REGA-VPI JR- LINN- OR ? UNDER $800

wait for an oracle. i got my perfect-condition mk-l for $850, & this included a decent grace tonearm, & shipping from canada to maryland. of course, i now have ~$2k into it w/gnu tonearm, power-supply, & mk-v upgrades... ;~) but, ya don't *have* to do all that to it, and, meantime, yule still have an excellent 'table, and a work of art, as well. shoot higher, if this 'table is gonna ge yer last. my opinion of course...

Lolo, the set up for the Linn (and also the Oracle, If I'm not mistaken) requires adjustment of the sprung subchassis for maximum performance. If not treated like a "close 'n' play," the Linn retains it's setup fairly well. BUT it does need readjustment periodically (for me, 1-2 yrs). I've encountered some folks who seem to think that 2 weeks after proper setup their LP-12 is going to go out of adjustment and sound like crap. That of course, is not true. The "flip-side" (if you will) is a newer mass-loaded design such as the VPI Aries or the Immedia. Their approach to resonance control is mass to achieve isolation as opposed to springs. It really boils down to taste (and of course BUDGET), insofar as both design and sound go. The Oracle mentioned above is I'm sure an excellent table, with a rep for being a bit "cool" sounding (at the same time very musical). The Linn on the other hand, has a rep for being "warm" with some fairly well-known resonance "issues" (in the process of correcting). ANYWAY, lest I ramble incessantly, good luck in your quest. I would recommend a higher-end table in a previous incarnation (as Sedond suggests). Then you'll have the option of upgrades. Regards, -John

I suggest the VPI jr. The upgrades are just about limitless and each upgrade yields a significant improvement in sound. I started with a jr. and have gradually upgraded to a MK4. with JMW Memorial tonearm and Benz Glider cartridge. The sound is incredible! Setup is easy too.

musikdok is right that the oracle, w/its three springs, requires adjustment at initial set-up. but, it's not hard, & it stays adjusted once set-up. also, easy to check, w/a built-in bubble level on the suspended subchassis.

one of the things oracle learned from their original design was that a subchassis counterweight, opposite the tonearm, was wery effective in stabilizing the suspension - a recommended upgrade to the earlier oracle 'tables, now standard on the mk-v wersions...

doug

Interesting facts Sedond - I've not seen "up close 'n' personal" an Oracle (not heard one of course), but it does seem quite the refinement of the sprung subchassis design (not to mention a beauteous modernistic table). Perhaps, some day (when an LP collection of 5000+ manifests - yeah right!), I'll look for something besides my humbly-yet-effectively modded LP-12. Just out of curiosity, what arm and cartridge do you currently use? Regards, John