No,it’s not the platter,it’s a mat
The studs are printed, then? Or does an LP rest on them 
…
Record label contacts the studs
Unless your lid is damaged/badly scratched, please don’t replace it.
I have the 40 year old smoked lid from my original LP12 &, probably as I never had kids, it remains in mint condition. Not a mark on it.
When I had my deck updated a couple of years ago with a different plinth, new phono stage & cartridge, I considered a clear lid but quickly dropped the idea as I realised I thought the smoked one looked far more classy. As Linn changed the lid soon after I purchased my deck I assume I am in the minority here!
If you do nothing else, get a Karousel. It is without doubt the best single upgrade I have ever made to my Sondek.
Enjoy your LP12.
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Thanks for the tips. The Karousel bearing will certainly happen one day.
As far as appearance is concerned, I also like the smoked lid and would never get rid of it. However, for the sake of domestic harmony (the Sondek is in the living room for the time being), I will keep the smoked lid safe and install a transparent lid in its place. If the LP12 is moved to another room, the smoked lid will be back on again.
I have adjusted the arm height and tweaked the tracking by a small increment. The fruit box sounds just great as it is and seems to offer more than the RP6 with the same cartridge and phono stage. One of the cartridges might be a better sample than the other, but the Rega sounds very slightly anaemic in the mids in comparison.
For work, I had to do some pretty boring QA chores this afternoon. Bowie, Pink Floyd, Malia, Art Pepper and the Don Rendell & Ian Carr Quintet helped the time fly by. My other half has an early start tomorrow and has gone to bed, so I will squeeze in some Coltrane and Art Blakey before I hit the sack tonight.
I really should not have waited this long. The LP12 is a terrific source.
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I have a Fluted Plinth and a Smoked Lid.
Which is how my LP12 has always been… 
But… its way behind the curve, having only gone to the Cirkus bearing in 2018 - and to a Lingo Mk 1 (still un-serviced…) this year…
Its fine… 
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My thought is leave it alone. If you want a modern sounding LP12 then invest in a Majik LP12 and run two decks. Not sure about the Prefix, but modern Linn upgrades are laser sighted on tune dem and you may well find that you lose some of what you’re enjoying now. The difficulty I’ve had is in finding suitable cartridges but that’s another story. There is a joy in the music playing abilities of your deck that reminds me of the Naim Nait but then Linn/Naim were singing from the same hymn sheet back then.
Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the benefits of modern Linn equipment but please don’t assume it’s a one way street of improvement / cake and eat it scenario, unless of course you’re someone who purely enjoys greater tune playing abilities. For those that do, then any Linn upgrade is a step forwards. I think you need to find out what works best for you - don’t assume newer is better until you’ve checked it out first.
Lovely looking deck btw
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The voice of reason! Couldn’t agree more, I had my 1984 LP12 upgraded after many years of non use, I thought it would give me more of the same….it didn’t I lost that bouncy organic or whatever you want to call it signature sound. It was replaced with a more precise less warm sound, which is enjoyable but very different. My own fault I should have had some demos of updated Sondek’s before I pulled the trigger!
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I didn’t like the LP12 back in the 80’s and much preferred the Xerxes which I bought. I listened to the Linn in 2016 and it was much more to my taste. Very clean and detailed with none of that lumpy over pronounced bass. I bought one. It’s very different to the pre Cirkus sound.
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Yes, it’s changed a lot, and for most people, it’s miles better. I’ve come to the conclusion that engineers developing HiFi can’t always have the best of both worlds, even when focussed entirely on musical properties. Sometimes, an alternative design, or capacitor, or whatever will be better at some things and worse at others. Linn have had a very clear path for the past 30 years and they’ve stuck to it. Their products are exceptionally tuneful, but my feeling is that occasionally they’ve had to fractionally compromise other elements of music replay that appeal to some people. I own a Lingo 1 (serviced) and late-Lingo 2. In the 15 years or so that separates them you can clearly hear the progression. More melodic, more tuneful, better appreciation of individual musicianship, but less boogie/rhythm, less synchronised playing. This is just one person’s view of course (it’s the Internet and everyone has a bl00dy opinion!) and besides, I’m always learning. I suspect Naim’s partial focus on rhythm (in PRAT) has kept their sound where many of us like it, even when the industry as a whole seems to be solely in pursuit of ever increasing levels of resolution - I don’t include Linn in that pursuit btw.
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My LP12 spec is shown in my profile. I would class it as ‘mid spec’ & well balanced for the rest of my system. Like so many here, the only remaining items from my original 1981 model are the top plate, outer platter & smoked lid.
After all the Linn mods I have had over the years, by far the greatest single improvement came just last year with the fitting of a Karousel. I would attempt to quantify the sound quality improvement as in the region of 10%, making, in my opinion, the Karousel a very cost effective (by Linn standards!) upgrade.
The sonic benefits were a very noticeable, a reduction in background noise during quiet passages (blacker silences as some describe it), a greater sense of pace/drive, slightly wider soundstage & a small increase in the midrange clarity (particularly vocals) & top end. Most immediately noticeable change was to the background noise.
Funds permitting, & regardless of the relative ‘newness’ of your Cirkus, I would strongly suggest giving the Karousel a listen. It certainly worked for me!
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Thanks for your thoughts and advice. After listening as much as I can in the few days that it has been running, I echo your sentiments and have already decided that any upgrade can probably be postponed indefinitely.
Although Valhalla/Nirvana/Ittok spec is way behind some of the higher level equipment shown here, it still sounds so good that I really do not feel the urge to do anything more than have it serviced for now. For cosmetic reasons and to maintain domestic bliss, I will probably add a new transparent lid. However the old lid will be kept and used again if the Sondek is moved out of the living room.
The cartridge will also stay until I have done more homework on a possible alternative.
I have two modest CB systems that are not in regular use (of which an NAP42 I think I bought from you on that big auction site). I look forward to trying a nostalgia trip with them together with the Sondek and Spendor 3/5 speakers.
If a newer Majik deck comes my way, that might be the ideal basis for a Keel/Karousel upgrade project.
To be honest, I really cannot justify another turntable (famous last words) and I am smitten with this old classic. I plan to spend some time with the RCM next weekend and look forward to rediscovering some of my records in the coming weeks and months.
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You’re welcome and, once again, just one person’s view in a sea of many.
When the Karousel was launched about 18 months ago, the Majik deck took it onboard as standard.
A new lid is always very nice and will make the deck look very tidy.
I really like your plinth btw - is that Afromosia?
Carts for vintage LP12s are a pain. Adikt sounds great on my Ekos/Lingo deck so I tried it with the Valhalla/Ittok but it was too slow, soft and warm. VM95E is quite tuneful, zippy, fun and bright enough but a bit thin sounding with Valhalla/Ittok. VM95C adds some fat to the bones but suffers poor inner groove distortion. K9 is like baby bear porridge and just right but they are all getting old and worn now 
Linn Krystal sounds very fine and is very tuneful but didn’t have the right balance for me - within a vintage Linn/Naim system. My Goldring rebuilt Troika MC has been a very good match but you’re looking at £500+ all in.
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Well… funds do not permit - and my Cirkus was only fitted in 2018. Had I waited a bit, I could probably have got one 'pre-loved… Following the Karousel’s release… 
Also, not sure if my (pre-loved) Steel Cirkus sub-chassis can take a Karousel bearing…?
My present aim is to get my pre-loved Lingo Mk1 serviced, for probably the first time ever…
After that… there is the matter of my 2001 vintage DV 10X4…!!
Hey Ian, I had a Steel Sub Chasis and had a Karousel fitted, it work’s well.
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OK, useful info - thanks @AndyJ . Just cannot justify the cost, right now - only having gone to Cirkus relatively recently (2018).
Things happen s-l-o-w-l-y in my system, these days. If I can get my Lingo serviced this year, that will do me…!!
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The plinth is, I believe, afromosia. I waited a while until the right one came along and do not regret it at all.
Your pointers for possible cartridges are an excellent starting point and should help eliminate some from the short list. Thanks for that.
A rebuilt Troika is already a strong contender, but I have not seen any at that price. Unusually for me, I am going to take my time about any changes and the sound is already very pleasing.
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If you are struggling with cartridge options, I’d like to recommend the SHELTER 501 Low Output Moving Coil Cartridge for the LP12/Ittok partnership.
We’ve run the Mk 2 version since 2003 - had it rebuilt twice in Japan - and have never hankered for change.
[Haven’t heard the Mk 3 version, so cannot comment. Evidently, the occasional Mk 2 version is still available online, here and there…]
With friends that run very nice Troika’s etc. we are always happy to come home to the lush, detailed and organic sound of the SHELTER.
Very highly recommended!
Next stop for us - Linn Karousel. The new Linn Krane tonearm also looks interesting.
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Are you packing it up to make room for your new Solstice? 