A few thoughts
Monday, 28 April 2025
As I closely observe my LP12, I cannot but marvel at my vintage turntable. With a distinct and classic look, my Sondek of 43 years has aged well, like good wine. After all these years, the Afromosia wood of the fluted plinth never fails to draw attention from visitors, many who have never seen a turntable like this before. The original Afromosia wood is not used anymore, due to sustainability and trade restrictions. If you have a fluted Afromosia plinth, you are in luck. Keep it at all costs. Most modern turntables appear harsh and industrial by comparison.
The LP12 is a simple design and on the surface, even below, there is not much going on. There is a single power switch, with one of three variations: the red push switch, later replaced by a red rocker switch; the single-LED Valhalla (33 rpm); or the dual-LED Lingo style (33/45 rpm). Compared to many other high-end tonearms, the Linn tonearms appear very basic, offering only what matters. But they work exceptionally well with the LP12, as they were intended.
My LP12 has a Valhalla power supply and so the internal power supply is hidden inside the unit. I like this. External units require yet another power cord to be in the way, and sometimes you just do not have space for the extra box. My Sondek sits on a very decent Sound Structures AV stand which is extremely solid and not prone to vibrations. There is nothing else on the stand and so the turntable is the focus point.
At closer inspection of the cartridge mounted on the tonearm, I am still amazed that this can even remotely work. A tiny “needle” (Yes, I know it is the wrong term, but then everybody understands.) traversing a long groove (there is only one groove on a LP’s side) going left, right, up, and down at incredible speeds relative to the size of the record requires huge physical stresses to be overcome. Yet it faithfully reproduces the music in the groove, with no audible distortion of any sort.
A suspended design, the slight movement of the platter and armboard when changing a record or moving the arm is the only indication that it uses a sprung suspension. Below the top plate, the suspension does its thing in an unassuming, but nevertheless very important way. If you have an older model like mine, circa 1982, then the suspension is still quite ancient and not as advanced as a 2025 specced LP12 Klimaks. Yet, it allows the Ittok arm to support the cartridge, retrieving everything on the record. I have yet to see a tonearm that is designed better and for years the Ittok on my turntable has performed perfectly, requiring no maintenance. Even the finger lift is perfectly shaped.
For me this is the ultimate turntable and the final one I ever expect to own. I have what I always dreamed of having when I was a student but could not afford at the time. Is it the best turntable available? Most likely not, but it suits my requirements just fine. I am sure my Linn Sondek LP12 will outlive me. A thing of beauty? Indeed, it is a thing, and an object designed to reproduce music. But it does so in a beautiful way.