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Linn Ekstatik & new Radikal

L

lencotweaker

Mostly dreaming of record players
Edit: it seems Loud and Clear may have jumped the gun today and this was probably still embargoed info at the dealers. They have taken down their Facebook post already so probably best to delete this for now and give Linn a chance to announce this properly. What a shame.
 
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I look forward to an frequency demod to show rotational stability is actually any better.

The cart looks nice, the part sleeve makes sense, supporting the canti mid way at the point of highest bending moment.
 
ex brickie said:
How does different casework justify a £2k+ price uplift?? :eek:
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I'm sure someone will be along to explain the costs of materials, machinery, machining, finishing and the impact of return on investment of low volume products...

But everytime someone seems to have to ask the same question. Cost is one thing, value is an entirely different thing and is down to the individual who either becomes a customer, or chooses not to become a customer.
 
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The other way to look at it is Linn are giving you the option of ‘cheaper’ casework.

This will now run to 6 pages of people slagging Linn off.
 
I don't doubt they'll both sound amazing in a Linn system. A disappointment if the Radical has gone up in price, but there will soon be a good few 'old' ones available secondhand at more affordable prices. Now if they would just 'upgrade' the Keel too.

Agree that the Linn slagging is just about to start.
 
The price hike is quite significant, but knowing Linn, there will be a decent performance lift too.

I was always very impressed with the original Radikal (well with the Dynamik anyway, never heard it pre-Dynamik)… my deck has a Lingo 2 at present (which are great VFM used), might be tempted by a Radikal is they start turning up at the right prices, I’d miss the LK chassis of the Lingo 2 though.

I’m sure the cartridge will sound amazing… too rich for me, I’m just not wealthy enough to spend that kind of money on a consumable item.
 
Didn't see this coming. I guessed Linn would be stalling everything until the 50th birthday but clearly not.

I'm quite glad to be stuck in a 70s/80s time warp now. I know I shouldn't have, and that no one 'has' to buy anything, but my perfectionist streak would always want the best, and there was something satisfying about owning a top-spec LP12, even though it probably only lasted a year or two. But good luck to anyone fortunate enough to be able to afford them.
 
Look out for a secondhand Lingo 4, easily the best value if you can find one (I've got a very obliging dealer who let me know when they got one).

I have also avoided dearer cartridges in favour of longer lasting turntable upgrades, which I think give more fundamental SQ improvements anyway. I read an interview with Ivor from way back when he said of the Asak that it was as good as they could get while still having a stylus life that for most customers would be around 2 years, feeling that a shorter life wouldn't be acceptable. Does this mean that (at least then) there was a trade off between improving performance and stylus life?
 
I wasn’t commenting on the casework for the sake of Linn bashing - I’m a Linn owner. It just seems very steep.

As for availability of secondhand Lingo 4s I doubt it. It is a huge cost hike from a Lingo 4 to a Radikal . If you had the funds for a Radikal before wouldn’t you have bought it!
 
The radikal upgrade appears to be more significant than simply improving the electronics as it involves a new motor.

don’t think it will have much impact on the second hand market as it’s available as a mod for existing owners.

The cartridge is interesting in as much as it doesn’t appear to be a Lyra.
 
Interesting news, I too had expected a major 50th anniversary set of upgrades, good to see Linn continuing the evolution. Aside from the plinth, does this leave the top-plate as the only thing they’ve not upgraded/changed in a long time?
 
No too Ekstatik about the prices of the new products though. Not sure a new motor justifies a £1,250 price hike for the Radikal either. Clearly the new/revised products are aimed at the top 2% of earners that could afford to spend that sort of money on hi-fi upgrades... I for one will most certainly not give them any further thought..
 
wiresandmore said:
Interesting news, I too had expected a major 50th anniversary set of upgrades, good to see Linn continuing the evolution. Aside from the plinth, does this leave the top-plate as the only thing they’ve not upgraded/changed in a long time?
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The plinths are now available in any colour you like of course. However, we have not yet seen a Linn version of the T.A. Stiletto, am guessing it would cost upwards of £7k if they did.
 
Good luck to Linn. I’m sure these products will be well engineered and be an upgrade in their current range.

I suspect though that these upgrades will continue their obsession with the dry sounding tunedem- ness that all their modern products have been chasing.

A real change from the original LP12 phat tunefulness and warm ballsy products such as the Klout - and a musical direction that has turned me off their products.
 
Alun Rains said:
The plinths are now available in any colour you like of course. However, we have not yet seen a Linn version of the T.A. Stiletto, am guessing it would cost upwards of £7k if they did.
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Linn prototyped an integrated machined plinth/top plate when the SE upgrades including the Keel were released years ago. It didn't make it to market precisely because the retail price would have been excessive for the apparently modest SQ gains.
 
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