Any experience with the new Linn Sondek upgrades?

I would agree with Newmanoc as I am essentially in the same shoes.

Kinsekd if you did all these upgrades at the same time how can you have a quantitative understanding of improvement? I understand the convenience yet that is a lot of scratch. Had you auditioned these incrementally? Although I essentially agree with your upgrades I would have swapped the Keel for the Ekos SE for a possibly better improvement at a cost savings.

I have updated my Lp12 circa 1982 one step at a time and can unequivocally conclude that the Cirkus cut my surface noise by 50% plus well adding improved low level detail, the Lingo tightened up everything making everything more timbre correct, improving depth of stage, and added a greater (deeper) lower end. The Akiva quieted things down even better, especially on old well worn vinyl and has extracted even greater levels of low level detail which has also with no coincidence improved sound stage and instrument placing. All great sonic values. I too consider the Keel smart but extremely over priced and find it disenchanting that Linn would make the profit margins so high against their possible mass proliferation of raising the Sondek Lp12 name back to a place of respect amidst all the marvelous late comers to this industry/market. Their intent (marketing strategy) leaves me confused. They have been side-tracked from two channel analog for far too long IMHO but it’s good to see them back with innovative ideas and not abandoning what made their name in the first place. It will take a home audition/evaluation and nothing less for me to fork out with that kind of cash on a Keel upgrade. As for the Ekos SE which still will not allow the end user VTA on the fly, as so many of the competitors have found need to offer. And to top it all off I couldn't determine the value of these new updates at the resent Linn Manufacturer/Dealer listening demo due to the all Linn amp and speaker compo. With all due respect, how can Linn discern source upgrades with a reference system so over dynamic and yet seemingly vacuous in musicality (the dreaded word audiophile comes to mind), it leaves me totally baffled! Yet I love my Sondek Lp12 so hey, what do I know?

Happy (analog) Listening!

Kinsekd, with all due respect, Evidently I did not receive the same context for this discussion as you. As to the point, neither do I find my brief take on the individual parts to be a microanalysis by a long shot, but Ok! :^) If you felt my observation was to challenge you personally, your mistaken. Rather, my point was to aid Aceto or for that matter, anyone reading this, of understanding why I chose the upgrades I did and didn’t. I personally find the Ekos SE excessive in price, but concede for reasons mentioned that I could not properly evaluate it as a separate improvement and consequently could not have an opinion on it collectively. I’m sorry that my distain for Linn’s electronics has rubbed you the wrong way, yet after more than forty years of great concert seats in all kinds of venues and having had the good fortune of working with several turntable and tube amplifier designers and builders that our dear friends of mine, I have come to this particular opinion over time. I enjoy many semi-conductor amps such as Musical Fidelity and Pass, among others, so it is not as simple as tubes or SS. As a point of reference, I owned Linn Ikemi, LK1, LK280 Sparks, Kairn, Sara, and Linto (the last which I still find to be outstanding and one of, if not the quietest phono stages I have ever heard) for many years of good service. But alas, different stokes for different folks. Sorry to strike such a disruptive chord.

Happy Listening!

Rgurney,
There is not a Linn dealer on the planet who will throw in a Cirkus, if you check with Kinsekd I think you will find he threw in for the Cirkus.

To me the Cirkus should be at the top of the upgrade list for every Sondek Lp12 owner. It is by far the most cost effective/sonic improvement offering available, hands down.

Happy Listening!

I think Art Dudley of Stereophile, who is also a long time owner of the Sondek Lp12, summed it up quite nicely in the October issue.

Some good points you make Newmanoc about tone arms and cartridges. I too posses an Akiva and find it to be so revealing. It does everything well and is a very quiet (surface noise/groove) rider. Actually Scan-Tech makes both Lyra and the Akiva but, not to knit pick. I've always wondered if the Graham 2.0 or 2.2 would be a good match for the venerable Sondek, it seems light enough. Does anyone have some experience with that? A Graham is somewhat hard to find used but not impossible and you get VTA on the fly with replaceable arm tubes so one could run a mono cartridge as well for quieter, more appropriate play for all the old and reissue vinyl out there. Pricing is just beyond the Ekos II (used) from what I’ve seen and if the tonearm mounting collar ID in the keel is larger than the shaft OD of the Graham by enough it is very likely one could machine a custom bushing to retrofit the two into a sound, stable marriage. I’ll have to do some rooting around and take measurements. In the end I'm torn with whether to buy a second table, Lp12 or not, or go with the Keel. All three ideas have their merit and had Linn priced today's upgrades as in the past (very affordable) I wouldn't even be looking at these other scenarios so carefully. I really want a second table eventually. Just ruminating out loud. How about tartan felt mats as Art Dudley suggested? and a dee dram of Scotch. :^)


Happy (analog) Listening!

typo: that's a "wee" dram of Scotch, to quote Sir Ivor Tiefenbrun. :^)