Linn or VPI

I had a full boat Linn front end, went from an Arkiv to a Ruby 2 and then to a Basis 2500, Graham 2.2 and a Ruby 2. I prefer the Ruby in both arms because it tracks much better than the Arkiv, is a little warmer and is much cheaper to retip. Of course your priority may be different.

I wouldn't buy a new Linn today. My Linn dealer lost their LP 12 expert and you must have dealer support for this table. It's been many years since Linn has done anything new with analog and I suspect it may get more difficult to get service in years to come. The EKOS is nearly a fifteen year old design. Of course when you have the support the Linn system stills sounds great.

I went with the Basis/Graham because it sounds better to me and I don't need a local dealer. Set up and cartridge swapping is a snap. The engineering of the arm and table gives me great confidence they will work for many trouble free years.

My new set up has a more exact sense of space and better bass precision. The instruments of a string quartet can be more easily placed, side to side and front to back, than before. There are no drawbacks I can hear.

I suspect the Graham arm is the reason behind the improvement. A Graham 2.2 in a Linn would be interesting to hear. Unless you are very skilled in set up, or have absolute confidence your Linn dealer will be there ten years from now, go with the TNT. But, if you can consider the Basis.

Elkyman,

You have a point on who'll be here to back up the table years from now. That's why I suggested you go with a table as bullet proof as you can get. If Linn really was committed to analog why is it they haven't introduced any new products in many years?

I had my LP12 for about 12 years. My expert could set the table up where it wasn't sensitive to vibration, the same result you found with your test. You should be able to bounce the spindle, lightly of course, with your finger while playing a record without skipping. The arm/cartridge should only move vertically, not side to side. I found that this really told me if the unit was set up correctly. The Linn is more sensitive to vibration but if set up right it isn't really an issue.

While you've heard lots of opinions, good ones, remember this. Until you live with a front end for a long time and optimize it to suit your needs, you really don't know. You have to listen to many records for months to know for sure. The reason is there are just to many variables to make a decision quickly. Consider how many adjustments one can make to an arm/cartridge. Small changes in VTA or tracking force can make a huge difference.

I can tell you this. The Graham is a better arm than the EKOS. The Basis/Graham long term sounds at least as good as the Linn/EKOS, I think better, has solid engineering, is built to last and can be worked on by the owner alone. I suspect the VPI has the same advantages but I cannot comment on it's sound as I haven't heard it. Think twice about a Linn.