Thoughts on the Linn LP12 turntable


I don’t see many discussions that include the Linn Sondek LP12 turntable and was wondering why? They’ve been around since the late 70’s and other then power supply and a few other minor changes (IMO) are relatively unchanged. I had one in the early 80’s and another in the late 90’s. They are somewhat finicky to get setup correct and once you do, they sound great. That being said I know there have been a lot better designs to come out since the LP12’s hey-day. Are they worth considering  anymore or has the LP12 just become another audio vintage collectors item?

markcooperstein

I was the one who compared (among other tables better than either) my AR to the Linn. AR Xa. Merrill subchassis. Merrill motor and power supply. Jelco arm. Grado green. Agree no comparison to Linn / Ittok / troika. AR superior. Doesn’t have the snob appeal tho

Some of the most musical sonics from a TT setup, I have experienced with an LP12. Not the most accurate but not too off to sound wrong. The ones I liked were fitted with Aro/ Cirkus/ Lingo2/ Helikon and another one with the latest SME/Keel/Radikal/Kandid.

Both different but gets to the heart of the music in the first place. Not many modern TTs can claim that btw.

 

If you want to see LP12 samples in the wild then this thread on the Naim forum is worth a look. There is a long established friendly (mostly) rivalry between Linn and Naim fans, especially in the UK. But this shows the level of support this table has.

Folks can dump on this kit all they want but the fact is this the LP12 is a rare popular 50-year-old survivor in a battlefield littered with many fancy eye candy turntable companies that burst on the scene but went kaput…

 

 

 

And it is also true that an LP12 can sound very ordinary to outstanding depending on the way it is kitted out and setup