There’s been many a thread on here where the 252 is bashed but I love mine. I found the 282 fatiguing, too in your face for my taste. But if that’s what you like, you won’t like the 252.
Yeah, I agree @SteveO that there seems to be a fair amount of bashing of it… But I can’t see why if it was their top tier for quite a while. I like the 82, but think I’ll love the 52/252 also no doubts. I’d prefer slightly less tiring if I’m honest and I’m sure the 252 isn’t less defined/detailed, so sure it’d be great!
Oh it’s more detailed alright, with more timbre and nuance. The biggest flaw with the 252, if indeed you can call it a flaw, is that it doesn’t become apparent straight away just how good it is. When you’ve had it a while though you really appreciate just how good it is.
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Hi @Storm1
I found the 52 worked very well with Supercap 2 and 135s and then 500DR.
I have heard that 252 sounds alot better with Supercap DR on here.
So maybe a 52 is the answer with Olive or Supercap 2 to keep costs down.
If you want a 552DR ultimately, this could be an excellent bridge.
For me your deck’s weakness is the sub chassis, rather than power supply. I think you may need to replace the cart as well. I understand the Keel needs a different tonearm such as Ekos ideally.
Don’t dismiss lightly used carts, as I said I got nearly new Kandid for 33% of new price with 50 hours on it.
The dealer will fit it dor you if you are buying stuff from them.
Darren from DNA audio set up my turntable at my home and fitted my lightly used Kandid.
You could just focus on the LP12 completely and leave the amplification as it is.
Maybe set a budget before things get out of control. Ekos 2 for me with Dynavector XX2 MkII was a lovely upgrade.
So you could just focus on tonearm, cart and subchassis. Get that right and with Radikal 1 will sound superb.
You could get used Dynavector XX2 MkII for £650, Ekos 2 £1400, Kore used £600 and that would sort things out. Or spend £2000 on Keel.
One of my dealers said I need at least an Ekos and good cart for Urika I to work well.
These are just possibilities. From experience, it doesn’t make sense to buy parts new if you may change them out latter.
Linn upgrades are not cheap, but with some compromises you should be able to improve your deck so you are happy with it.
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Another thought is check out Linn LP12 Bits online. I have bought lots of stuff from there. They will also part exchange stuff. And then get dealer to fit.
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Thanks for this @Dan_M
I’m going to get a supercap 2 initially I think. That way, I’m ready for the next upgrade on the pre to a 52/252… or I’ve got my current 82 as far as it can go.
Like you say, the subchassis is a fairly weak element, but guess it wasn’t that long ago it was on a cirkus chassis and the magik is much much better than one of those. Kore is definitely doable… Keel feels like I need an arm change too, so that’s going to have to wait. The ittok is upgraded with new bearings and wiring etc by audio origami, so it’s a decent ittok in that regard… but that’s why I started asking about arms initially. It is kind of dictating a big spend to go to the next step with chassis as I need them both at the same time.
I’m feeling like the next step is cart once I’ve got a supercap. It’s a wear item and reckon I can’t be too far from where it’s about done. I don’t want it to limit everything else downstream of that!
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It sounds like a good plan to get the Supercap 2 and a new cart. Possibly Kore. Try to get Kore used. People change them out to get Keel.
Then just sit back and listen to the changes and enjoy it.
Kore is a very good upgrade.
I had bearings done on my Akito and had it rewired and other upgrades by Audio Origami so was very pleased with it for around 5 years. Ultimately it became limiting factor. Ekos 2 was much better and was great upgrade. I only had it for 6 months as I then got Ekos SE/1. I was reticent to part with Akito sooner as I spent around £800 repairing and upgrading it. I managed to part ex it for Ekos 2 from LP12 Bits.
So for you with LP12:
Stage 1
New cart, possible Kore upgrade. This will improve your listening as you have said that the cart sound flatter and more two dimensional. Kore will be nice interim step if you choose.
Stage 2
But like you say leave tonearm and Keel for now. It’s going to cost north of £4k. That’s a separate job. This would be next stage, or possibly stage 3 could be done before stage 2.
Stage 3
You could get Urika I done, but I would get it done when you get Radikal 2. They have to change the motor on the LP12, so makes sense to do those jobs together.
I think if you break the upgrades into incremental steps it will work well.
I did mine as follows
Lingo 1
Akito repaired and upgraded to better spec
New carts
Cirkus
Kore
New cart
Karousel
Ekos2
Dynavector XX2 MkII
Trampolin 2
Tom Evans Phono stage
Ekos SE/1
Kandid
Keel
Urika
KRadikal 2
So 5 stages for me. Stage 4 was great place. I was going to keep Tom Evans phono stage, Kore, Ekos 2 and XX2 MkII and just change out to Radikal 1 or 2 Akurate. That would have been really good more budget conscious option. The Ekos 2 and new cart and phonostage made massive difference. Sounded sweet.
Obviously my stage 5 was ultimate upgrade and costly and pretty much changed the lot out. Sounds quite simply sublime.
I did alot of part exchanges and sales on ebay to get money back on used kit. In hindsight I would have got even more money back if I sold stuff rather than part ex.
Got good money selling Lingo 1, Tom Evans Phonostage, Dynavector XX2 MkII and Trampolin 2.
Lost a bit on Ekos 2 and Kore doing part exchange. But it was instant. There is a massive market for Linn parts on ebay and I have found stuff gets snapped up immediately.
I hope some of this info is useful! I have enjoyed my LP12 journey.
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Brilliant post and plan @Dan_M… Really appreciate the time thinking about this! That’s the nice thing when people have done these steps themselves.
Like you say, the Kore’s I’ve seen so far are around the £700 mark. I’m sure it is better, but feels a bit too similar to the magik for my liking. It’s a lot extra for a metal armboard essentially! 
At least with the keel it’s properly machined.
I do go onto LP12 bits every now and again. It’s where I noticed the aro for sale and it’s been a thing for me since years ago when I first got my first LP12.
I’m gonna keep my eye out for a used cartridge, too. I’d be happy paying what you paid for a kandid if another pops up put it that way. Wouldn’t pay new costs for one, just feels too much for a wear item in my book. £2k is about my limit… Would prefer less! 
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There’s a Krystal on Lp12 bits for £795. I am not saying to get it, but this is the kind of deal that may be a good way of getting better cart for less.
Look forward to hearing how you get on with it all!
Enjoy your LP12 journey.
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Yeah, I had noticed that and know it gets very good reviews, but my next cart I definitely want it to have a boron cantilever. Sounds petty, but aluminium ones are noisier I find for pops. Definitely looking at a boron for the next one… Which is a shame, as the Krystal gets good reviews for involving/boogie factor.
Yeah, definitely enjoying the journey. I just wish the upgraditis would leave me alone for longer to save up! 
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You’re very welcome! Given that you have a world class dealer in your corner, you’re well positioned to evaluate your alternatives.
Regarding my Ittok vs Ekos experience, another potentially confounding factor is the state of your system at the time of the upgrade. An example. When the 500 - Naim’s top power amp until recently - came out, I was at my dealer’s evaluating some possible changes. I had no interest in a power amp upgrade and I knew nothing about the 500. He swapped it in and I listened to it for about 20 minutes. Apart from a general smoothing of the presentation, I didn’t find it any better than the (I think) 250 that I had been listening to before: the system still had the same deficits.
Fast forward two decades, and I recently bought a 300DR blind as a replacement for my 250DR. The result? One of the most unexpectedly large steps forward my system has made. The difference came down to my having maxed out everything upstream in the interim.
The point being that much of the process of evaluating component A vs component B will be heavily influenced by the system they’re being plugged into. I imagine that if I compared Ittok to Ekos at different points in my journey, I might have come to different conclusions (although I suspect that the very worst judgement I might make would be that the Ekos might not be worth the extra cost).
Anyway, while I don’t think my audio memory is playing tricks on me, I’m always hesitant about proselytising about particular upgrade choices, as there are so many variables. An expert and patient dealer is really your most valuable asset here, particularly one (such as Peter S) who will demonstrate lots of choices to you without nudging you in any direction, or implictly shaming you for not being wowed by whatever component is currently in favour.
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I agree @Corry that Peter S and Wayne are very helpful indeed! I wish it was more ‘local’, but I’m more than happy to travel to them, because of my experience with them so far. Always super helpful and have most kit I can imagine I’d need. I dare say I might see if I can have a brief demo of an aro v ekos tomorrow if they’re not super busy.
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So… I now have my supercap 2 plugged in and warming up. Initial impression is that it’s better, but maybe not night and day. I thought the same about the 250DR though and a few days later it was loads better, so I’m not going to rush to assess. It seems a bit more refined and a bit less intense. In some ways, I’m glad about that. I’m hoping that there’s more to come once it’s had a day or two to warm through (and the rest of the kit as it was powered down for 6 hours).
So, I’m now in the place of being ready for a better pre in case one pops along. So, now I need to think about the next update… now with a bit more time.
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The Supercap 2 is a good move. Will upgrade on 2 HiCaps and make way for 252 or 52.
It will take a good few days to get used to it. Sometimes its the ears that need to get used to the new sound as well as the system warming up a bit.
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Yeah, that was the thinking following a bit of feedback. Opens up a way forward now and likely to move on those as and when a good price version comes up.
Also @Dan_M, I’d worked it out from receipts that the cart is actually 2 years old and not 3! So, my calcs on the hours could well be wrong! I may have more time left on that than I thought. Guess it’s one thing I can leave for maybe another year!
I’m with @Dan_M on this.
To my old ears, the SC on an 82 was a bit better than 2x HC, which was a bit better than 1 HC. However, the SC was only good VFM because it led quickly to a 52. The 52 is less obvious and less obviously biased to boogie over neutrality, detail and air/ space, but it doesn’t take long before there is no going back - as long as the source is good enough.
With Karousel, Radikal and your Ittok, the sub-chassis and phono boards will be holding back the rest.
I regard the Dynavector P75 mk4 and equivalents (see Rega) as a step up from Naim phono boards, but a Superline is a big step up from that level. If you go down that road, you could buy s/h at any time (but see the thread of Superline servicing). If you opt for an Urika instead (as many including Dan have very understandably done), however, it may well make sense to do that at the same time as the sub-chassis.
A Keel is a lot of £ but VG. However, I suspect that a Core (or third- party equivalent) is a very good idea here, esp if you would be getting a sub now to use with the Ittok but could conceivably one day opt for Aro over Ekos (at which point you would probably be swapping subs anyway). If you eventually get a Keel, then buying a s/h Kore now and then selling it again in future when you know your permanent arm choice won’t cost you too much overall.
There are lots of good cartridges, and I would again agree with Dan on buying slightly used from a dealer being a good option. My Lyra Kleos had less than 100 hours on it…
Lyra has good trade-in deals, but a Linn Krystal or something of that standard would be plenty good enough to show the benefit of all the other LP12 stuff here.
Finally, and just checking, what’s under your LP12?
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Thanks @NickofWimbledon, I third that comment re the supercap being now the gateway to a better front to let the money spent on my LP12 to come out. A while ago, I did buy a P75 (MK3) and it caused some crazy feedback in my system. Really noisy feedback coming out of my speakers that I couldn’t get rid of, so have stuck with the boards ever since.
I think the phono stage will be an urika. It makes sense with me having a radikal and I get a free trampolin! I’ve also read about the superline recently and you know, that’s totally put me off! No good getting one that can’t be serviced, as I would buy secondhand.
I think your suggestion of kore and phono stage is a good one. I would prefer keel, but like you say it means I have to make a final decision on arm at the same time. A kore means i can delay it slightly.
Maybe they’re the best next move before the 52. It is odd how the 52/252 gets the mixed reviews. I’d imagine it’s night and day better, so can’t see why so much negative commentary. Is there much difference between 52 and 252? Case would match everything else with 252, but that doesn’t matter to me. I like olive caswork too.
P.s under the LP12 and everything else is a Hutter racktime.
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There is no question that the Urika is a great phono stage. It also seems much less susceptible to hums and hisses than most phono stages, and it takes power from your Radikal and it takes up no space.
After buying s/h Kore and Urika, you can sit back and listen before doing anythng else, but 52/252 will probably be a more dramatic and obvious change - once you have sorted the source.
I too mix boxes happily and like the olive look - my top shelf here has 552 and olive CDS2 and in Tasmania I have Naim Core with ND5XS2 and olive 82/SC/250.
As with 82 & 282 comparisons, I never really preferred 252 (even with SCDR) to 52/ olive SC, and the latter is much cheaper. The 252 was a bit quieter when there is little or no music for a moment, and that lower noise means a fraction more detail gets through, but otherwise the 52 was every bit as good to me.
There are oher threads comparing 82 and 52, with a wide variety of views. IMHO: -
Both 52 and 252 are imho a bit of culture shock after the 82 (or 282). There is actually just as much foot-tapping boogie from them all, but with 52/252 there is no emphasis on that at the expense of quiet background, tonal accuracy, clean and sibilance-free soprano, stereo image clarity etc. A 52 won’t make a room of people get up and dance any more than an 82, but it is a very different (and better) experience when playing Joni Mitchell, Hania Rani, Miles Davis or any solo violin.
I am glad the support is good. Addressing all the above will mean that you can upgrade the cartridge if you ever want to, and you may want to look at cables and power at some stage, but all that may well be unnecessary.
I don’t know how old your 250 is, but you may want to mark a diary to get it serviced once it gets to about 15 years. And if all that leaves any spare money, and you don’t have a record cleaner…
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The cart lasting a certain length is dependent on records you’re playing as well. If it sounds more 2 dimensional than before I would change it. It will hold everything back.
That might be all your turntable needs. Spending money on phonostages, sub chassis, tonearms or upgrading Radikal 1 IF cartridge is off won’t make any improvements. It could even sound worse.
When I had Dynavector 10x5 it sounded a bit off. I got Karousel bearing done and I was disappointed. Delear believes cart was beginning to sound off.
I then went to XX2 MkII Ekos 2 and Trampolin 2 and Tom Evans phono stage. Even with Lingo 1 it sounded so sweet!
Ahh where about in Tas do you live? I absolutely love Tasmania! I used to live in Melbourne for a year or so and Tas is such a beautiful place. Only ever been to Hobart and surrounding areas, but yeah… I’m very jealous right now!
Yeah, the urika and kore may be all that’s needed for this next batch of updates. Then I’ll look for a 52. I think I’m more inclined with a 52 for the look as much as anything. It being quite a bit cheaper too!
The 250DR is only 4 years old, so I’m good there. The supercap 2 was serviced in 2018 at Naim, so that’s OK for a while too. Theoretically I should probably service the 82, as I have no record of service from when I bought it from TomTom in St Albans.
Yeah, the stand is ‘OK’ rather than exceptional. I’m not going to look at fraim, as this fits perfectly into a space and the fraim is quite a bit bigger
Yeah… First things first is a bit of getting used to the supercap. I can’t see it being a huge jump, but we shall see!
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