I bought mine secondhand from my Hi Fi dealer about 30yrs ago and have upgraded it over the yrs to pretty much new speck. All that's left of the old deck is its three black bolts. I thought it sounded great way back then but now it sounds fantastic. How far will I take it on it's upgrade journey is anyone's guess but up till now it's been a rollercoaster of a ride both musically and enjoyably.

Speaking as your hi fi grannie, who had a Linn LP12 for more than thirty years, one of the last of the grooved plinth versions, listening to someone hell bent on the purchase of an LP12 today, what would I say? I would say buy a second hand LP12 for a maximum of 1500 quid and get it serviced by a Linn dealer. Listen to it for a couple of years, then spend your three and a half thousand quid on something else, such as a turntable with direct drive. Even entry level LP12 prices these days are too high to make sense. Own an LP12 if you must, but choose second hand, then forget the hype and have a serious listen to the alternatives available. (Great channel - keep going).

@deanwhiteley3065

4 ай бұрын

I’ve pretty much done exactly what you have suggested. I’ve paid £1500 for a used Lp12 that comes with quite a number of upgrades including Krane tonearm, chassis, power supply etc,etc. Sounds fantastic. I will probably keep it for a year or two then move on to something more substantial 👍😊

@menfallinloveandwomenmakeplans

4 ай бұрын

@@deanwhiteley3065 You are the only person in all human life who has done what I suggested.

Owning an LP12 has been a life goal. Sadly I only ever got to Ariston RD80SL I still have it and love it. Even with the Linn Basik Plus arm.

@MichaelDoran-gh6pv

2 ай бұрын

I had one with the Linn Basik, When we separated the then wife car boot sled it before I could return to the marital home to pickit up, Got to let it go.... It was 30 years ago...

Hi Dave & Mike: I bought my first LP 12 back in 1982. In 2014, I traded it and my LP’s to a good friend for(who always admired it) for a Linn LK140 amp + Kolektor preamp in mint condition, which I enjoy every day. I have 3 sets in different rooms and love them. My friend enjoyed the table until a couple years ago. He then sold it in parts for a decent return. If I ever return to vinyl (no way as a streaming playlist lover), I would have to splurge and get the new LP 12 Majik. I bought into “Linn For Life” back in ‘82 and its in my blood now after 40 years of enjoyment and still going. Hope my buying days are over especially with Linn 2022 pricing….quite sobering. Great review as always! Cheers! michael

@MrVinylista

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Michael, interesting insight. I think the Majik LP12 would fit the bill perfectly, and then a sneaky Lingo power supply when no one's looking! Mike and I were genuinely impressed, and I think Mike's having similar thoughts about getting one - assuming he can get an annoyingly rare finish that no one else has!

@Michael-xz1nk

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Dave, Mike should definitely get a Majik and sell his original to lower the cost. Think you’ll ever review the Linn LK140 or 85 or Kolektor? That would be sweet! Cheers, michael

@MrVinylista

2 жыл бұрын

@@Michael-xz1nk Hi Michael - we'll certainly try to find something from this era to feature at some point. Good stuff, if I remember rightly. I think I did these for Hi-Fi World, back in the mists of time. Tonally quite dry but very detailed, intricate sound if my memory serves me correctly. Meanwhile, lock up your credit cards, as we have the new Selekt LP12 coming soon... 🙂

@Michael-xz1nk

2 жыл бұрын

David, Thanks much for the effort. Hope you can find an LK 140 or 85 or Kolektor? Should not be too hard in the UK. Here is a different story. Generations before that, not as good. I love these vintage boxes so much, I have 3 sets in different rooms with different speakers and use all of them most days. I also love small chassis’s. My wife would kill me if I ever spent Selekt LP12 money on audio…..lol!!!!! Have a great weekend!! michael

I Scored One Day ; was Reading the Daily Newspaper Classifieds and to My Amazement a (LP12 Turntable for Sale $20) But it was in Pieces in a Cardboard Box from a Japanese Fellow who wasn't going to Sell it to Me at First but reneged as He was Embarrased ;I begged and he gave in , the Felt on this older LP12 was well used and thin as a Wafer it had a red clear on/off Switch but I Took it in to my Music Store who Carried Linn Products and they Brought it Back to Life with a Vahalla Kit I Believe andI Got Otta There in a Song ...Happy as a Pig in Dirt !

I've had many turntables, but the Linn Sondek has an uncanny ability to convey the essence of music like no other...

@andygee8716

11 ай бұрын

You might want to get your head out of the sand! Listen to turntables by, AVI, AVID and Clearaudio... Shit's moved on since the 80's

@socksumi

7 ай бұрын

@@andygee8716 Well said. Linns are great tables but there are other great turntables as well that some folks prefer over Linn. Oracle comes to mind.

Just came across your channel, have subscribed. 👍 Jim 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🙂

@MrVinylista

2 жыл бұрын

Welcome, squire! We have a review of the latest Planar 3 coming soon. 🙂

I have to say that the Rega P3 is a hard act to follow even though most of my hifi is LINN!

30 years ago I auditioned price comparable LP12 & PT Export turntables. There was only one choice if I wanted a turntable I could tap my foot along to, the PT. The Linn had an overblown, fairly one note bass. And yes, it was set up properly! As I worked at a Linn dealer at the time, I knew the difference a Lingo could have made to the sound, but the PT still offered better performance without the need to spend an additional £400. I’ll have to concede though, that the PT I owned, then later sold, would almost definitely have been outlived by the Linn!

@JohnSmith-of4vh

4 ай бұрын

Well you make a most valid point about the LP12's longevity. Where is the PT now & are spares readily available? I think the platter was not made by PT & they had to buy so many at a time & when the crunch came they did not get anymore. Other greats of that era that are no longer around include the advanced Logic which sported an all in one aluminium sub chasis & armboard,, the Dias & ofcourse the rather superior Aristons.

I absolutely love my LP12

MY tip is to do away with the base board all together & support the plinth with 4 bath tap washers on a Sound Organisation turntable type rack. Highly satisfactory sound wise & does not cost much.

I owned a 1980 sondek with classic ittok and azak combination. That worked well for 40 years - 40 years!!!! I now have the majik and krane with the linn krystal M/C. It sounds fantastic. Now - I'd love to know what type of music you two listen too. I'd guess Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin - that type of thing - M.O.R. - judging by the look of you. However if I did an AB test between my original 1980 '''dek and the ''jik deck I would wager you couldn't tell which was which. You guys are fooling yourselves.

@socksumi

11 ай бұрын

Differences don't always show up on instant A-B tests because we don't have perfect discernment at an instant. Long term listening tends to better reveal the differences.

Another interesting watch, cheers guys. I was always a Roksan guy, still got my Rosewood Xerxes from the mid eighties and used to raise my eyebrows at the linn aim 'flat earthers' of the time! Id like to hear a modern version of the lp12 as I imagine they've addressed the issues that made me buy elsewhere. Ive only recently just bought my first naim product ( fell in love with a NAP250DR) and it would be justice indeed if I were to get an LP12 next and end up in the linn/naim camp after all this time 😂

@MrVinylista

Жыл бұрын

How the mighty fall! ;-)

@MrVinylista

Жыл бұрын

How the mighty fall! In all seriousness, the Xerxes was a great deck back in the day, with clearly better speed stability than the LP12. The new LP12s have definitely improved on that score, but still offer a slightly softer and more rounded presentation. Still, it's all about synergy. Good luck on your journey!

@davidspendlove5900

Жыл бұрын

Don’t do it !

Boy, Mike is still very deep down the 1982 Linn/Naim rabbit hole.

@MrVinylista

Жыл бұрын

More like the 1992 Linn/Exposure one, but yes I take your point. He's an eighties throwback. You should see his record collection! ;-) PS - sorry Mike!

Awesome work, fellas. Let's see a PT video to counter this gem, now.

@MrVinylista

Жыл бұрын

Yes, but where to find a working one? ;-)

I took the valhalla and fitted it to the Systemdek iix with some component mods to better the spec, sounds imo as good as a good lp12, I was thinking about designing a better supply than the lingo at a much lower cost that can be used across AC motor platforms at 240/110v, at a much lower cost (

Sad to say I remember when it was launched, £48 with plinth, less as a chassis early 70’s. It was only when I taped an Alan Parson’s Project album on a Rega Planar 3, and a Linn, same arm, swapping the cartridge on to Maxell metal C90 on a Nakamichi ZXL1000, then listened to the playback AR60 and Rogers LS3/5a, the difference in clarity was remarkable. As this was done at a Hi-Fi show in Dun Loaghaire, I did manage to confess this to Ivor in the bar one night.

Got the old fruit box, still love it.

Yet before Linn used to call their LP-12 "simply perfect". Improved on perfection?

Great video ,chaps. Very interesting and informative. 😎😸

I now own a NAS Hyperspace , with an Ekos .... sounds wonderful

You fellows may or may not remember the Linn/Sota war that occurred in The Absolute Sound in the late 80's or early 90's. The Absolute Sound had a writer that was totally on the Sota Star Sapphire bandwagon and stated firmly that it trounced the Linn. Well, the Linn survived and the Sota has sort of faded into obscurity. I have a 1983 Linn Sondek LP12 that went through a clinic in 2006 where two "Linnies" came over from Scotland to perform free advice and minor service at the then Linn dealer in Tampa, FL, Audio Visions South. I foolishly gave the go ahead to upgrade my Linn at considerable expense with: Cirkus Bearing Upgrade, Lingo, new arm board for my Ittok, Trampolin Base and cables. When I said "foolishly", let me explain. The hour was getting late and I'm not sure they had come prepared or expecting to do this extensive job in the short, allotted time they had. As a result, they hurried the task. I got the turntable home and was sorely disappointed. Now the end of the story. The dealer is out of business, but it doesn't really matter because I have moved to Eastern Tennessee. To my rescue comes a small store in Kingsport, "Mr. Toad's Audio". The owner convinced me that his technician was a genius and if I bought a cartridge from him, he would disassemble my Linn, install a new cartridge, and make it right. HE DID!!!! So here is my advice to anyone considering the purchase of a Linn Sondek LP12. Make sure you buy from someone reputable who shares your love for this turntable and is prepared to do the work involved to optimize it's performance. Without that, it's at best a mediocre sounding turntable. End of story.

@Hi-FiRiff

4 ай бұрын

Not mediocre at all, but very good, sound (no pun intended) advice. When I worked in a Linn dealer we were all extremely proud of our work and would never let an LP12 go out from repair/upgrade until we had thoroughly tested it (by listening, of course). There were a few occasions when we had to delay returning the turntable to the customer due to a part not quite working as it should. Also, we delivered the LP12's back to the customers and installed them at their home FOC! Mike

@edwardgonczy3170

4 ай бұрын

A quick story. I almost died from a thyroid disorder in 1991. My endocrinologist was a terrific fellow and once he treated my condition brilliantly, I went to a once-a-year maintenance schedule. He was impressed by my Hi-Fi knowledge. He said he was willing to spend $20K on a sound system that was compact disc only (no vinyl). That's a substantial amount of money. I still felt loyal to this Tampa store, recommended it and gave them a heads up that he might be visiting them for that purchase. The next year, when I saw him (2012), he told me he did in fact visit that store and was treated so abysmally that after a 1/2 hour of abuse, he walked out. He called another store, a 4-hour drive on the East Coast of Florida and bought a system from them. I knew he was a serious buyer because when asked the brand of speakers he purchased he replied: "Vandersteen". Long story short, the business in Tampa is no more. Only goes to show you, if you do not treat customers well, they will find another source to obtain their Hi-Fi gear,@@Hi-FiRiff

It still makes a great door stop!!!!!

David price is a GOD

Thanks guys, great review and shirt! Excuse my ignorance but why is the power source so important?

Does the dealer still assemble the deck? I wouldn't be happy paying all that money to have a sales boy bodge it together. I would much prefer getting the parts and doing it myself!

I've had my 1985 LP12 (with the fluted plinth and Logic Datum S tonearm) since 1989. No upgrades & after my expensive moving coil cartridge was broke I'm on an Ortofon Red MM cartridge. I'm not tempted to spend on the recommended upgrades as it's so far into a rabbit hole that I'd never find my way home

Another enjoyable watch, covered very well, and one of my favourite topics. I bought a Majik about 2 years ago during the Karousel promo so it had the Jelco-made arm instead of the Krane. Very good value. My only real criticism is that it didn't boogie like the 80s / early 90s decks but otherwise it was excellent. Perhaps a Lingo 4 would have addressed that.

@MrVinylista

2 жыл бұрын

The problem with earlier LP12s is that they were very coloured, and lots of people loved these colourations. Now that they've largely been ironed out by addressing all the issues of the 1970s and 1980s decks, it's true to say that some of the 'character' has gone - although the latest LP12s are without question better in terms of accuracy. I think you can get some of that missing character back by careful choice of arm and cartridge. Much as I like Jelco arms, they're a bit soft around the edges and don't have the grip and snap of the Ekos or even the earlier Ittok. So I think that would be my next move if I were you, with something like a Lyra Delos to really jolly things along. Either that or a new Lingo, which would also help a lot. Life's one big upgrade path when you have an LP12! 🙂

@charlescheese3828

2 жыл бұрын

@@MrVinylista Thanks David. I know what you mean about the coloration. Shortly afterwards, I got the deck fitted with an Ekos 2 and Lingo 1.

@MrVinylista

2 жыл бұрын

@@charlescheese3828 Great minds think alike, etc.! Bet that sounds good now.

Even a top spec LP12 isn't exactly the greatest thing since sliced bread and I would never go back to one, (or any TT for that matter) but it's a nice trip down memory lane, just like your channel guys 😊 I remember one of the rags setting up a blind test a good few years back between an original spec LP12 with an Ekos and a Lyra I think , and compared said with a full spec machine with the same arm and cartridge. Bottom line: the two were almost indistinguishable but the bells and whistles version was very marginally better on some of the tracks. Get a good s/h one with an Ittok or Ekos.

Michell TT are great but... belts are very hard to find at the present time, sadly.

@MrVinylista

2 жыл бұрын

Have you not tried Michell Engineering?

@gaetancharbonneau3902

2 жыл бұрын

@@MrVinylista yes I did, a couple of weeks ago. No belt available at the present time. No time frame provided.

@michaelevans7015

2 жыл бұрын

@@gaetancharbonneau3902 😢

@aljo54

Жыл бұрын

Origin Live will hand make a belt if you send them the measurements (see website for details).

Sounds great but I think there are better sounding alternatives for the price, or similar price range.

@Hi-FiRiff

2 ай бұрын

Lots of competition... What would you go for? Mike

Hi , Just found you talking about Linn LP 12, Hi purchase mine back in the early 80s, last year it decided to pack up, printed circuit board has failed, Been quoted £1500 to repair it, not very impressed, especially nowadays that I am 70 years old living on a pension I’m struggling to make ends meet, my music is what I get up to each day, I hate listening to the radio because you never hear the true sound of a piece of music and a lot of people talk over the top of what you are listening to, and they never plays the full length of the piece of music. My ex partner has taken all my money she is very well off now, And I hope you both enjoy your music. On your very expensive record decks.

@harpo5420

Жыл бұрын

Hercules psu £250, service £150 - someone is trying to rob you of £1100!

@philvale5724

Жыл бұрын

Hi, That sounds very interesting, but I live in France, in a very old mill, Thou it sounds very nice, I only have money to survive on. And now Brexit has happened there is import duty and VAT stuff to pay on to import stuff from the UK, I have been told by somebody else nearest Linn dealer is in Paris which is about 400 miles away from where I live, so this the reason that it is expensive. Thank you for your help and reply, Phil from the moulin France,

@harpo5420

Жыл бұрын

@@philvale5724 ah, context is everything! Sorry to hear that - given the inflated prices lp12s can fetch it could still fund a worthwhile replacement to allow you to enjoy your vinyl. All the best. John

@philvale5724

Жыл бұрын

Hi John, I have got a friend that might be going back to the Uk in November, I will see if he can pick up what I need, fingers crossed. Hopefully I will have some pennies by then. Thank you for your help and reply. I will try and let you know how I get on, Phil from the moulin France.

@TheDjcarlos67

Жыл бұрын

I have a 1985 LP12 and the circuit board went during lockdown. Was told it was unrepairable but got a local guy to repair it for £100

And what about the SOUND?

this product was a big shot back in the days of few competitors , but the fact that the design always required expensive upgrades to a design that might have been designed with more insight from the beginning , has me thinking it is just a big name riding mid pack with tables now available for less money.

linn tables are a headache.. needing constant adjustments and maintenance.. stay clear.

Although I respect the LP12, i feel that all of the mods for it are a way of just making revenue on it for very small gains in performance. To me, The Manticore Mantra was a superior disc spinning device that cost waaay less money, had better, tighter bass and was more tuneful over all.

@davidspendlove5900

Жыл бұрын

Shed loads of money to try and counteract the inherent design flaws of the deck.The Linn KashKow indeed.Honestly you could buy a better tt for the price of the sub chassis.

@andygee8716

Жыл бұрын

@@davidspendlove5900 The other thing that I didn't like was their tacit collaboration with Naim Audio, another company that offered "upgrade paths" with their products, again costing a fortune for the privilege, and especially back in the 80s/90s them advocating 6 of their NAP 135 monobloc power amplifiers and their SNAXO active crossover unit just to drive what was a deliberately conceived very inefficient pair of Linn Isobarik loudspeakers... and the disciples fell for it!

@davidspendlove5900

Жыл бұрын

@@andygee8716 you’re quite correct , I got stuck in that rabbit hole myself , always one upgrade away from audio nirvana.

@socksumi

11 ай бұрын

@@andygee8716 The Linn-Naim cult was an unfortunate development back in the day promulgated by Ivor T. and reinforced by British audio journals like 'Hifi Answers'.

@andygee8716

11 ай бұрын

@@socksumi Julian V also had a stake in this as well as Ivor, as the union would have been and subsequently was lucrative for both companies; the proverbial, "washing of each others' hands", as it were. Together they then recreated the scenario of, The Emperor's New Clothes to the hifi masses, of which many latched on and the rest was history.

In the true tradition of Linn... it is WAY TOO EXPENSIVEI I had one. Poor build quality. Easily bettered by many others - one of which I now own

@socksumi

11 ай бұрын

Current LP-12s have risen 40 to 50 times the price of the original although many of the parts have evolved greatly and genuinely do sound incredible if set up right.

Ah, the Linn, winner of the "most overpriced and overrated turntable of all times" award (#2 place goes to the Technics SL-1200 series)

Extremely overrated and now ridiculously overpriced ? Worst thing about it was the way a record would jump EVERY time I walked past it. Lasted 2 months and stuck with my Systemdek 2. Now got Notts An. 294 for LP's and Techy SL-1200 for singles. MUCH BETTER T/T's.

@socksumi

11 ай бұрын

I used to own an LP-12 and a Thorens TD-125 both with SME arm. Hard to say what sounded better as they were both very good but very fiddly. That ultra soft suspension was bouncy but really isolated them from external vibration except for foot falls. Choice of mat actually determined which table sounded better.

Not in that HORRIBLE blue colour though!

You're just trying to sell the newest and the latest. Fact is a well setup vintage Linn Sondek sounds very close to the current ones and some folks actually prefer it's warmer and somewhat more mellow sound. Vintage Linns are a bit less dynamic and somewhat warmer and thicker in the mid bass. But otherwise very similar. The sonic differences in the latest versions are just not worth the thousands of dollars this overpriced product fetches.

@Hi-FiRiff

7 ай бұрын

Not really trying to sell it... Just really enjoyed living with it for a bit. It's certainly different to my vintage one, which I still love BTW. Mike

@watdanuqta-mf5ms

6 ай бұрын

@@Hi-FiRiff He's(@Сомесмалдык) just being annoying. This is all subjective. I purchased my LP12 in 80's, the one that had the black, Delrin bearing liner. Martin Colloms, writing in an August 84 HFN & Record Review a few years before the Cirkus mod, Martin tackled the fat mid-bass issue. Demonstrated what was causing this and came up with a fix. I did this modification on mine and liked it. Not as severe as the later Cirkus mod, that I did not install, that I thought took away a lot of the Linn sound. I still have that issue with the article titled "Sacrilegious". Didn't care for the Keel either but did like and install the Kore and the Linngo IV with the 12v motor, both I thought brought a pleasant improvement. And finally, the Karousel bearing that really dropped the noise floor. With an Ekos SE or an Ittok Black(sounds better than the silver version) and a Dynavector xx with alnico magnets, and I'm in audio bliss. And it's substantially different from where I started as a buddy of mine uses an LP12 from 87.

Overpriced. Buy /Thorens or Brinkmann instead

So basically everyone championing this fundamentally flawed deck was lying for decades and decades?