Show us your Sondek

That is a lovely plinth , you see a lot of lovely gear on this forum , and I very rarely feel covetous , but in the case of your LP12 , I’ll make an exception …

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One further question, ifI may. The polished steel lift/lower lever shown in the photos has obviously been changed/replaced from the style of the lever that was on my Ittok many years ago (which was black with a plastic roller sleeve on the handle),

Was that change made at the time that Linn dropped the Ittok and replaced it with the Ekos, or was the substitution made later?

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It’s the only lifter style I’ve ever seen on an Ekos, from First Edition onward - never seen an Ittok style one on any Ekos I’ve come across.

Thanks, stevie, the change must have happened when the Ittok was replaced by the Ekos (and production moved from Japan to Scotland), which makes perfect sense. I had a rare-ish black Ittok over 30 years ago, which is the only Linn tonearm that I’ve ever known well. I wish that I’d never sold it, (and I didn’t even get much for it in those pre-eBay times).

Despite upgrading to the better Ekos SE, I was very sad to sell my Ittok, which like you I’d owned for years. I still remember boxing it up on the kitchen table… :smiling_face_with_tear:
Daft, but human…

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As I think that I’ve mentioned before, there was a theory that black Ittoks (which made up about 10% of the total production and carried a very real 10% price uplift) actually sounded better than their ‘bare metal’ counterparts. I never did a direct comparison, so I have no idea on this one, perhaps it belongs in the ‘urban myth’ category.

Wow! That’s a piece of beautiful art imo. Simply gorgeous.

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Yes it’s a scary prospect for sure but I already have a “grandchildren mode” which is a bit like a no fly zone🤣

Yes, I understand it was changed to the polished steel lifter a couple of years ago. I’m not sure what prompted the change but I also understand this is a Rega part.

Yes, I got quite attached to my Ittok which I had for 40 years! But I’m very pleased with the Ekos SE and the Ekstatik that hangs on the end of it

Thank you. I know it’s only wood but it does make for a pleasing visual experience as well as aural. It’s a Simon Price SimPlinth in high gloss Indian rosewood

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Thank you. The plinth makes for a pleasing visual experience as well as an aural one for sure.

Thank you. It’s a Simon Price SimPlinth in high gloss Indian rosewood. I was lucky to get it as the dealer got a couple of them in at the same time and it was a right time/right place scenario. I think they were both sold in a couple of days.

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My new-ish Wenge plinth (from Solid Sounds) has a matte finish, but it has a lovely deep sheen from four or five applications of lemon oil. Lemon oil is great for feeding and bringing out the grain of natural wood, but should not be allowed anywhere near bare metal (eg the top plate or platter of your treasured LP12). I was in the process of changing the Wenge plinth for the 40-year-old Linn black original, so I has unobstructed access, and no danger of spillage.

It’s very pleasing to the eye, and I strongly recommend it to anyone whose wooden plinth is looking ‘tired’. Fairly obviously, lemon oil can only be applied to bare wood, so there will be preparatory work required if the plinth has been waxed or varnished previously.

The end result is very different from Toon’s very striking Simplinth pictured above. But it’s great to have a choice.

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Nice deck.

When I sold my LP12 in June this, which was a 1986 vintage, the only original part was the outer platter.

DG…

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That is/ was a handsome LP12, which must be making someone very happy somewhere.

I had a quick scan of your Profile, DG, from which it appears that you have dispensed with LP replay altogether. Brave step!

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My LP12 is from 1981, bought as a pre-Valhalla deck - for £340-00.

Its still fairly original - same plinth & top plate, same outer platter, Linn Ittok from '82.

It was Valhalla from '82 to '21 - now on a Lingo Mk 1. Several subchassis have been and gone, with a Kore being fitted in '22.

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Yes, moved totally to digital streaming in the June.

Also sold the Naim CD5 XS and got a Linn Klimax DS3 / Katalyst streamer.

Total departure from analogue which I’d been doing since the mid 70s, when I got my first record deck, which I think was a Ferguson

DG…

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Goodness, I’m far too old and set in my ways ever even to consider that. If I had to rely on streaming to get it, there would be nil music in my life. Which I wouldn’t like at all.

Incidentally, did the assembly line for your first turntable run alongside the one for the tractors?

(!)

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Yes, a big change. It’s worked out well. Mrs DG was always too scared to use the LP12.

Sound quality wise, we e, found the streaming to be very good, particularly with Jazz Hi-Rez recordings on Qobuz.

We’ve also found that we are listening to a greater diversity of artistes then we did previously.

Ferguson was an old Thorn brand.

It was something similar to this.

DG…

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