THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT LP12 PRICING

摘要

Time to clear the air about one aspect of the Linn saga that rarely encourages calm debate: Linn LP12 pricing. While the full-blown Linn LP12 circa 2009, with the top-of-the-line arm, cartridge, power supply, phono stage and every accessory, does result in a front-end on the far side of £ 12,000, the core element of the saga, and the subject of this article, is what used to be called 'the motor unit' on its own. That is, the turntable motor, platter and plinth - no arm, no cartridge, no goodies. So forget about five-figure price tags, because any turntable can have its priced doubled, tripled or quadrupled by the choice of arm and cartridge. Hey, I've seen Koetsus on Regas. So here are the facts:rnFrom 1973, the Sondek LP12 has been available as just the record deck itself, sans extras, with the user adding any arm and cartridge he or she cared to fit. Eventually, Linn offered its own arms and cartridges, and maintained a series of 'upgrades' presented through retro-fittable kits. But because Linn never held a gun to anyone's head, no-one can accuse Linn of extortion. You never had to spend another penny on your LP12. It was the press and the retailers that brow-beat the customer, not Linn.