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LP12 Overview

Linn, Just Listen.... Linn, based in Glasgow, Scotland, was founded in 1973 by Ivor Tiefenbrun. They are world leaders in digital streaming products as well as speakers, amplification and, of course, turntables, with the iconic LP12.

 

 

The Linn LP12 turntable is probably the longest-lived and most iconic Hi-Fi product ever made.

Linn Klimax LP12 with Ekstatik

The Linn Sondek LP12 was the product that changed people’s perceptions of what actually produces good music!

Production started way back in 1973 and the LP12 very quickly established a reputation for excellent sound quality, in no small part to the considerable efforts at that time of the LP12’s designer and the founder of Linn Products, Ivor Tiefenbrun MBE.

Ivor was able to demonstrate that the turntable was the most important part of a record playing Hi-Fi system. Not the speakers or the amplifier, not even the arm and cartridge, but the deck itself.

Nearly 50 years after the LP12 was first introduced, it remains an industry standard; a reference for other turntables to be judged against. With well over 100,000 LP12’s produced during this time, it is with some justification that one can say the LP12 defined the quality standard for Hi-Fi replay for a generation of music enthusiasts.

If you stop and think about why the Linn Sondek LP12 turntable continues to be so immensely popular to this day, the answer is really very simple indeed: sound quality and upgradability. Linn have invested a great deal of time, effort and money into improving all aspects of the LP12’s design.

Linn have also looked after existing LP12 owners by making almost all the upgrades retrofittable, thus making it possible to upgrade an older LP12 to current specification and, most importantly, current performance.

Linn Klimax LP12 Fluted

Obviously, this means that the current new LP12 sounds better than ever, but also an older LP12 can be an exceptional second-hand buy, provided one knows what to look for. This is because many LP12s will have been upgraded over the years, but others not. There have many excellent improvements made by Linn themselves, but there have also been a lot of other, non-Linn, offerings for the LP12 – all claiming to improve the sound! So, given this array of offerings… which are the real upgrades and what do you look for?

This is where Peter Swain can help you, with his experience of working on and setting up LP12s for over 40 years. There is a wealth of knowledge and experience to call upon, both in terms of the history and specification of the LP12 in question, but also best practice when setting up your LP12 to ensure you achieve the maximum musical enjoyment within your cost expectations.

You can see the range of LP12 options that are available from us just by looking in the Hi-Fi menu at the top of this page, or link directly to the section that interests you, using the navigation list below.

With the correct help and expertise, the Linn Sondek LP12 is still the source of choice for the discerning, modern audiophile.