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LP 12 Owners-If you were going to buy a new TT ...

While I love the sound of my LP12 when its properly set up, it is a finicky beast which hates to be moved. I have moved with my table three times, and readjusting has always been a bit of a pain. For example, I wish speed was easier to regulate, I wish setting up the correct belt height was not so touchy, I wish my Ekos had adjustable VTA, etc. While not fed up to the point of wanting an immediate change, I do wonder occassionally when I see pictures and reviews of some of the new tables popping up in the market. Wondering if any fellow Linnies have moved on (or are considering moving on) to other designs. What woud top the list for about the same money as a fully decked out LP12 (Ekos, Lingo, Arkiv)?
128x128alexc
ejaynycrrcom's avatar
ejaynycrrcom
31 posts
 
owned an lp12 for 20 years. have upgraded to the dps (der plattenspieler). imported by www.audioadvancements.com. sounds superb and no more headaches.
alexc's avatar
alexc OP
265 posts
 
Patrick - VTA on the Ekos can only be adjusted the hard way --- by lowering or raising the entire arm. Not the most reproducibel approach for fine tuning compared to other arms out there. The speed control bit is related to the belt position on the pulley, which can only be adjusted by changing the tilt angle on the pulley/motor. For some mysterious reasonn, mine must have gone out of whack in the last move - the belt has a tough time climbing up the pulley and simply falls off..or it rides too high. The Linn set up manual tells you the speed will be right if the belt is at right spot on the pulley (or viceversa), but all they show you is a rather crude line drawing. My belt looks too high vs the drawing when it stays on, but the only way to be sure is to measure the speed. Proper speed/belt height adjustment is of course done by your dealer when he sets up the table...using Linn's very own high precission strobe (whihc, like the famous set up jig, aint for sale to us mere mortals). The thing is..I don't have Linn dealer anywhere near close, so have to make do on my own (plus any self respecting Linn dealer would refuse to touch my table after all the Extreme Phono mods!) So far, have not managed to get it "right". I have a KAB Strobe on the way which will hopefully help, but it will still be a pain (a quarter of the tiny screws makes a big difference--and of course if you over do it you can damage the top of the actual motor casing....)
lugnut
1,190 posts
 
Alexc,

I'm in the same boat you are in. I don't have a dealer anywhere close. I've never had my belt ride anywhere except in the middle of the pulley. The VTA adjustment is a pain but I only do it once and never feel like I need to make changes due to thickness of any particular pressing. Long ago I was advised that the belt is correct if it is just below the point of rubbing the platter. I'll probably buy a Teres but I won't sell the Linn as I believe it to be worth more to me than it would bring on the market. I'm kind of attached to the thing since it's older than my kid and she's 21. Good luck.

Patrick
jackcob
37 posts
 
But with a Linn you will never know for sure that it is properly set up and functioning at peak potential. There will always be that small little birdy inside your head saying "the bounce may not be right any more", etc etc. Life is too short for a Linn. I know, I hade one for 15 years. Luckily, the voices went away after I sold my table. ;-)
ultrakaz
187 posts
 
I have a Linn and am thinking about an upgrade. My choices thus far are: Teres, Nottingham Spacedeck or VPI Aries. All seem easier to set up and maintain. You might want to post your query at Vinyl asylum.
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