Sorry Mike I don’t but I think Chris the ex Naim distributor NZ may stock the Heed range and if he does he would be able to advise
Chris is now the NZ Linn Distributor so he might push for the Lingo 4
The sub chassis trampolin 2 is not cost prohibitive at all
Yes, they are the Heed distributer, I got the Quasar Phono Stage from them not long ago. It’s not on their web site though, may be an order in, otherwise I could one sent from Australia.
I sent a Troika with a snapped cantilever to Goldring a few months ago, and it’s now back (with new cantilever and stylus) in a Linn-refurbished ARO, sounding superb.
The only problem that I had was finding the old knackered cartridge in the first place. Goldring will (apparently) only refurbish an old one, rather than supplying a ‘fresh’ one from any stock that they may hold.
I’ve posted about this before, so my apologies if I’m purveying old news.
The Trampolin 2 is a baseboard, not a subchassis.
Oops so it is - apologies
I suspect that lack of punch will be the OC-9. It’s a very refined cartridge, and strikingly delicate, but it does lack those visceral qualities that you get (much more messily) in things like the 103, Decca London, Ortofon MC-20 and cheap AT moving magnets. I’m not up to date on vinyl replay in general because, lovely though it can be, I tend to be underwhelmed in comparison to what I can get from digital sources these days.
Personally I would leave the deck as it is for the time being as, depending on what you think about the direction Linn has taken in the last 15 or 20 years, that spec is likely very close to one of the peaks of performance the LP12 got to. I’d therefore look for a new cartridge and that’s a place where there have been huge advances. My choice would probably be a retipped Troika but that’s almost certainly an old fogey, safe choice, given what’s out there in cartridgeland nowadays. Someone other than me will be able to guide you into what’s worth listening to today - and there seems to be really quite a lot.
In short, there’s plenty for you to enjoy and get to know in that turntable before making wholesale changes. The other place I would look at is your phono stage - I actually don’t know whether the 552 has its own MC cards, not being in the 500 series bracket - as they can make all the difference in the world as to how a cartridge performs. Just the loading alone can be as big a difference as between two cartridges. Also, a lot of these differences can be quite subliminal and tend to establish themselves with time rather than be immediately apparent in an A/B comparison. (That applies to the turntable as well and is another reason to give your new acquisition a little more probation time.)
Finally, from looking at the photo, I would invest in a dedicated turntable table with a lightweight top. LP12s sound remarkably different depending on what they are placed on; more so, I would say, than a Rega, which is kind of counter-intuitive given it’s supposed to have a better suspension. What I found was that, on a decent table, they tend to drop into a place of sounding “right” more easily and that irritating question of whether they are performing at their best goes away for the most part.
You’ve got a great turntable there, at a good price, and in fact it’s exactly what I would go for if I were looking to buy another turntable tomorrow. I wish you luck- and lots of hours of happy listening. 
“Probation time” : That’s a really nice phrase for a sound philosophical idea. Something that I would also recommend any audiophile might subscribe to.
Aside from anything else, it’s also a hobby and to be enjoyed. Maybe savour the moments. Resist rushing in.
My 2 pence worth: The Cirkus bearing is very good, make sure there is oil in it. I still have a Lingo 1, and am still very happy with it, they are good value. I wouldn’t be afraid of trying a MM cart, they often have more bounce and grunt than MCs but less delicacy. But choose a Cart to give you the tonal balance you like. The first time I had my LP12 serviced I was amazed at the improvement. Lots needed tightening up, especially arm to arm board as wood compresses over time.
The more modern upgraded versions of the LP12, that I have heard, sound more analytical, more detailed, leaner and cooler sounding imho.
I moved from Cirkus bearing to Karousel and I wouldn’t rush to do it again. ( In the context of my system). However changing the sub chassis was a revelation, but I didn’t buy Linn.
I would suggest a service and a new Cart and enjoy for a while.
Interesting what you say about the Karousel. This fellow (HIFI AF) had a similar experience when he first got it (and felt it was FAR too expensive), I think not liking it in the first article he did (this is the second article on fitting it) and then coming round after differing performances on different makes of subchassis. I have to say I agree with him on the price (of LP12s in general, too). At least Naim have the courtesy to make a new product before hoiking the price up.
Love that blog…
Like his writing style. Enjoyable to read and follow.
And great reference material.
The “Modifications Frenzy” is a great read.
The pieces on both Lingo4 and Troika were an inspiration ( for me), at the time.
Also, thoroughly recommend reading. Nice spot.
R
Yes. I trust his ears, too. It’s always nice when someone is speaking the same language as you and is after similar sorts of things.
I very much like that SuperTrac arm he’s reviewed a couple of times and which solves a couple of longstanding problems with tonearms. That single point bearing will never move or rattle. Even if you get ball races down to micron tolerances, they’re still going to move and it’s still too much. I also like that they have not chosen to make the arm lavishly expensive, which they could have done in the present (taking the piss) marketplace.
Maybe because their business model is to sell direct. Which is often the way to start, with a new innovation.
Although, I’ve just checked their website and now see a few dealers appearing.
The SuperTrak Blackbird is certainly an unconventional tonearm design. As you say, addresses some fundamental challenges inherent in such items.
Yes it’s a great blog and for me, a fellow Javelin user, I loved his detailed explanation of how to fit the Tiger Paw Javelin, his preferred tonearm (my dealer with Roger present, set mine up though 
) although he is testing the Supatrac Blackbird tonearm now.
It was a much earlier review that helped me decide on the Tiger Paw aKula sub chassis.
I noticed that the Kore doesn’t have a hole in the armboard for the what’s-it clip thing that the end of the arm sits on. Does that hole have to be drilled in when using the Kore with the ITTOK LV II?
Do you mean the armrest ?
In which case answer is yes.
The Kore is ready out of the box, for later tonearms, Ekos, Ekos SE, etc, that don’t have a seperate armrest. So the arm board is a clean surface, no hole. However, for the earlier Ittok, a hole is required for securing that armrest. My understanding is there is a “pilot hole” on the underside, to guide the dealer to drill this hole out, for Ittok. So, it’s a simple task. Works fine.
Here - image below - you can see said “pilot hole” on underside photo, left side, for this Keel. Same principle. (Sorry, can’t find an image of Kore underside. But it’s same idea).
Also, Linn provide a small plastic cap - for filling and covering this hole - should the tonearm be changed again.
Hope that helps
Yes, and a perfect answer thank you.
Pity the Kore doesn’t have an option with the old logo though, to have an entirely classic look retained (shallow of me, I know).
Your understanding is correct. My Kore had the pilot hole, which @Cymbiosis the drilled through, to take my Ittok’s arm rest.
Relatively Simples… 
Not so shallow. Felt the same on this topic. 
It would be simple enough for Linn to stock both logo options.
Hey ho. It’s a small concession, for a better sound.
First you nip into your dealer for a new mm cart for your Planar 3, and emerge with the audio bargain of your life, a vintage Sondek.
Then you decide to pimp said Sondek with a fine smattering of contemporary bits but you still want it to look like it was made in 1981. Truly, a very enjoyable LP12 story, and one that keeps on giving! :-)))
Actually, it’s worse than that 
. My Uniti Star stopped working after a power cut and I couldn’t fix it. There’s no Naim servicing in New Zealand at the moment, so I went to the local electronics shop to see if they had an old A60 I could grab to tie me over, and the LP12 was there. In the end I got the LP12 and went back there with the Star and when they checked it out, it worked fine. Double win.
