock Linn top plate, with the very slight exception of the tiny radiuses at the corners…

I’m sure the Bedrok will sound good, question is whether it will sound $11k good??

@lewm

You shouldn’t be shocked at the price of the standard Klimax LP12. If you take account of cartridges and phono stages, it’s about the same as the cost of a Technics SL-1000R.

Second hand Klimax LP12s are cheaper, just like other turntables. I bought one last year for a fraction of the cost new including upgrading to current spec.

The Klimax LP12 sounds absolutely superb even without the Bedrok. No one is holding a gun to anyone’s head making them do the upgrade.

The choice between the Klimax LP12 and other turntables at the same price level such as the SL-1000R is a matter of personal taste and preference. It’s probably not a good idea to make it on the basis of ideology.

I knew the Bedrok upgrade was going to be out of reach for me when I bought the turntable, but never say never.

@daveyf 

That’s a question that each person can only answer for themselves, assuming they can afford it and have auditioned it. There’s no universal absolute value on sound quality.