Zavato, I did the motor and sub chassis at the same time. Therefore, I cannot say which made the biggest diff...although I'm pretty sure it was the Radikal D.
The sub chassis is nonetheless a great option to my old 80's sub chassis.
Chayro, cannot tell you exactly how much....BUT it wasn't cheap, although like everything in this crazy hobby, i guess it's all relative! The SQ has truly leapt to another plane...amazingly so! |
The Linn LP12 has gone through many variations. The latest is the LP12 SE version with the Keel sub chassis, the Radikal Dynamik power supply and the Ekos SE tonearm with the Kandid cartridge. Whether the TT competes with the current crop of SOTA TT's is another question. I brought this question up to the Linn forum and was quickly flamed to death...:0(
However, IMO, it is a valid question, particularly as the top end LP12SE is now priced at or above the competition. IMHO, the arm mount and the inflexibility of arm choices is a MAJOR detriment to an otherwise still great design. |
I thought I would 'bump' this thread. I upgraded my LP12 with a new Radikal D and Kore Subchassis along with the new Cirkus bearing/ springs and grommets.
The improvements in SQ are NOT small. The jump in resolution, freq extension at both ends of the spectrum, inner groove silence and overall ease of presentation is easily heard. I do believe that the current LP12 with Radikal D is still at the forefront of LP reproduction. |
Kiko65, the words "fuzzy to set up and maintain" would indicate to me that your LP12 was never properly set up in the first place. I have said before, and contrary to popular myth, the LP12 is NOT prone to drift out of set up and is actually pretty easy to maintain. That is assuming the set up is done right the first time.
I also think that one needs to adjust the set up on ANY table every time you change cartridge. The tonearm parameters will always need to be adjusted and the TT checked.
As to outdated technology, well one could say that about all TT's too! I don't happen to think that a DC motor control/drive and a belt drive are 'outdated'- I guess YMMV. |
Suteetat,your observation about the looks of the LP12 is interesting. In some ways I have to agree, although the looks of any TT is highly subjective, IMHO.
Some people would say the new VPI Classic Direct doesn't look like it should cost anywhere near $30K.Others would say the Continuum Caliburn looks like a million $$$ ...hmmm don't want to give them any ideas, LOL. |
Banerjba, your comment that a LP12 can sound good or bad; Bad ones, even
after being set up properly go off after a year or so, makes absolutely no sense!
What would make a good LP12 vs a Bad LP12?
I guess I own a "good" LP12, as my TT does NOT go "off"
after a year or so, LOL.
Plus,IMHO, anyone that owned an LP12 and thought it was NOT better than an
Axis was either a) hearing a VERY poorly set up LP12 or b) hearing other
distortions up the line that were hiding the LP12's ability and playing to the
Axis's distortions or c) both. Again IMHO, whenever I have heard an Axis and
compared it to even an entry level LP12, the SQ increase with the LP12 was easy
to hear! |
Kiko65, I do have a passion for the LP12. Here's one of the reasons why...an upgrade path. Looking at your examples above, not one can be upgraded, except for the LP12!! While some may like the Classic 1 more than the Majik LP12, there is nowhere to go with the Classic 1 to upgrade- except onto A'gon, LOL.
I don't know how old your and Banerjba's original LP12 was...but my first late 80's era model never went out of tune, that is once it was set up correctly. |
Kiko65, I don't think any of the TT's you mention give one the option of starting with the cheaper basic design and then changing out parts to optimize the sound. Your example of the Rock 7 certainly doesn't! The Rock 7 has a fixed motor and chassis, no upgrade path there, power supply...what power supply?, support...is what you get and so on. The LP12 allows all of these options to be changed out ( and improved upon) as funds allow. To say one can change cartridge and arm and phono pre is missing the point. The BASIC TT remains the same in your example!!! Not so with the LP12! Anyway, YMMV. |
Kiko65, I guess we will have to agree to disagree. Where can you buy a SOTA TT that is a 'fraction' of the cost of the LP12 and that is better than the top grade LP12?....I don't know of any such TT. IMHO, the Rega's are not in the same league as a top flight LP12...ANY Rega. I recently 'AB'ed my LP12 Radikal against a friend's new Palmer, I can tell you the LP12 in my system was far more to my liking. Like I said before, YMMV. |
Banerjba, since when is the table tracking the record, LAST TIME I LOOKED-- IT
WAS THE CARTRIDGE/STYLUS/TONEARM! do tell us what cartridges were being
used at the time of your demo. |
Banerjba, what were the tracking forces used on the different tables? I doubt that they were the same. An incorrectly set up cartridge might not track well in one instance and would track better once correctly set up. Same thing applies for an incorrectly set up arm.
As to the looks of the Linn, I don't subscribe to the fact that it looks bad. In fact I think the fluted look is pretty classic. Plus, one can change the plinth to make it look amazing. If you don't like the look of a plinth, that's another thing, BUT I think there are a LOT of TT's that look worse than the Linn and at all prices. |
Banerjba, do you REALLY believe that the LP12 is at fault because one of your records couldn't be tracked by an arm and cartridge ( I'm not sure you have mentioned which) that was mounted on the LP12!!--- I'm done with this stupidity. |
Great post casaross. Agree 100% with what you say. The issue today, is that there are far too many people who have a memory of the LP12 that they heard back in the 80's or the 90's or early 00's. These same people still think that is what the table sounds like today. Nothing could be farther from the fact. Even the entry level Magik model,well set-up, can provide a great level of SQ for the money. The top flite LP12 Klimax SE with Radikal D can compete with any TT on the market, IMHO. |
