Honestly, if you have the Linn already, I would have it properly set up and just keep it. Once properly set up, Linn should go for many years without issues. I wouldn’t recommend this if you didn’t have one already. Anyone who says they require constant attention either never owned one or never had one correctly set up. But either way, good luck. BTW - new springs, grommets and a new belt are not expensive. That’s all you would really need unless there is bearing damage.
Technics SL 1200GR with What Cartridge???
I'm starting yet another thread on a similar topic, because I don't want to hi-jack someone else's thread, and I haven't found the answer to my question in other threads.
OK... I'm considering returning to vinyl for some of my listening and I need a Cliff's Notes version of what cartridges I might want to use.
I've had a Linn Sondek LP12 for years, which I've barely used... but... it's been in storage. As I recall it was pretty "finicky" and required a lot of attention to perform it's best (which was/is good). I don't have enough patience anymore to deal with that, and am planning on moving to a Technics SL 1200GR, because it seems simple to operate, gets good reviews and doesn't seem to require a lot of attention.
It appears that you can get great sound quality from the 1200GR with a good cartridge. I'm just not sure what might be optimal / best for the money.
I also do not want to go crazy with esoteric cartridges that cost a mint. My budget is probably in a range of... say... $300-400 to maybe $800-900 (if the cartridge is noticeably better than the more modestly priced cartridges).
My Linn cartridge is a MM cartridge, I think (Basik or K9) in an Itok arm.
That's about it.
I'm not really interested in considering a lot of alternatives either in a turntable, or cartridges.
Any guidance in this context would be appreciated.