I have a Linn LP12 Anniversary edition new c.1998 with Akito arm, Golding G1042 and a Naim Armageddon power supply. I'd like to upgrade the turntable but looking at the Linn site, and a quick Google, gives me no clues. I'm assuming that a new arm and MC cartridge are the way to go ? (Apologies if this sounds too basic a question but I have not read a hi fi mag in years)
(rest of my system is: Musical Fidelity A3.2cr Dual Mono Pre-Amplifier, Quad 909 power amp, Spendor S8e speakers)
Thanks in advance
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 Hi Timber, You will have heard of the Keel upgrade by now but have you heard of the Cetech Subchassis? http://www.stamfordaudio.co.uk/cgi-bin/sitewise.pl?act=sect&s=6985&id=stamaudio Linn's criticism of such mods in the past was that if you did this it would no longer sound like a Linn...(i.e. by removing the lossy filtering effect of the 3 armboard screws in favour of real coupling.) Well, with the Keel that's exactly what they're doing and I guarantee it will no longer sound like a Linn either! Kind regards, Bill.
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Timber, Going even further into "forbidden" territory, a friend of mine has the Origin Live DC Motor fitted to his LP12 and is delighted with the results...so these 2 mods would give your Linn a noticeable lift in performance, and cost relatively little.... Or...if you planned to "Keel-haul" your Linn in future, you could consider one of these instead, whose total price is not too far away from the Keel upgrade itself... http://www.jcverdier.com/ADSL/Nouvelle_Platine.html (£2600) Looks pretty good too ! Kind regards, Bill.
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As a non hi fi person this is getting a bit 'fringe' for me. All I want is my Linn turntable to sound even better, or a replacement turntable for similar money to sale of Linn +£1500 upgrade. Are there any safer options?
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Hmmm...so they were pretty close guesses for a non-Telepath?  I am just a humble enthusiast trying to help a fellow enthusiast here Timber... The impression you gave with the Armaggedon is that you are a "tweaker"... I appreciate the LP12 is a bit "tweaky", andI can understand why that would be off-putting, but it's the inherent tweakiness that many people love about it. I spoke to a Linn Specialist recently who admitted that the Valhalla board is no longer supported by Linn so the Hercules II is seen as a valid replacement (You obviously don't use this but there is a body of opinion which rejects the upgrade to the Lingo....or it's equivalents.) You asked what you could do to fundamentally improve your source. The two I described are your best (and cheapest) options. The T/T I described was also one of the best - while also being cheap for it's "High-End" sound, although your original request hinted at a tonearm/cart recommendation! Kind regards, Bill.
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Really appreciate you taking the time to offer me advice Bill. The Armaggedon came with the 2nd hand LP12 I got 7 years ago. The Cetech mod I'd need to hear with, and without, before committing...I'm assuming this would not be possible? I expect to still be using this turntable in 10 years time and the Nouvelle Platine worries me with respect to how robust the oil bath design will be. So thanks for the advice.... but I'm too cautious to take it.
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My pleasure Timber...no problem... You sound as pernickety as I am........there is no shortage of turntables yet there is always one little factor which puts me off ! I agree that hearing is essential and in this case is difficult so you would be taking a small risk but a possibly justifiable one. There are some really good threads and testimonials out there on the Cetech....in the end it's an agonising decision. (I'm acutely aware of the possibility of "Plants" and using threads as Advertorials...) I'm very much at a crossroads....making an almost identical decision myself, which is why I readily identified with your situation. Finding retailers who have the turntables in question is not easy, sometimes the only chance available is at exhibitions. Those of a standard/price which you might consider would be e.g. Michell Orbe, Raven One, Nouvelle Platine, Clearaudio Champion Level 2. Of these the only one I've heard is the Clearaudio and I'm not 100% convinced it's good enough as a replacement, and I dislike the air-ceramic bearing although in practice is sounded better than expected. The Raven One is a different beast altogether and superbly made with very low maintenance. Unsure if "mass damped" is the way to go but millions of users of this type of turntable can't be completely wrong. It may force the user to choose a better table for support to act as a surrogate suspension - but considering how particular the LP12 is about tables/support this can hardly be a deal breaker for an (ex) Linn owner!!  Kind regards, Bill.
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