LP12 vs Classic III vs. ?? vs.??

Theo, I dont own any Avid TTs. But I have heard them multiple times. Yes, there is a dealer close by. I do lurk around UK forums often and I dont remember anyone complaining about Avid quality or customer service.

I dont have extensive experience with VPI, but I have spoken to people who have heard both they say VPI is darker and slower compared to the Regas, Linns and Avids.

If you like suspended tables, I would recommend the Oracle Delphi V or VI. I prefer it much over a Linn, but retains the musicality and beautiful midrange. Your Ekos will work well on it.

for a more neutral presentation, I would recommend the Sota Cosmos IV. A little stronger bass than the Delphi, which you may prefer. the Delphi has a nice, tuneful bass, but not quite as much power as the Cosmos.

Otherwise, for non suspended, the Classic III is a winner.

I enjoyed my Linn/Ekos for quite a few years and was very reluctant to change, as I truly loved the sound. Like you, I wanted to upgrade, but, as you say, it is really difficult to audition turntables in a meaningful way - in your home with the same cart/phono stage, etc. Working with a local dealer, I decided to buy a Basis 2001/Vector, but I was somewhat worried that it wouldn't have that nice midbass warmth that the Linn has and such. In any case, I was shocked at how much more I enjoyed listening to the Basis over the Linn. Notice I didn't say it was BETTER- just that I, personally, enjoyed the Basis much more. To put it in a nutshell, the Linn sounded like a record player and the Basis sounds like a master tape. Only after I changed did I realize the Linn seemed to superimpose a boxy coloration on all the music, which was something I just chalked up to the "analog experience" and resonances inherent to vinyl. With the Basis, there is virtually none of this, and you hear the record as it is, without any sonic signature imposed. At least within my level of expertise - I've no doubt that the uber-tables go far beyond what I'm hearing. However, in spite of this lack of coloration, the Basis still has great warmth and beautiful sound. It is not cold or clinical in any way. In short, I love listening to it. I don't know if this is due to the TT or the arm or both, so I can only speak for the combo I have. I know that Basis can fit their tables with a Rega 250, which will lessen the cost, but I've never heard this combination, so I couldn't say this will be an improvement over the Linn without the Vector tonearm. In any case, that was my experience and best of luck to you.

I would also suggest looking into the Well Tempered Amadeus or the Townshend Rock 7. Robert Greene's reviews of these in The Absolute Sound sum up their sound nicely (WTA=top down; Rock=bottom up).

I have had and loved both (went with Rock due to build quality and suspension, slightly better bass and upgradeability of the arm), but only had a chance to compare to a VPI HW-19, not a particularly fair fight.

I went from the LP12 with Ekos,Cirkus,Trampoline and Lingo II to a VPI Classic and absolutely love it, except for the hum problem. The PRAT to me is a TAD bit better with the Classic. When you add the Ring/Record Weight/SDS it's better still. The Classic images much better and has better depth. Now having said all that, it's basically a lateral move in the sense of the money that's spent. The main reason that I switched was that I was totally put off by the price of the Linn upgrades. The VPI is affordable for me, in that I can afford to purchase the latest and greatest upgrades. Now for the Linn I can't afford to purchase "all" of the latest and greatest upgrades. Again sonically the my VPI (300 RPM motor)Ring/Record Weight/SDS is better than my Linn was. But the sonic difference wasn't worth the money spent. However the " upgrade affordability" aspect makes it well worth the money. Finally, when you throw in ease of users setup and maintainability it's a no-brainer. Hope this helps.

M~