The Linn LP12 Thread

I have heard my LP12 against many other TTs as you are aware. The one I rate best is the Phonosophie No3, the WTA Amadeus was also superb. However I still preferred my LP12 to all of them.

 

I just don't think he understands the fact that people like their decks every bit as much as he likes his, and that just because he found something he liked more doesn't mean anyone will agree with him when faced with it.

Give it up Lindsay, you sound like a stuck record

 

I think a £1000 combo of CirKus LP12/Ittok + nice MC is a pretty unbeatable combo at the price. Plus it has the ability to be upgraded, in stages, to something rather special. The upgrade path should be seen as a positive, not many decks can be brought bang up to date like an LP12 (at a price I grant you!)

 

If you opt for say a very early LP12 with perhaps a Syrinx or Mission 774 arm then entry drops to around £500-600.

The original 774 on the older and warmer sounding LP12 is a magic combination.

If the decks have been cared for there is little to go wrong.
Perhaps a motor change if your unlucky but hardly expensive.

Wish they still did the fluted plinths.

 

I always thought the fluted plinth was rather overtly 70's in style (which isn't to my own taste) - iconic though.

 

I thought that the Audiosmile modded Behringer and laptop sounded really good for a digital source. However there were a number of tracks played on the day with a quite easily audible amount of digital hash in the midrange and treble. I don't know whether that was down to limitations in the digital files or in the laptop / DAC or both.

Sound quality of any piece of hi-fi equipment is always relative. Relative to how other kit would play the same recording.

As I've already touched-upon, any hardness in the sound of the EMT 950 did not prevent it from sounding better than the fine sounding Garrard / Rega / Decca / Musical Fidelity record player at that bake-off.

 

How many posts have I made on any hi-fi forums in the past 3 months?

How many posts have I made on turntables in that time?

Now compare this to the number of posts made by the Audioflat members across across a range of forums praising various aspects of the LP12?

If I'm a stuck record then my record's going round at 16 RPM compared to some people's record whizzing round at 78 to 500 RPM.

 

I suggest you search for posts by us and then come up with some figures before making statements like the above.

You should not include those on 'trade' threads because that's what they are there for.

 

Is this the evaluation of most who attended? I didn't go so I can't say. Have you taken any needle drops that we could compare with other decks?

 

There were some on pfm I think.

 

I can link to them on here if you want Robert?

The LP12 sounds the best of course...........!

 

Andrew, no problem at all if you wish.

Be good to keep the thread centred on the LP12 discussion though.

 

Springy tables and unipivot arms haven't ever been many audiophile's first choice. How about a unipivot arm on an LP12? I've always wondered how a Sondek fitted with a Naim Aro or a Hadcock would sound. Art Dudley's owns one and still talks wonders about his LP12/Aro, unless until he recently started playing with a Garrard 301, that is.

I see some users out there. Would you mind sharing some of your impressions?

Regards,

Vincula

 

Most Aro's are fitted to LP12's so they do 'work'. In fact, the concept that Unipivots don't work on suspended turntables is a fallacy IMHO (mind you, I've also read that they don't work on non-suspended designs!). Having said that, I've seen them fitted to Garrards too. On the other hand, one unipivot is not necesarily like another (there is a lot more to arm design than just the bearing used and even then, unipivot bearings are often realised in very different ways).

Andrew now uses an Aro on his LP12 and is delighted with the performance on offer.

 

i always disliked unipivots on the basis that not only they are not accurate in both v.& h tracking gauge but harmful to both stilus and vinyl, IMO.

 

I entirely (and quite strongly) disagree Nando. Indeed, I would be interested in what technical justification you have for the criticisms you have made - as I am not aware of such evidence?

 

Well, IMHO if it sounds good, then it's good. That's how I see it. A very good friend of mine has a NAS Spacedeck/Mentor arm with a Grado Sonata on it. Superb tracking and lovely sound. No issues whatsoever. Another one has the same deck sporting a Hadcock GH228/Cartridge Man combo. Great too.

I myself decided to buy a SAEC 407/23 instead of a Grace G940 or a Bluenote arm, and that's the one I'm presently listening to on my Le Tallec Le Stad. Double knife bearing construction and a real joy to use and look at. My cherished Bluenote Boboli's to blame here as well, I s'ppose.

I think unipivots are a bit finnicky to set up and use, but then a friend of mine used to call me "butterfingers" ...

Audioorigami's PU7 arm could be a nice-sounding alternative on a Sondek. Some LP12 were fitted with Syrinx arms in the past, weren't they? So...

Regards,

Vincula

 

Hmm.. interesting design - is it the one below? How does it use double knife edge bearings?

 

It's this one:

http://audio-heritage.jp/SAEC/etc/we-407-23.html

http://www.topclassaudio.com/web/eng/used_product_details.jsp?gid=4561

IMHO one of the very best, and still not as expensive as Ikeda's creatures. SAEC arms were considered to be Japan's answer to SME, although that's arguable, of course.

Here the SAEC 407/23 on my deck:





Can't really answer your question, YNMOAN. I'd love to, since I've been reading on the subject for a while without really getting the point accurately enough... Trying to figure it out applying this principle to a tonearm. See:

http://www.ets-lindgren.com/page/?i=iDKE

Maybe I need an engineer to help me out here

Regards,

Vincula

 

Oh right - yes, I get it - you can see the two knife edges referenced in this pic - very interesting indeed.



It's not the same mechanism as that described by the door manufacturer though (despite using the same terminology).