This LP12 was still to all intents and purposes a 1980s version, and turntable technology and the turntable world has moved on since then. How far? Direct drive is all the rage (again) – having been banished the first time round by none other than the LP12! My VPI is a good example of analogue evolution, demonstrating the musical and sonic strengths that can be found if you take a different approach to the design and execution of a turntable (and tonearm). I’ve heard or used contemporary turntables from Avid, Vertere, Helius, Opera Consonance and others, that make a very good case for their respective approaches at real-world price points. And I’ve heard more expensive ‘tables from VPI, Kuzma, Grand Prix Audio, Kronos, TechDas and more, that show that there is still more to be had, from a musical perspective, if you have the budget to pay for the engineering required.
What’s in a Linn?
Of course, the LP12 itself has also come a long way since those early years. Compare a current LP12 to my vintage version and they have almost nothing in common. Linn offers factory upgrades to sub-chassis, bearings, plinth and all manner of other parts and hardware to, bring older LP12s up to full, current spec, naturally claiming elevated performance as a result. Then there are all sorts of aftermarket offerings to customise your LP12, from sub-chassis and top plates, motors and power supplies, to bearings and plinths, and even alternatives to the springs that suspend the sub-chassis. That great LP12 whisperer Jimmy Hughes, often described any new LP12 as a kit of parts, rather than a product: it needed to be dismantled, re-built and exactingly tuned to deliver its performance potential. If anything, that seems even truer today – with options way beyond those that arrive in the box…
Time to be frank; I’m not that excited by the direction in which Linn has taken the LP12 of late. It feels to me that, although it is arguably a more ‘correct’ and hi-fi-literate product, one that ticks a lot of theoretical boxes (while now costing the same as some of those serious decks I mentioned above) it has drifted away from that sense of fun and joyfulness that set older LP12s apart from the crowd. The current iteration might be better sonically, it’s probably better hi-fi, but it simply fails to stir my musical sensibilities in the same way. I know the current deck has its advocates, but I’m afraid I’m not one of them. Instead, I’m interested in seeing what else might lie ahead for my old LP12. Is there a way to get more of what I’ve heard from those über-decks, without losing what appeals in the deck as it is? And, more to the point, can I do this for ‘voice of sanity’ money?
The other reason for pursuing this quest is that the LP12 can work with lots of different tonearms. The VPI Prime Signature is physically and conceptually an integrated record player. VPI’s adjustable VTA baseplate can accommodate other arms, if called upon to do so, but there’s no escaping the fact that the nature of the solid deck and the uni-pivot JMW tonearm have been developed together to bring the best out of each other. If I want to hear a range of other tonearms, the LP12 might not be the perfect tool for the job (it doesn’t like really heavy tonearms and it’s limited in terms of their effective length: you really aren’t putting a Kuzma 4Point14 on an LP12 anytime soon) but it is far more versatile in this respect than the VPI. Having said that, is it fair to put a modern arm on a 40-year old deck and will that deck get the best out of the pairing? My LP12 needs to sharpen up its act if it’s going to earn its keep – at least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
A Linn by any other name
The starting point for any project that leaves the beaten path, is ground-up assessment of what stays – and what goes: what’s replaced by updated, in-house parts and when to look elsewhere. The first big decision lies right at the heart of the deck. My LP12 has the original ‘pre-Cirkus’ bearing. The Cirkus is regarded by many as something of a misstep by Linn, whereas the more recent Karousel is more widely appreciated. For now, I’m sticking with the original bearing, and will sidestep the Cirkus if a bearing change is called for at some later stage. There’s also the minor matter of the modifications I have in mind not being able to accommodate the Cirkus bearing’s greater depth, though happily, I believe a Karousel can be made to fit, should the occasion arise.
