Help on Linn Ittok Tonearms


Thanks for your help. Obviously, Linn has made a lot of changes to its Ittok tonearms over the years. Some are more prone to bearing issues, and etc.

Can anybody recommend serial number ranges to suitable tonearms to look for, a guide that details manufacturing modifications, and/or some tips as to what I should be looking for to avoid trouble?
gechta

Showing 1 response by newmanoc


Good, knowledgeable advice from Lugnut.

I am in the process of buying an Ittok LV II (indeed, likely with a silver tonearm cable). My own philosophy when it comes to fragile analog equipment like tonearms, especially one that is going to be a number of years old, is to buy from a dealer who can varify all is working well before you make the purchase. Dealers sometimes list these here on Audiogon, but another option is find any dealer selling Linn gear and ask them to find an Ittok for you. Since this is a common arm people upgrade from when going to an Ekos, they are not hard for them to find. The price has gone up on these recently, and I think $500 - $600 is about what you should expect to pay. If you want an Ittok III, which is a substantially better arm (the "baby ekos"), expect to look a lot harder and pay considerably more.

Another option to buying from a dealer is to buy using escrow, and then have a dealer or some knowledgeable friend check it out during the two day inspection period escrow gives you.

Oh, by the way, if getting an LV II, you want a later model, not the one with the split counter weight. The later models are better, though all are an excellent value.