Linn LP12......That good??

X1884, The bearings are good. You want the "Circus" bearing upgrade. It has very tight tolerance and cuts the surface noise in half over the old style bearing. I had an opportunity to A/B an exact table, tonearm, cartridge comp with the bearing against my deck without, it was a no brainer. I pulled the cash out and got back less noise and more detail. It was not subtle. Ahhhhh!

I sold and set-up Linns (circa 1975) and I have owned the Ariston RD11, Oracles (several), Rega, Thorens, Maplenoles (several), SOTAs (several) and, finally, the VPI TNT. I have compared the Linn (a recent version) with a SOTA and my VPI TNT. I preferred it to the SOTA but it was not even close to the TNT. The Linn was also substantially better than my Ariston and my Rega 3. However, I do agree with Arthur Salvatore's assessment of the Linn - it is still worth buying, if you can get it for less than half list price - but there are many more modern designs that are clearly superior for the same or less money.

Cleopatra52: Do you recall what arm and cartridge were on the LP12 you heard? When you say recent version, I assume it was Lingo (version II) with a Cirkus bearing. But the difference between an Ittok and an Ekos, or even between an Ekos I and an Ekos II (especially one with an Akiva mounted) is very dramatic.

I of course have no problem with people who have actually heard a full spec LP12 and compared it fairly to another table, and then concluded that they like the other table better (for example, a VPI TNT). But the specifics about the arms and cartridges involved are critical for the comparison to be very meaningful.

Cleopatra52, Nice to hear your well-rounded TT experience and balanced assessment of how the Linn Sondek holds up today. You have a perspective that many of us don’t, including myself. I have enjoyed my Lp12 since 1983 but couldn't draw those direct comparisons.
Thanks.

I'm glad I saw this post.
I can either upgrade my pre lingo/cirkus lp12 with lingo/cirkus or start looking for another TT, which will prob be a VPI Scoutmaster/sds. I like the general sound of the LP12, so I'm a little torn. Also, I can't upgrade the Ittok and afford the lingo/cirkus, so the Ittok will stay. Your insights would be welcomed.
Thanks