LP12 or Rega RP6

[Hyperduel]

Hello guys newbie here. I didn't know where to post it so I will post it here.

I head turntables before in the past. I sold a VPI Scout to pay for college bills and to be honest I don't miss the VPI at all.

My local stereo store just got in an used Linn LP12 from the late 80s. Serial number 044358.

For $500 you get everything with the turntable, except the power supply is not working on the table.

My local store is offering $900 out of the door with new external power supply for the Linn and the LP12. The high-end stereo store never worked on a Linn before (they work on Rega, VPI, Pro-Ject, and others).

Things that I notice on the Linn is:

*Tonearm said Linn Basik LV X.
*Adcom cartridge, I'm reading on it LT II on top of the cartridge.
*Table never had done upgrades before, almost all of it is stock it appears.

I don't mind the price, it is just they never worked on a Linn before. The guy call it a simple job regarding the power supply.

I was thinking of getting this or a Rega TT with a PSU. For example the RP6 looks good. But an older Rega TT with PSU would still be good for me.


I'm just asking for advice. I'm not going back to the VPI route since they weren't the turntables for me.

[broncobillyo]

Used old Linn, no dealer... run don't walk.

[Hepokatti]

IMO LP12 is rather "subjective" table. Rega would offer more stability and confidence, as I've heard plenty of comments that LP12 needs to really be fine tuned in order to provide optimal performance. The suspension needs to be tuned by a professional quite often, for example.

However, if you choose to do so and have the money, LP12 can reach almost reference status. That said, I would still go for Rega right now and look for some other high-end later if that's what you want. A 500$ LP12 will not bring you that legendary sound it is known for.

[A.Wayne]

I have heard this over the years about the LP12 and I don't get it , I don't recall having these issues with my LP 12 in the past and I do not have any such issues with my current AR ( similar table ) and so what if the table requires some input to keep it top tier , beats bad sound all the time ..


Could someone elaborate more on these so called issues with the LP12,, the sonics were always superior to the Rega IMO..

:2c:

[Trackside]

The LP12 suspension design is deeply flawed. The small subchassis sits on top of conical springs and is therefore highly unstable in the lateral plane which is a sonic disaster. The only way to reduce this instability is to adjust the rotation and tension of the springs to ensure the movement of the subchassis is mostly vertical and this is the dark art which is often left to 'professionals'

[duficity]

The LP12 suspension is notoriously hard to set up, and if not set up properly, provides mediocre sound. The RP6 is plug and play and more likely to sound better most of the time.

[Eoin]

I set up my Ariston RD 80 DIY.

It's not easy, definitely hard but do able with care and frustration.

Hard to say which to recommend but I think my guy feeling is the Rega personally.

[goatbreath]

I done the initial set up on my LP 12,,It was pretty good..I wanted the whole thing checked out however..So let a Linn Engineer do that..He said the suspension was a smidge low,,apart from that I had nailed it..First thing I done when I pat it back together,,played a few records..Then measured the gap from top plate to platter rim..Now I know where to put it if it moves..The nylock nuts..Eh Nirvana..helps with this,,it seems to take much longer to put itself out of alignment apparently..Then again I've been setting up TD 150/160 turntables for a while..It tells you how to set up the LP 12 on the net now too....Black Art my arse...Sorry...But if you don't want to learn how to DIY,,you will keep paying through the nose for stuff and at least I know the quality of my own work..Not saying it's better than anyone else//But I don't get paid by the hour to do it and I am a right fussy b'stard..because I want my deck to sound as good as possible..So I am willing to go back the next day and say,,well that's not quite right,,I'm not in a hurry..So I can do as good a job as time allows..


Instead of using a Linn Jig I use 4 slimfast tins at each corner..Prop whatever underneath to get the top plate level with a spirit level..Then operate from there..This is how I do my Thorens too..With the Linn Try to get the armboard to sit flat with the top plate and an up and down pistonic bounce with the suspension..Remember to test this bounce with an LP in place..It's harder to write it out than do it..All the other stuff,,cable dressing etc,,,it's all on the net..Oh and the gap is roughly 3 quarters of an inch..

[steve195527]

The LP12 suspension design is deeply flawed. The small subchassis sits on top of conical springs and is therefore highly unstable in the lateral plane which is a sonic disaster. The only way to reduce this instability is to adjust the rotation and tension of the springs to ensure the movement of the subchassis is mostly vertical and this is the dark art which is often left to 'professionals'

Setting up isn't that difficult to do!Deeply flawed, a sonic disaster?I take it from that you're one of the "anti Linn brigade?its been around for quite a long time and is generally thought of as having a pretty good sound,lots of the floating designs also sit on the springs rather than hang from it,which inherently is more stable are they all sonic disasters?The Linn isn't the best turntable in the world but once set up they do give a pretty good sound and the bits that matter the most:-the expensive bits!(bearing/platter etc) are pretty well engineered so the deck will last a very long time,watch a Linn rotate in comparison to others around the same price mark:-the platter revolves true with no up and down motion,the same cannot be said of others.
The Linn is overpriced but name one turntable that isn't,they all are!but sir ivor likes to milk his customer base more than other vendors so brings out upgrades which cost a small fortune:-the funniest of them in some ways is the Keel,brought out after years of saying the more rigid sub-chassis offered elsewhere(carbon fibre etc)degraded the sound because the people selling them didn't understand how the Linn worked/dealt with resonances they then go and bring out a more rigid sub-chassis of their own which improves the sound!(at very high price!)

[steve195527]

Used old Linn, no dealer... run don't walk.

It really isn't like buying a Ferrari with no service history,there isn't that much to go wrong despite what folk on the net say!(or even Linn dealers:-but they are after your cash!)

[Eoin]

Oh and there's generally plenty of 2nd hand power supplies available on eBay from owners who are upgrading.

They're both very fine decks. Both can be upgraded as desired.

If it was me I'd buy a the linn for $500 and get a used replacement power supply. If I didn't want to mess around with a turntable though and just wanted it to work I'd get a Rega.

If I was keen on a linn but didn't like 'do it yourself' repairs I'd get the dealer to do all work (and it needs set up at your home) but try to beat the price down a bit.

[cafe latte]

Used old Linn, no dealer... run don't walk.

It really isn't like buying a Ferrari with no service history,there isn't that much to go wrong despite what folk on the net say!(or even Linn dealers:-but they are after your cash!)

I am far far from being a Linn fan, but a linn is hardly rocket science to set up and there are plently of parts available if in the unlikely event something is needed. However your question linn lp12 or RP6 is IMO a bit limiting, why just these two turntables? There are sooooo many other amazing turntables many a lot better bang for buck than either of these. Could you not consider any others?
Regards
CL

[Trackside]

The LP12 suspension design is deeply flawed. The small subchassis sits on top of conical springs and is therefore highly unstable in the lateral plane which is a sonic disaster. The only way to reduce this instability is to adjust the rotation and tension of the springs to ensure the movement of the subchassis is mostly vertical and this is the dark art which is often left to 'professionals'

Setting up isn't that difficult to do!Deeply flawed, a sonic disaster?I take it from that you're one of the "anti Linn brigade?

Sonic disaster when not set up properly - yes as even 'Linnies' will agree.
Not everyone has the patience or the skill to tackle this so this deck is not for everyone. Yes I am one of the anti Linn brigade in as much as I was brought up in an era of UK hi-fi where the only advice offered by much of the press to obtain better LP fidelity was to buy an LP12 and obvious flaws in pitch stability and frequency colorations were simply ignored.

[duficity]

I certainly didnt mean to imply that setting up a Lp12 was rocket science. I have set up plenty of Oracle Delphis over the years, and always laugh when I read about how hard they are to set up, especially the Mark 1 and 2. But it does take patience and thought, something many new to vinyl arent willing to put up with. So the Rega is simple, repeatable and stays balanced over time.
Like so many things in this hobby, you can buy plug and play, or tweak to your heart's content. I am somewhere in the middle.
And lets not get started on tweaking VTA for every record.