Where in the US to send my Linn Sondek LP12.
I thought I read somewhere that the best Linn Sondek LP12 turntable specialist was in Colorado somewhere. My nearest Linn dealer is in Ann Arbor Michigan. I live in SW Ohio. My query is - would it be better for me to personally drop off my turntable to Overture Audio in Ann Arbor or would it be a better plan to pay the shipping to this Linn dealer in Colorado.
I'm leaning toward driving up I-75 to Ann Arbor and hand deliver my vintage LP12 with Ittok arm and K9 cartridge for a consultation on a power supply upgrade that I can afford. I have heard that the Lingo 4 is a meaningful upgrade. I'm not really wanting to play that crazy upgrade path game that Linn does where they steer you into an endless escalation of tweaks and upgrades.
But if anybody can vouch for a good Linn turntable tuner who is honest and who will work with an ordinary customer of limited means, I would be most appreciative.
- ...
- 24 posts total
I mainly am interested in playing 45’s. I know that here are aftermarket kits that a British audio store sells but I could probably swing for the Linn Lingo 4 that I have only a little bit of information on. I’ll be calling the Ann Arbor Linn dealer to ask about it. But yeah, all these motor, sub-platter, bracing, arm board, upgrades add huge amounts to the cost. I am am tempted to just do what @roberjerman says and learn to do my own setup. In order to take the plunge with this, I guess I’ll need to keep reading Michael Fremer’s analog column. |
masi61 - This past year I purchased a fairly top tier LP12. It has a foot in the door of a Klimax level deck, essentially an Akurate with a Radikal motor. I also had custom plinth built for it. I found myself in similar situation where my dealer was not close but not too far, in my case Atlanta.
I believe your dealer in Ann Arbor Michigan has a very knowledgeable tech or participates in some of the Linn specific forums. Also, I can vouch for dealer in Atlanta. There are also options in Maryland and DC. The take home is work with a dealer - at least initially. When you transport the finished deck you will remove the outer platter, and raise the inner platter. It is also important to keep the suspense and arm board from swinging around while driving. Also remove the counter balance on the tone arm. You can purchase the tools to work on your LP12 as well and it might be a good idea. Also take a look at the following setup guides from a a very well respected Linn dealer in England. These guides are a good opportunity for learning and worth the read for any LP12 owner. Required reading if you want to do the work yourself. The guide has three volumes. https://www.cymbiosis.com/downloads/ I agree at the end of the day it is just a turntable but it still needs to be done correctly to get the most performance and enjoyment out of it. Take the time and effort to do it right, you will be glad you did. And while the LP12 can be expensive I have found the investment I have made into it worth while and it has far exceeded my expectations. |
- 24 posts total