Would they let you home dem an Akurate deck, assuming they have one on dem? I’ve home dem’d decks worth several grand before. Not an LP12 but I don’t see why not - once the basic install has been explained to you.
@Murmur That is the first question I asked them. Unfortunately, they have neither Akurate nor Majik to demo.
Mmm, do they even have a Klimax LP12 on dem then?
Setup is important with the Sondek so a reputable LP12 dealer is advisable.
Hi @Stag
My Sondek spec. is shown in my profile & is not a million miles from what yours will be.
My dealer recommended a Rega Aria to go with my Krystal 20 months ago & I think it is an excellent match. I have been delighted with it. Just make sure you have the loadings set correctly.
I had a Karousel fitted last October & I feel it is the most cost effective upgrade I have ever made to my system for the improved sound quality it produced. Just a pity it only applied to the vinyl sound! The Aria was a very noticeable improvement from the Naim boards in my previous 32.5 pre-amp, just not quite as significant as the Karousel.
As you already have the Aria I suggest giving it a go before spending more money on what I suspect would be a minor change, if any, in sound quality.
As to plinth colour, you can only go with what you like, we all have different preferences & opinions here. Your the one who will have to live with it!
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I bought a brand new Akurate LP12 in 2016 having used a Roksan Xerxes for many years. You know it will work well with Naim, and like Naim it will cost you an arm and a leg! I remain thrilled with my choice but appreciate there are many good alternatives out there. I simply love mine. As to plinth I have oak so not much help there really.
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As Martinzero pointed out you will be spending big bucks if you go for a top spec LP12. The upgrades are almost limitless! Sit on your money for the moment (Covid) as dealer demos and one to one advise are needed before you buy. You could drop £30K on this and I think over the years I may not be short of that.
I run a Superline with Supercap DR into a 552. I dumped the Linn plinth for a Tangerine Audio one plus all the support bits. The current cartridge is a Lyra Etna SL and the last mod was the Karousel bearing. I didn’t arrive at the LP12 I now have overnight. Most of my upgrades have been on an annual basis which spreads the cost. The only part from 20+ years ago is the outer platter. Even the mat is a Collaro red mat with the logo underneath!
The Linn plinth is coloured inmo compared to the Stiletto. That’s a major improvement but costly.
So at this price point you could be looking at other alternatives which doesn’t help your decision making perhaps?
It might be easier financially and musically to start at a “mid point” and see how you like it. It may be enough for what you want/need? Not preaching to you I hope.
My first LP12 dated from 1982 and lasted for about 8/10 years, then the current heavily modified one.
Big USP on the Linn is its almost limitless upgrade capapability. Enjoy your search.
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Hey, I have some pine baseboards that I stained walnut color to match the rest, so it’s not beneath me! 
That said, rosenut looks worse to me than the walnut it starts out as, and doesn’t really resemble rosewood, so I would go with other finishes for an LP12.
Ah, but just took at mine!
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Hi Stag, I would strongly endorse the advice offered by @Martinzero and @Douglas.
Spending significant amounts of money without a clear understanding of what you are buying, does not make much sense to me!
I have been an LP12 owner for 30 years and last year was able to listen to the effect of a number of potential upgrades before deciding which ones were right for me. I am very happy with the decision I finally made.
I don’t know where you live, but finding a good dealer who can properly demonstrate the alternatives, is the best advice I can offer.
I know what it’s like to be enthusiastically looking forward to a new upgrade, but be patient!
The journey is part of the fun!
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I purchased my lp-12 with black plinth back in 1990(the black was chosen so that the change from a rega 3 would not be so visually noticeable to others in the house). The same tt is now at Akurate level but with an Ekos arm, Krystal cartridge,lingo 4. Until recently had a prefix fitted but added a rega aura phono stage into a 282/250. I can’t see any reason (other than dwelling on the price) why you would not be happy with a set-up on or near this level. You do need to find a good dealer to purchase it from and do the initial set-up, but despite the reputation, very little further tinkering or tune-up needs doing. enjoy
As others have said…a good dealer is worth their weight in gold. The LP12 has a multitude of configurations available to it and, tbh, even the entry level version is eye popping in its vinyl reproduction capabilities. And thereby lies the challenge…where to start. Only your ears can decide. None of us on here.
Take your time and experience as many as you can demo and take your favourite vinyl that you know inside out.
Good luck. Let us know how you get on.
FWIW…I’ve had my LP12 for 38 years now and, just like many others, it’s Trigger’s Broom these days. I think the only original parts are a few internal wiring looms and the Ittok arm. I’ve bought Linn and non linn upgrades over the years and they’ve all been great. Current spec is somewhere between Akurate and Klimax…
Kore/Ittok/Trampolin 2/Dynavector XX2/Tiger Paw sKale/TA Karmen/ Karousel/Radikal/Cyrus Phono Signature and PSXR2 power supply.
The bottom line is…THEY’RE GREAT WITH NAIM AMPLIFICATION 
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If you get a well set-up LP 12, you will be in music heaven…but you will need to ensure that it remains well set up.
Which just means not doing anything silly to it. They don’t go “out of tune” anywhere near what legend would suggest.
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These days the LP 12 stays in tune almost, almost!, forever. The springs used to go out of alignment and it died a death. Long ago.
Classic test. Tap the platter. It should bounce vertically and not side to side.
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Hi Stag,
I’d echo the advice to stay put until you can audition the Linn against your current deck and see if you think it’s worthwhile changing. Is there anything specific about the Clearaudio which is bugging you? Or are you enjoying it and just wondering if the grass might be greener?
I’ve never heard a Clearaudio, but plenty of people with high end systems seem to be very happy.
If I can’t convince you to hold off then I’d say the Akurate spec is a great, well balanced iteration of the LP12 thing. Personally, I’d maybe go for an alternative arm, but this is subjective. I’m a unipivot fan and chose a Roksan Nima in preference to Akito ( and Nima is half the cost) and subsequently moved to the excellent Roksan Sara at similar cost to Akito.
Good luck!
Kevin
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Thanks for all your comments gents, I think I will in fact stand pat until I can at least demo the Akurate. The Akurate is a lot of coin to drop without a demo/comparison. Hopefully, the pipeline for such goods will reopen soon…if this pandemic ever goes away. I am satisfied with my Clearaudio/Rega Aria setup but lockdown had me wondering how green the grass is on the other side.
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good points
My two cents worth is that the Akurate LP12 is close to the sweet spot with one exception - the Akito arm. Don’t buy the LP12 until you can demo it against your Clearaudio - if your current dealer can’t demo the 'table, then find a different dealer. Also, see if you can find a dealer who will supply the Akurate sans Akito. If you can pick up a good used Ekos 2 (or even a good Ittok) you won’t regret it.
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Speak to Peter Swain at Cymbiosis. He should be able to help you with your spec and desires. He also has a number of pre-owned parts, as people have upgraded. These can help to keep the overall cost down, including;
- plinths
- arms
- power supply units
- sub-chassis
- bearings
He recently built a deck from pre-owned parts, around the Majik spec for a friend of mine for about £1k less than the standard Majik spec.
When I upgraded from an original 1986 Black Ash plinth to an Oak plinth and he sent me photos of the ones in stock, so I could choose the grain I wanted. Oak looks good with the Black Naim boxes.
Well worth a chat.
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