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Re: T&T - well.... how did it go with the Linn demo??

Posted by audiozorro (A) on April 20, 2007 at 14:31:26

In Reply to: T&T - well.... how did it go with the Linn demo?? posted by Jim E on April 20, 2007 at 11:27:32:

I had the opportunity to hear the Linn upgrades last night. (You know Zorro – he could be anywhere).

To be concise, the Keel upgrade is a significant improvement. More musical, superior detail and clarity, better able to handle complex passages, better dynamics, more bass and most importantly, more enjoyable. The Keel is a fine piece of precision craftsmanship that brings quality and structural strength to the LP12 design. If I can be so presumptuous to speak for everyone that attended last night I can honestly say that everyone was impressed.

While these are only first impressions, I suspect that the strengths and long term listening enjoyment will be further confirmed over time. I hate to get into the discussion of cds vs. vinyl, but the Keel will only make you love LPs more (including some LP digital recordings) and leave you even less satisfied to listen to cds or SACDs. I can’t comment on the Ekos SE tonearm since the A/B comparisons were made using two identical analog systems, except for the Keel upgrade. But Linn contends that the Keel upgrade is overwhelmingly responsible for the significant sonics, rather than the new Ekos SE tonearm or Trampolin base.

Well that’s the good news. The bad news, as expected, is the price. Least offensive in cost and less effective in sonic improvements is the Trampolin upgrade. For a musical component that many of us have owned for one or several decades, $250 is a no brainer. Price wise however, the Keel upgrade is more difficult to swallow. If it was $1000 I would venture to predict that 90% of the Linn owners would upgrade. If the Keel upgrade was $2000 then I speculate that perhaps 60% of the Linn owners would upgrade. At $3000, I suspect only 30% of the Linn owners will ever upgrade. My recommendation to Linn owners if you have the money, the Keel upgrade is worth it. I won’t discuss the Ekos SE tonearm since the price/value would take me out of character. But if you’re Prince John reading this and inclined to spend anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000 for a turntable system, then what the hell. But be warned, that is exactly where I’ll send you if I find that you are stealing from the poor or burdening them with unjust taxes to pay for your desires.

If you are not an existing Linn owner or if you are just now trying to get into and enjoy analog, my advice is to get one of the ProJect or Rega tables and plan to spend somewhere between $300 minimum and $3000 maximum for a complete table/arm/cartridge setup. What that may mean for Linn’s future, to rely on existing owners, is not rosy.

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