From LP12 to where...?

i had an lp12 for 17 years. upgraded the bearing to cirkus, upgraded the power supply valhalla to lingo, upgraded the arm from basik to ekos. i even learned to tune the bounce myself. once i heard the cost of the keel, i gave up supporting it. i bought a tw acustic raven one with graham phantom and dyna xx-2 cartridge. what you lose is the ability to play poor sounding recordings. what you gain is a much denser sound with a solid bass foundation. i am thrilled.

I had an LP12. While I believe there is no substitute for proper tools and experience, the LP12 is not that mysterious to set up. Perhaps the hardest thing were the coil springs in the suspension have to be turned to the correct clock positions to keep the arm board square while allowing for a non-binding suspension movement. You also need the proper slack in the tone arm cable, and cannot plug just any tone arm cable into the arm. A heavy or stiff cable will interfere with the suspension movement. I built a stand to allow for ease of adjustments while learning the tricks, rather than stacking books or chairs back to back.

I have a least best combination for a turntable, a lead filled rack sitting on a hardwood floor. Footfalls would cause the LP12 to jump around and skip. Either of the tables you mentioned would be good, and there are others. I’ve had Rega, VPI, Technics SL1200 and ended up liking a Nottingham Spacedeck with Space Arm. Then I picked up a dealer demo Nottingham Space 294 with a Moerch arm.

Take a look at the Pink Fish Media Forum which features many Naim/Linn fans. The usual suspects are the TW Akustik Raven One, the DPS turntable, and the Spacedeck. I own a DPS and like the Spacedeck (at the lower price). Both are excellent tables. The Raven would be difficult to get in you price range though.

Also, having owned a Thorens TD150 (mini-Linn) I don't think that the LP12 is difficult to set up. If this is your only concern, I would try teaching myself.

I was in the same situation. I liked the lp-12 but...I purchased an Avid Volvere. Everthing improved including being able to easily perfom my own set-ups. The SME IV added to the ease of set-up.

I won't say I told you so...oh wait, yes I will :-) I still think you should have bought a Teres with a lesser arm for now, then upgrade the arm when you can afford it. The Avid's are very nice also.