Walnut from Greaves of Sheffield Ltd and fluted since new , but now upgraded with Stack Audio Serene Tenor Top plate & baseboard, Analogue Innovation Sole Subchassis, acrylic armboard, Origin Live DC Motor kit
I went from Ekos I to SE at the same time as I added the Keel, so it’s hard to be sure what contribution the arm is making, though the combination was one of the bigger upgrades I’ve made.
I’m happy enough with the SE, but it’s now 15 years old. I feel like it’s high time Linn refreshed the design - the arm is the most neglected part of the Klimax-level LP12.
Earlier this year there were rumours of some unspecified new Linn products in the pipeline. It seemed to me that the Ekos was the prime candidate for replacement, but instead Linn brought out the Arko to fill out the middle of their range. So no Ekos SE replacement any time soon. My wallet breathed a sigh of relief
Yes of course the Keel is the biggest improvement. It changes the whole presentation of the music and not just a refinement of what’s already there. People just don’t get it though.
It depends how these things are evaluated. If you’re solely using tune dem then the old Linn hierarchy holds true in my experience. But I know what you mean about the Keel impacting the overall presentation more.
I’ve gone from Valhalla to Lingo 1, to Lingo 2, to Akurate Radikal, to Klimax Radikal. Among all those, the biggest upgrade was Valhalla to Lingo 1. All were worthwhile, with the possible exception of Lingo 1 to Lingo 2; that felt like a sideways move, and I doubt I’d do it again.
If I was starting over and was on a budget, I would track down a refurbished Lingo 1, preferably with the filter modification.
I’m sure that I’m not the only one who preferred Armageddon to Lingo. With an Ittok/Ekos or ARO (my preference) supporting a Troika that gen of LP12 could sound great!
I was a huge fan of LP12s in the 80s/ early 90s, because everything I wanted to play sounded just a bit more enjoyable on one. However, every song showing that it is being played on an LP12 was a 2-edged sword - however euphonious an LP12 was, other turntables (whatever their own faults) were letting more music get through.
Changing sub-chasis, power and bearing may have cost some character, but they were the arguably key drivers in the amazing longevity.
Today I prefer my LP12 with Lingo 4, Karousel and Kore, but if I had to live with the early 90s version it wouldn’t make me unhappy - and a lot of us here can clearly understand you preferring it.
I agree with all of it except that for me the 2022 LP12, with all it’s updates, is just a little too dry with a certain exaggerated character to its sound. As though it were on steroids, if you get my drift! That’s the main reason that I chose my “tricked up” Solstice over one with it’s very lucid flowing sound. The LP12 is still a great deck though and I could live with one happily.