Innovating a product 35 years old

Apr 20, 2007 08:44 GMT  ·  By

Making a turntable and releasing it back in 1972 and getting 35 years older just to see that the gear is still working perfectly is the best presentation a manufacturer could ever benefit from. Well, Scottish audiophile gear producer Linn is such a fabricant whose 35 years gear is not only working but does that in perfect conditions and has recently received some upgrades.

Actually, upgrading technology once every 35 years is something quite unique and weird, should we think this over: other producers release more than one upgrade each year and brag about the "fantastic" improvements the newly-specced gear would deliver to the customer. Now, if we think twice, if such a statement is true, then progress should have taken us tens of thousands of years forward, isn't it? Linn is not claiming -he's simply doing things right and has presented three upgrades for the Sondek LP12 turntable in the body of the new Sondek LP12 SE.

First of all, Keel is a complex piece of gear grouping together a sub-chassis, armboard and collar sworn to eliminate as much vibrations as possible due to its own intricate design - Keel is a "machined-from-solid", one-piece ensemble so off with the screws and potentially loose joints causing acoustic reproduction distortions and even malfunctions. Coming in a black anodized finish as a standard, Keel makes a serious upgrade to your turntable while offering the same simple and sleek design as the '72 gear.

Next in line comes Trampolin, a metal base board suspension system. It provides more vibe-insulation for your Sondek and can be used with both newly-bought turntables as well as a valuable addition to your existing one. Made of high quality dampening materials and best-grade aluminium, the Trampoline can be easily fixed directly to the wooden plinth.

The third and last thing coming new in the Second Edition of the Sondek LP12 is the new precision-machined titanium Ekos SE tone arm which will seriously improve the way you listen to your vinyls. Loaded with an Akiva cartridge , the new spec is one thing to die for, if you're on the audiophile lane.

Finally, the Linn's Sondek LP12 comes in rosenut, cherry, maple and black ash finishes and will drain about $2,800 if bought in the US.

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