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Akiva?

Bob Edwards

Bob Edwards

pfm Member
Is an Akiva worth trying? They seem awfully expensive - I see one on eBay for 975 UKP, which translates to about $1375 USD. At that point it seems like I should get something like an AT ART9 or bump up and get a Krystal.

I suspect I'll instead get a Karousel and something in the OC9 price range - about $500 USD. That's assuming the LP12 on its way shows up intact and works . . . (LP12/Valhalla (will be replaced with Mose/Hercules2)/Ekos/Cirkus).
 
I don’t think I would do the Karousel unless I was running a better subchassis based on my experience with the Cirkus.
 
I don’t know how much the Ortofon Quintet Bronze costs in the states but it would be my choice at £500 GBP, if you can afford that and the Karousel, I think you’ll be very happy with the results.
 
Bob Edwards said:
I would.

Why wouldn’t you?
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There is a hierarchy with an LP12. The subchassis fits in there somewhere. It would be interesting to compare a Greensteet subchassis/Cirkus bearing vs stock steel Cirkus subchassis/Karousel bearing. Greenstreet $895 vs Karousel bearing $1000.

I came to the realization that the Cirkus bearing deserved a better subchassis than the stock steel.
 
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Pulled from this review:

Starting with the Majik, and upgrading a piece at a time, Linn recommends the Kore, followed by the Lingo, the Akito, and the Klyde, to bring the turntable to Akurate level. Linn then follows the same round of upgrades a second time in the same order (Kore to Keel, Lingo to Radikal, Akito to Ekos SE, Klyde to Kandid, and ending in the Urika), bringing the deck to, er, Klimax. The company is less comfy with out-of-sequence upgrades, such as upgrading the Lingo before the Kore, or upgrading an otherwise all-Majik turntable with a Keel sub-chassis. Not everyone goes along with this strict pecking order, however.
 
Akiva is my favourite cartridge to date. However, buying second hand is always risky (anyone can claim low hours) so I'd always want it inspected by someone that has the right gear and knows what they are looking at, such as Pear Audio in the UK.

Also, since finding low hours Akivas will get harder and harder in future, wouldn't it be better to find something that's in production and likely to be available again in a few years, unless you like a change and all the searching that goes with it?

Also bear in mind source first as others have already stated. The Akiva was developed during the Cirkus/Ekos 2/Lingo 2 era so I'm not sure your PSU is best suited.

If you do get an Akiva then the Linto MC phono is the perfect match and good value on the used market.
 
Super flashy cartridges are the least good VFM upgrade IMHO so I tend to steer clear, particularly as they wear out quite quickly.

I've now worn out my Esco MC20 after about 5 years on the Orbe so the Rock is currently on with the Kontra b.

With the LP12 and a Linn arm I'd go for a fully rebuilt Troika rather than anything brand new at the max VFM point. The Arkiv isn't noticeably better but the Akiva might be.

There is be something in the LP12 subchassis upgrades but not so sure of the VFM. I didn't buy the Keel when It came out since even with the all top spec LP12 at the time although it was better it was a lot of money for how much better and I got better VFM out of moving away from the LP12 entirely.

Never heard the Karousel, intermediate subchassis upgrades or the newer motors on the Linn so can't comment on those.

One day soon I'll have enough time to try out my brand new AT33PTGII on the Orbe. Been here in box for over 3 months now!

I never thought the Cirkus bearing was any sort of decent upgrade over its immediate predecessors though others "rave" on about it. It's taken a very long time for the Karousel to come out and it's not expensive in Linn terms compared to the predecessor so I'd be really surprised if it was a lot better.
 
There are a few aftermarket one piece alloy subchassis that I would consider if you already have the Cirkus and original steel subchassis that came with it. Greenstreet is what I purchased right when it became available for sale. It was really the first aftermarket LP12 subchassis and I was excited to get one as the Keel was coming in at 4 times the money. It also most resembles the Linn Keel IMO.
 
Since you can get a Greenstreet at similar price to a Kore it beats me how Linn sell any Kore's.

It was absolutely the product that made former Linn owners (like me) start thinking "what is this crap?"

I well remember the show at which the Keel, EkosSE and Akiva came out all at the same time. I had the previous top spec Linn at the time other than it had a rebuilt Troika rather than an Arkiv.

The new set of upgrades came in at only about three times the price I had paid for the whole LP12 setup in the first place!

Of course you're going to look at what other manufacturers can do before paying that!
 
I think the Keel resulted in quite a few folks jumping ship. The Keel is well beyond what I would spend for a LP12 upgrade, I’m sure it’s great and has some clear tech features missing from the Greenstreet but at 4 times more money.

I wonder what price point would have been acceptable for the Keel?
 
Linn regard the bearing as so important that they fit the best (latest) one to their entry level TT and the company logo is based on the bearing! Do the bearing first unless you value the coloured euphonic sound above the greater information of the modern deck. They don't mind what order you upgrade anything but their dealers should advise the route that most owners have found to work best.
 
forester said:
Linn regard the bearing as so important that they fit the best (latest) one to their entry level TT and the company logo is based on the bearing! Do the bearing first unless you value the coloured euphonic sound above the greater information of the modern deck. They don't mind what order you upgrade anything but their dealers should advise the route that most owners have found to work best.
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I would then get the subchassis that comes with the Basik deck.
 
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