False equivalence I’d suggest. Changing the cartridge/arm might equate to tweaking a Porsche I guess but replacing the chassis, whole bodywork or popping in a non Porsche engine, does that happen?
Normally an SME is built to last more than a lifetime. You won’t find a turntable today built with such perfection and robustness. Apart maybe some German ones as Brinkman or TW Acustic.
You were really not lucky I feel.
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I think, but I am not sure, that RUF can change a lot the existing Porsche.
It’s not only tweaking.
Specially if you double for example the horsepower.
I agree 
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Some appear to see the LP12 as a kit car, probably the best equivalence.
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I am (for some reason) reminded of the swords on the wall in Hattori Hanzo 's workshop in Kill Bill
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I wonder in weapon terns that might be an “Arsenal” of LP12s 
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Surely a Keltik ?
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The beauty of the LP12 is that there are lots of options both in terms of performance and, importantly for many folk, cost, to make it sound how they want it to sound. From my own listening experience some of the very expensive Linn upgrades strip the deck of too much warmth and colour. Only each individual knows what makes their own feet tap.
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There are (many many) other relevant threads here.
FWIW, I had a gradually-updated LP12 before I ‘moved on’. It had Kore, Ekos, Krystal, Lingo 4 and no baseboard. We eventually added an after-market base from SRM too - imho it is a little better than a naked bottom, and definitely better than an old Tramp if using a wall shelf, but it didn’t end forever the hunt for improvements.
A couple of years ago, we compared that LP12 to nearly £20K of Vertere front end and a marginally more expensive Brinkmann Bardo option. Both were definitely better than that LP12 in some areas but not all - both were better for bass grip and stereo image, but usually not more involving with female voices, for example.
In any event, VFM of (a) a TT that you might get for little over £4K on eBay that was different but not sharply worse versus (b) two outstanding decks with those price tags was compelling.
Then I got offered a Stiletto/ Skorpion with Keel, Radikal, Ekos, Kleos for what I think was a bargain price. At everything that the old LP12 does nearly as well (or better) than Vertere or Brinkmann, the Stiletto was better again. On every aspect on which one or both of those two was well ahead of my old LP12, the Stiletto was at least broadly comparable with the two modern-looking decks.
If I ever consider moving on from the Stiletto, I would not be surprised to find myself with Vertere or Brinkmann (both really are that good). However, the amount I’d have to spend to beat the Stiletto dramatically (to my old ears) is so far into five figures (in £) that I really can’t see it happening.
I know that I can hear the improvement between LP12 variants costing c. £2K, c.£5K and c.£10K. I am also confident that I could get something from Vertere, Brinkmann and perhaps WT that I liked about as much as the Stiletto or fractionally better for a big extra outlay, but not for less than £10K for the whole front end.
And all this without considering the super-dense plinth or even a KRad or SC versus Urika.
In any event, after all that waffle, we pick using our ears and are grateful for the opportunity to do so. Cymbiosis rightly get a lot of praise for letting people do this with such a range of options, and for recognising that some who are not deaf or daft may prefer (say) Keel/ L4 to Kore/ Radikal while others pick the opposite way.
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By colour and warmth could you also have wrote instrumental and vocal timbre and full bodied? I struggle to use the appropriate descriptive words to define sound. But I didn’t want less of the natural sound qualities either from a deck. From those perspectives the aluminium chassis was superior. I wouldn’t have thought it before the dem. The physical plinth material characteristics didn’t transfer directly to the sound.
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What a refreshing & great LP12 thread this is! No Linn knocking, no snide, no “nothing beats my old whatever”…
Really, most enjoyable. Cheers all 
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A great write up on a fascinating shoot out with top quality components at a top quality dealer. Like many of us here, I have entrusted my LP12 “fettling” to Peter over many years and have always marveled at the sheer range of options he can demonstrate.
I do remember auditioning a number of phono stages a couple of years back and Urika 1 was certainly impressive. But it was smoked for me by the Rega Aura - which I eventually bought as a fabulous partner to my Ekos SE/Ekstatik setup.
I hope your new LP12 configuration gives you many years of pleasure. The beauty of this amazing machine and it’s upgradability never fails to amaze.
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Delighted you had a good shoot out for LP12. If it had been a LP12 Listen Inn - that would have taken Peter back down memory lane. IIRC that was where he travelled to on the bus in the early days.
Listen Inn was where I first heard SBLs, but they had closed before I could place my order.
LP12 owner for nearly fifty years - only on my second now. However I haven’t kept up with all the options. When myTT is serviced I accept recommendations from another long established Linn/Naim dealer.
However worth highlighting. This is not the Linn forum - remember when that existed? Everyone free to post as they see fit - within forum rules. However use of jargon relating to Linn TT, would be a great deal more informative, useful and less exclusive, by explaining all the terms used.
I guess Aro refers to the Naim Aro - the rest, who knows.
Fair enough SH. I took it for granted that members would translate the abbreviations easily enough
Never jest, I have shipped out my Linn AV system. When Linn declined to service my Linn sub, which even Darren at Class A couldn’t do any support, it became a giant door stop - not; in the skip.
You have to ask about Linn’s environmental credentials when there is a long list of products they have made, which they decline to service.
In light of that, despite detesting changing, for changes sake, I am beginning to give serious consideration to a Naim Solstice, before the opportunity fades, to make the final move away from Linn after +30 years, with one kit or another !
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I,too, chose the Urika over the Superline. Previously I’d chosen aTrichord Dino over the Superline.
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Cohen I can appreciate and don’t wish to steal your enjoyment and enthusiasm.
Simply some detail would have made this a much rewarding thread for those of us who simply read and self educate rather than accumulate jargon for the sake of it. It is difficult enough to follow some threads, when the subject is Naim kit, when we are unfamiliar. Thanks; enjoy.
I’ve no quibbles about the longevity or support for the LP12 by Linn but for a number of years I’ve had two systems of Linn electronics confined to doorstops.
I see they might be trying to be more helpful with the Utopik power supply for example perhaps stretching out more life but I’ve no faith in the boxes or the tied in digital system.
My Klimax LP12 is another matter. 
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Sorry Nick, I can’t agree with your posts for two reasons:
- the lp12 Klimax costs 20 k euros, if you don’t add the cartridge and phono . The Brinkman Bardo is 9 k euros. If you found both different but at similar level, then the lp12 is overpriced. Which I think.
- if you add the Tangerine and Stiletto, you have a 30 k deck with arm.
You can buy an SME 30 mk2, Technics SLR 1000 r, Kronos Sparta with Helena, Kuzma XL….: these are very very serious decks. The Bardo is outclassed.