Has anyone noticed that suddenly Agon has numerous linn lp 12s for sale? Today I counted 8! Is there something going on.....are they going out of style . Or is this just random sales fluctuation?
The thing is that Linn Sondeks were almost an ideology along with Naim. It was all about Pace Rhythm and Timing. The ideology was challenged by the likes of Roksan and Pink triangle in the UK. The rest of the world woke up to the fact that for all the mods you make it is an awful lot of money for what you get. They aren't particularly fashionable either. Nobody else makes metal platter boxed wooden plinth decks anymore. Most decks are very skeletal now and have far more of a wow factor - that's perhaps why Michell Orbes' have prospered along with SME's. Not only that but people like the idea of DD's and Idlers. Personally, as I said earlier, I personally think they sound great and I'm sure I can spend many an hour listening to one, but I guess they are just not cool, nor loved by the press as they once were. I find that vis a vis the technics SL1200 it's a funny story. That was very much seen as a low-end DJ spinning deck - then a few clever clogs re-plinthed a re-armed the decks and suddenly people realised that actually they were pretty good. If you read other threads many think they were sent from heaven. Me - I'm a bit naughty, and have too many TT's in my collection that need to be set up - if I had the time and space I'd take a punt.
If you get a SOTA Sapphire you will shake your head at just how bad the LP12 really is. Back in the day there was nothing else that sounded as good when properly set up and isolated. But if anyone sneezed in the room......... Plain and simple it is a poorly designed suspended turntable. If you can't stand the thought of an American turntable get an SME.
drrsutliff"Why are you commenting about someone’s year old posting?"
Why are you commenting on someone's comment to a year old posting do we need you're approval, permission, or blessing to issue forth such comment, response, or remark?
Lots of LP12 for sale...because there were SO many LP12’s made over the years, because they’ve been good and popular for a long time. They’re still in demand today. They have an extensive upgrade path. And more importantly, because they hold their value so well that even satisfied owners can be tempted to sell. People here often read the wrong direction into "always see X for sale" or "never see Y for sale" (the latter usually means it’s faded into oblivion, sometimes for good reason - why bother buying an ad for an item nobody will buy?).
Not an LP12 owner...but their place in hifi analog history has to be respected.
At this point in time for Me; the Linn being a sprung TT has become untenable.
What is it about a suspended chassis that disturbs you so much? Since my floor is not built on solid granite bedrock, I could never consider a non-suspended table. It would be unusable!
Now that I have listened to the Technics / Triplanar rig for 5-6 weeks; I like it even more. Does it mean that My LP12 doesn’t sound good? No, it sounds different and still pleases in different ways.
Will the new Technics put every other TT in the attic, basement or used market? Absolutely Not. Every TT at every price point is still valid. They will all provide the pleasure of vinyl.
At this point in time for Me; the Linn being a sprung TT has become untenable. I will keep my Kuzma belt drive and enjoy its qualities. Better? No just different, as they all are.
I notice more TTs on the used market. Great deals to be had, whether your first, 2nd or 3rd.
I had an LP-12, Ekos, Arkiv - FET-10 Hi & PC + Mac MC-30’s and M&K Sat./Sub between 1990 and 2010 and I loved it! All was lost in 2012 after years of unemployment, and my system had to be sacrificed. Now, I am back to square one, with an AR XB on an XA base w. M97Xe playing through Schiit bits and an Adcom 545II into M&K S1-B’s & a Volkswoofer gifted by an old friend and I am just fine! I live on a busy street in Santa Barbara with heavy commercial traffic, so my ’real’ listening comes mainly at night, and at very moderate sound levels. This fits the bill for my SS Retirement Income. :-)
hold on there a minute. How many of the other tables that are even 20-25 years old, even have the possibility of replacing a faulty bearing?? Which particular era of Linn are you talking about? The new Cirkus bearing is a pretty major step up over the older bearing design..pity that the old Garrard/ Thorens/Lenco bearing design is well....still the old Garrard/Thorens/Lenco bearing design, lol.
From recent research the older Linns have a 20-25 year bearing life expectancy.??? Which is ridiculuous. Compare to thorens, garrard lencos and technics which practically run forever. Another preplanned cash grab by this ridiculous company. Shame shame shame.
Some of the most musically involving systems I've heard over the years used Linn turntables.
While I truly enjoy my highly modded Well Tempered turn table (original), if I had to do it all over again, I think I'd go for one of the classic rim drive tables of yore with the new modifications and upgraded plinths that are available today for around $6000 or so. Having heard them in a couple of friend's systems, they seem to really put more "life" into the recordings.
One of the things I love about the new Technics 1200g is that it is very neutral. It does not homogenize music. You hear what is there, no more, no less. I have found in the past that I found myself listening to a few records in my collection that sounded great. Now, every record I put on sounds great and different. It does not matter if it is an original Pines of Rome Shaded Dog or the newer Hot Rocks reissue. Jazz sounds amazing on the 1200G as the left hand on the piano is very alive and timing is impeccable. Bass is very good, very tuneful. The LP12 I listened to was about 20 grand. I like the 1200G better. I see and hear why people like the LP12 as it does sound very good, very deep and big stage but there is something that the 1200g does that I have not heard very often in analog. I cannot even imagine how good the new reference tables must sound. The new 1200GR and 1200G may be the best values in audio today.
Not always the TT. I was thinking of trading in my Linn a few months ago. I had a CJ ET3 SE and the sound was okay but no excitement. Dynamics seemed flat. I took home a Luxman CL38U-SE and the whole system changed. Dynamics, horns, strings etc. In my case it was the preamp not the TT.
LP12 w/ Radikal in CNC machined aluminum case = $ 25,190
These prices include phonostage, Ekos SE tonearm and top mc cartridge.
Modded Technics TT, Triplanar Classic SE arm, Lyra Kleos, All new, Pass XOno,Used = $16,300
Every Record sounds new even though I have heard all that I have played many times. New and clearer details, Bass is more textured, black backgrounds, On and on, beyond my hopes. Happy; This is my last rig.
It provided a lot of pleasure all these years. I was always on the lookout for something better; but Better could only be had at a substantial cost.
Even the sota Linn upgrades got Spendy and made me keep looking.
That has changed !! I picked up my new modded Technics SL1200G with Triplanar Classic SE tonearm and Lyra Kleos cartridge.
I will need to do the Shootout with Tom; but final invoice for the Technics rig puts it well below Linn and Many Others.
IMO Linn and the Others should be starting to sweat,
My Technics rig is preforming at an astonishing level for significantly lower costs.
Granted that the Technics and any other rig will not be 🍎to🍎 and 🍊to🍊.
In the analog world of TTs; This is a bargain for astounding SQ. We now have a ( dare I say it ) “Value option” that will take on A Lot of rigs out there.
Interesting read. If you are a Linn owner and enjoy your table good for you. I have chose my poison with a Artisan Fidelity Lenco table. Great table. Yes I owned a Linn back in the day but my dating period with Linn is long over and I have a keeper with the Lenco. If I was looking today for a new table I would add a Technics to that list.
Thanks, Noromance. I don't think the price is out of line in today's market where many TT prices do seem out of line, especially when you consider that the full up price includes tonearm, cartridge, and phono stage. I just don't like spring suspended turntables, and I also prefer DD to belts.
invictus005, have you been looking at what other manufacturer’s are charging in this hobby?? There are numerous tables out there that are far more expensive than a fully outfitted Linn. Many of these TT's fail to hold a candle to the SQ of the Linn. Look at some of the cabling prices in this hobby...and you claim that the Linn folks are the biggest rip off artists????
As I said above, I am going to keep my LP12. But ........
I am having a new Technics SL1200G modded to take a new Triplanar tonearm. The Lyra Kleos that has had 60-70, maybe 80 hours put on it ( on my Linn) was just sent an hour ago by FedEx to have it mounted on the new Technics / Triplanar rig.
I plan to do a shoot out with Tom O’keefe at Ovature in Ann Arbor, MI.
I have heard that the full Linn rig is really good. It better be. I weighed the cost of updating the Linn vs a new Technics / Triplanar rig. The Linn lost there.
Just my Opinion at this point; I do Not think the Linn arm can take on the Triplanar arm. Also, I think the Radikal PS “might” compete with the Technics but If you lose by a “Nose” ; you lose.
We will find out in the near future, Tom and I are both up for this shoot out.
The question was asked in 2014. Before any of us knew there would be a new and completely revised version of the SL1200. For a person who purchased the LP12 in the first place, even an old original SL1200 (or any DD turntable) is a huge departure. So, I question the notion that either version of the SL1200 is a factor in this trend, but I am not sure that I agree with the basic premise that LP12s are being sold off. Most owners are diehard Linnies, no disrespect intended.
I am not an LP12 fan, but, I heard one with all the Funk Firm mods and it was absolutely scintillating. It was cleaner, more neutral, and the bass foundation was significantly improved
The Pro-jects are my favorite all rounders but the Clearaudio excels for classical and instrumental. I always like the sound of my Linn. No question about that.
Rega 3 is a nice table but even my stock Rega 5 was not in the same league as my LP12 sound wise. I think the TT PSU moved it closer plus Linn's cartridges sound better than Rega's. The LP12 has just such a huge soundstage. I have not heard that from a lot of other tables. Regas can get close though.
Assume you live in NZ? The going out of tune issue is real in countries like Canada where we can have up to 60 decree C swing in temperature from winter to summer and the corresponding HVAC/humidy issues that causes in an average Canadian home. My suspended Thorens was more stable. No issues now that all of my tables are of the unsuspended type.
I picked up my LINN LP12 around 1997, when vinyl was perceived as just about dead.
I didn't pay a lot for it - Cherry fluted plinth, glued pressed-steel subchassis (with CIRKUS bearing I think), Silver Ittok LVII, BPS H/O MC Cartridge, Trampolinn base, original lid, etc. - so I had the opportunity to have a play with it and experiment.
(It didn't owe me much, so what the heck!)
Now, I have a LINN LP12 super hot-rod!
She is currently fully loaded with: - SHELTER 501 Mk2 installed and set to ALLEN WRIGHT's 'GURU' settings! (Amazing!) LINN lid and hinges removed - never going back, should sell the lid, but its a handy 'spacer' in the original packaging LINN Trampolinn base removed and sold - never pit two suspensions against each other, if you want to avoid foot-fall issues Four (4) BLACK DIAMOND RACING CONES attached via hardened metal threads, threaded into the plinth beneath each corner LINN VALHALLA power supply and all bits removed and tossed ORIGIN LIVE ADVANCED DC MOTOR kit installed - still have the LINN AC motor in reserve LINN TOP PLATE reversed so that DC motor torque pulling from front left - torque in-line with the tonearm, not across it LINN (Glued) Pressed Steel sub-chassis dampened extensively with BLU-TAC - and suspension readjusted (tightened springs a few turns) to allow for additional weight BOSTON AUDIO Carbon matt installed on top of existing felt mat
Man... You should hear it now. It performs like a veritable dragster!
More surgery about to be performed: -
Going to bore 30mm horizontal holes through the sides of the cherry plinth, in an attempt to lower mass and increase rigidity Going to completely re-dress the plinth in the process - perhaps go for a new colour? - in an attempt to make this baby look as good as she sounds.
Thinking about trying the old LINN AC motor again, this time with a Armageddon-style power supply too... Thinking about getting an engineering mate to knock me up a new - thicker - stainless top-plate... Thinking about trying a new Tonearm phono cable to clip-on under the Tonearm. (But quite pricey!) Even thinking about the fabulous-looking GREENSTREET subchassis...(Also quite pricey)
What I'm trying to say here is that LP12s are now the perfect garage hot-rod project for us tinkerers whose wives won't let us strip down a car in the living room. And the LP12 really responds big-time to every tweak. There are so many cottage industries out there now, all trying to add their 10-cents worth of magic to improve the sound of your LP12 that it really is almost like hotting up and old classic car. There are forums galore!
THIS IS FUN!
Those who are still bitching about whether the LP12 is a great turntable or not are all missing the point. It does not have to be the best in the world... Who the hell gets to hear every turntable in the world and make that assessment anyway? (Frankly, I reckon its hard to buy a bad sounding turntable these days anyway...)
The point is that THIS IS FUN FUN FUN! You gotta try it!
IMPORTANT NOTE: Having had my LP12 in bits soooooo many times - and reassembled perfectly - I can confirm that once you set them up, there is simply nothing to go out of adjustment.
The LP12 will stay on-song for years as long as you don't drop it, jump on it or do something really stupid. There is nothing at all - NOTHING! - to go out of adjustment. IMHO, that ongoing set-up legend was just a helpful bit of folk-law LINN came up with in order to create an ongoing revenue stream for its resellers - which also gave them the perfect opportunity to sell you the latest LINN upgrade, amp or whatever. (Hysterical... LOL!)
To be fair, the modern Linns are better built. Sota was great sounding table. A lot tighter and more even sounding but I have not seen them up here in Canada for years while the Linn is still widely available.
I sold my LP12 30 years ago complete with toilet seat stoppers for legs and compressed springs that wobble. Sota sorted that out 30 years ago by hanging the springs. My old Sota still sounds great 30 years later.
take a chance buy one, keep till there will be none or very little for sale and make some money. i'm selling pioneer pl560 now at $400...600 depending on condition and functionality that i was able to get for $25...30.
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