Linn Sondek LP-12 happy/un-happy owners

Theo,

I purchased my LP-12/Ittok in 1984 and just hung a ZYX Airy 3 on it and I'm thrilled. Bar none, this table has been the best money I've ever spent on equipment. Having said that however and having listened to many other tables available today that were not available when I bought mine, I would likely buy something else. The out of adjustment remarks are, IMO, urban legends. This also would depend on how often the table is moved and if the moving is done correctly. You do need to actually understand how the suspension works and why the taonearm cable needs to be dressed as it is. That's beyond a lot of audiophiles abilities. I'd look strongly at a Teres in the same price range. SOTA owners are very faithful, so I would think they also would be worthy of consideration. Now, if you were talking about a late model LP-12 equipped the way you like, used, then I would say that it would be hard to beat at that price point.

My vote is for the Linn Sondek a table with excellent timbre, fine detail, and outstanding musicality. I have had an Lp12 since 1983 with little or no trouble. It concerns me when someone finds that they can't keep one in tune though. Sound more like a Linn dealer that is possibly out of tune. In all the years that I have had my table I can only think of one occasion when it fell out of tune in less than one years time, so you shouldn't worry much about that. Do yourself a favor and look at Stereophile: Linn Products LP Playing System, Michael Fremer, November 2003 http://www.stereophile.com/analogsourcereviews/1103linn/index.html it is just one good overall review of the Lp12 as a complete turntable system. Many people over the years have talked about this table because in many ways it (has been/is) a reference standard for more than 30 years. Another interesting aspect of Linn and the Lp12 is that Ivor Tiefenbrun (owner/creator) pretty much single handedly proved to audiophiles of the day how great the analog source component could influence the overall musicality of a Hifi system. That in fact no matter how cool your speakers and amps were, the turntable/tonearm could make a greater difference (note that I did not include the cartridge). My point is... is there a better turntable today? Yes, maybe, and how much will it cost you? I find it interesting that until just a few years ago, most everyone compared their table to this one. Theo, most folks I've meet who run this table down (and they are few and far between) have never owned one. There are some real nice turntables out there today... this is still one of the best. Enjoy!

I purchased my LP-12 used in 2002. It is a 1992 Valhalla model with an Akito arm and a Sumiko Blue Point Special cartridge. My dealer set it up for me and it has been working fine ever since. It has not been moved since it took up residence in my home. It plays music without any fuss or drama. I have not felt the urge to upgrade so it must be doing something right.

I used to own an LP12 with the Cirkus and Valhalla upgrades, I was never really satisfied with it. I sold my LP12 and bought a Teres 255/ET2/Shelter 901 and have not looked back. I have had the Teres for about 2 years now I'm very happy with it and have not even thought about any upgrades so I guess this is saying something about the Teres 255.

Steve.

I have owned an LP12 for a little over 20 years. They don't always go out of tune - my experience is that every 2 years or so it benefits from adjusting the suspension, changing the belt and checking the tonearm cable dressing.

When the Linn was launched the manufacturer cleverly shifted the goalposts by demonstrating the table with what were then quite exotic tonearms (Grace 707, FR64) and moving coil carts.

Until then, the majority of "high end" analog rigs were Japanese direct drives which came fitted with the manufacturer's own tonearm. Most owners fitted mm carts - the V15 MkIII was a popular choice.

The Linn dem'd well and the legend was born. It exploited a lack of knowledge of acoustic isolation.

My own experience is that an old direct drive deck fitted with a decent arm (modified Rega) and isolated on a sandbox shelf sounds better. The Linn sound whilst quite seductive has weaknesses - bass extension and articulation are not that good and there is a boom in the upper bass. The motor is a cheap AC type and speed stability is always an issue.

Set-up is crucial. Fortunately there are many excellent "how to" instruction sets available for free download and if you enjoy tweaking a Linn can be an enjoyable purchase. If you don't want to teach yourself Linn setup then be prepared to fund your Linn dealer's pension plan!

If you want to set and forget a Rega would be a better prospect. Many Linn owners have upgraded to Nottingham Analogue Spacedecks or Roxan Xerxes which offer the same kind of presentation with less drawbacks.

In conclusion, don't think about buyin a LP12 without hearing one and whilst the table has many advocates there are, in reality, better designs out there.