?? - Take out of box, remove any packing, fit belt, fit outer platter &mat, set up arm, plug in, switch on.
Thats it… No different from , say, a Rega.
Not difficult. At. All. IMO.
YMMV, as … Interwebz…
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If your heart is set on an LP12 I would encourage buying from a dealer if possible. If not, buy at a price that gives you a spare budget for a dealer service and full check up. There are other great tables as others have said, but owning a Linn at least once in your life is a wonderful thing.
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I am unsure if any turntables at the same price point overtake the LP12 for sound quality. Offering an equal but different perspective I would definitely agree with. Whether, I would buy a new LP 12 today or a Solstice or another turntable is hard to say but Linn’s history of upgrades does bode well for having a deck that can be maintained and upgraded for many years to come. Of course, if you prefer the sound presentation of another turntable, this is rightly unlikely to sway you but for me, I suspect I would choose the LP12.
As for breaking free, you do have a good point, however, I feel in some ways the opposite is true. The LP12 allows you to break free from the obsolescence circle that many manufacturers lock you into by bringing out new models that are not upgradable. Linn’s approach is greener as well as giving owners the option to decide at which level they want to stop at. My deck is not fully up to date, it does please me though even though it is over 40 years old, well some of it at least. Naim, I think also have a similar philosophy to Linn, in that most of the product is still serviced and much of it can be upgraded to the latest spec.
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I certainly agree with you about investing in a product that still ‘lives’ due to the manufacturer’s willingness to service/maintain it. It is down to the owner’s own ability and personality as to how willing they are to do some/any of this work themselves. I attach a link to a current article in Stereophile magazine where the writer mentions his experiences from novice to getting greater experience and about the fine line between hifi and music. I know the article is about a digital piece of equipment but the sentiments are pertinent imho.
IMO, the ‘upgrade-ability’ of the Linn LP12 is a big plus. And not a minus.
I could - if I wanted - bring my 1981 LP12 up to current specs - albeit at a significant cost. Or… I can ‘cherry pick’ what I want to change or upgrade - which is what I do.
You cannot do that with a Rega…
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I see two routes with Rega, the first is you have to replace the entire deck when you upgrade (someone on here has done just that - P6 to P8 and now P10 in as many months)
The second is the third party component upgrade route which has many fans and strong beliefs that the end result is better than anything Rega themselves produce.
Whilst the same could be said of third party upgrades for the LP12, it is in my view a much greater benefit that the manufacturer can supply upgrades which you are free to take or ignore and if you do opt for them you are getting better performance in line with the current specs, much like Naim offering DR upgrades and continued servicing of nearly all products.
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That sounds quite complicated to me. Try……
Give money to dealer
Wait for a bit
Play records
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I’m not sure the Linn approach really is greener. With a Rega you sell it to someone else and they use it. With the Linn, the spare parts usually go into landfill.
Anyway, it’s not something to disagree about. Both approaches are valid.
There was a review of the RP10 a few years back, in a US magazine I believe, that said something along the lines of Rega’s top deck not being taken as seriously as it should be because it was too cheap, and that a deck needed to cost as much as a family car before it got the recognition it deserved. There is, I believe, a lot of truth in that.
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Well sort of Nigel. Some dealers like Cymbiosis specialise in building LP12s for customers from recycled stuff right down to Valhalla PSUs. Horses………
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Every upgrade I have made to my LP12, I have sold on the old bits to someone else… usually for very decent wodge.
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My dealer took all of my spare bits in p/ex, apart from my old inner platter that now serves as an ashtray…reuse, remodel.
And my original fluted plinth is destined to be a picture frame when I can be arsed to do it.
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If it is not something to disagree about, why make a comment disagreeing about it?
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it’s habitual
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Not really true. Linn themselves describe the LP12 as open source as many 3rd parties make compatible upgrades.
Pretty inaccurate use of “usually” there. I’d expect only knackered bits to go into the landfill; my first LP12 ended up getting fully rebuilt once I was done upgrading every part. I also did quite a few over the years from a mix of used and new parts.
That’s even before considering how pretty much every part on an LP12 will find a buyer on eBay.
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Peter does a lot more than just build LP12’s. He travels the world repairing and upgrading them for clients, not for almost two years though, although his store is still open, best to make an appointment. He sells and recommends other brands too. Sadly, his digital masters need to be convinced of Roon, yet!
I can’t help thinking though, that if you did bring it up to current spec ( at significant cost), you’d have enough bits left over to build your own 1981 LP12 again!
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Not really… Most of the parts removed, have now either been sold (eg. Valhalla board) or ‘lost’ (taken by the dealer).
There is still enough left, for it to be ‘mine’…!! And I do not want to bring it fully up to currents specs, either.
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Well, it was Linn who implied this in referring to upgrade parts being “disposed of” and not recycled.
Most used parts don’t go back to Linn.