Linn Linto Phono Stage - Comments Please

@ghdprentice Thanks for the insight and recommendations.  I am a pretty good maker with good hands and common sense.  I have also viewed the 7 million LP12 videos by qualified techs and service types and find that the LP12 likes to live within a very clearly defined and understood set of parameters.  I have fitted a very nice example of the Ittok, new linn tonearm cable, Hercules power supply, springs, motor, new plinth, and arm board.  Level is spot on, bounce is perfect, arm board spacing is perfect, cables are properly routed/laced in as to not interfere.  

The Power Supply made a noticeable difference and of course the convenience of 45RPM.  I think your suggestion of the bearing upgrade is probably the next best step along with the tonearm rewire suggested by @jc4659. I like asset upgrades.  As all LP12 owners my say early in their adventure, I don't plan on making this a $20k turntable.  With that said, when I add up what would be the retail cost of all of the upgrades (including tonearm and cart), I probably have about $5k in parts value at this point.

Thanks again for your comments....

@maam522a Yours is a very sensible approach.  Good to hear you're not intimidated by the Linn.  To be clear, the tonearm wire upgrade I had done replaced everything from the connector at the cartridge end of the arm tube all the way to the RCA plugs at the phono pre end.  I did away with the DIN connector at the base of the tonearm.  FWIW, I auditioned the Audio Research Ref 3 phono stage mentioned by @ghdprentice and it was fantastic but at the time not in my budget.

@jc4659 I have no issue with replacing the wiring end to end.  That is something I would have Britaudio do though.  I have a disastrous record when it comes to tonearm/cartridge wires.  Having been in the technical arena in the telecommunications industry for much of my life, I have always been confounded by the small amount of attention given to the signal degradation associated with any connection of any quality.

I just had my Linto returned from refurbishment to front my VPI Aries with Triplanar U2 tonearm. Sounds very good with my DL-103R MicroRidge/Boron cart. I’m waiting to have my BenzMicro S2 returned from WAM engineering analysis and shim addition (to correct for zenith error).  I’m a bit nervous that the Linn’s fixed 150ohm may not be enough for the Benz, but fingers crossed!!

@audiodidact - can you tell me what was done to the Linto in the refurbishment process and if it is a specialist, who did the work?