NickofWimbledon
pfm Member
I have owned a few LP12s ranging from an old Valhalla ittok troika to a full Klimax lp12 se , if set up correctly they can sound very good , are they over priced ? Yes the engineering and quality is very poor for what they cost . I would say the Ekos se is a great tonearm but not even close to what an SME V can do, Linn's marketing is very good and know how to get you to part with your money on an annual basis . I can't fault the LP12's overall they are a very decent turntable but cost 3 times what they should . I would say that the phono stages linn make are among the worst I have heard for the money id always recommend changing that for something better which would probably also cost much less, getting of the Lp12 roundabout is the best thing I have ever done . Although if you are worried about losing on your investment the lp12 does retain it's value well if you buy a used one you'd have to be insane to buy one new. Currently using a Roksan 20 plus with reference psu and it outperforms any lp12 I have owned and I mean by a lot, far more musical costs less and works with sme tonearms unlike the lp12 which is a nightmare with heavy tonearms.
All of the many good turntables are made of compromises, whether they cost £1K or £20K, and it is great that you have worked your way to an option that suits you. For those who particularly favour clarity, speed and neutrality, the Xerxes was a great choice 25 years ago, and I can understand why you like it so much today - if I had to replace my LP12, I'd certainly audition Touraj's current Vertere design.
I find it harder to understand why you feel that the Klimax LP12 has such poor quality and engineering - which bits are you thinking of specifically?
I suspect that far more of us will agree on Linn phono stages, though not all of us have heard the Urika II, a very different beast from (say) my old Linto.
The comment on arms is also interesting and echoes what lot of people have said here. Plenty of people who regard a high-spec LP12 highly also (unsurprisingly) have a lot of respect for Rega and SME arms, with the SME V a legend for many, but very few believe that a modern Lp12 and either arm makes a good combination.
Could someone with better technical knowledge than me explain please?
Equally, for those who reckon these combinations can be made to work well, what is it the rest of us are missing?