Any experience with the new Linn Sondek upgrades?


The new arm seems monstrously priced since I just managed to do my upgrade three years ago. It was worth it but another five grand seems nuts. Perhaps the base upgrade at half that provides more benefit per kilo-buck, and it more in line with their theory that the platter comes first. Its gonna take me another three years before I can squirrel away that much if the new arm is that big an improvement.
aceto

Showing 3 responses by kinsekd

I went the whole nine yards on the upgrade, the Keel, the Ekos SE and a new Akiva cartridge for good measure. Threw in a Cirkus II while they were at it. Was it expensive? Absolutely! Did it make a huge difference? You betcha. The improvement in low level detail was absolutely amazing. And the noise floor was significantly reduced. Highly recommended if you can afford it.
I respectfully disagree with Mr. Sayles. The point of this little exercise was not to microanalyze each upgrade individually. It was to hear the impact of how the upgrades worked together synergistically. As a whole. Which I felt was greater than the sum of the parts.
There is an interesting review of the LP12 upgrade in the October 2007 issue of Stereophile magazine. One point I think we all agree on is that this upgrade is not for the faint of heart or thin of wallet. I had to think long and hard before taking the plunge. Eventually, I justified it by saying this is the last hurrah for me. At least as far as turntables go.