Sondek LP12 · Our workshop
Two technicians, five decks, most parts on the shelf
Every LP12 we sell or upgrade is built on our bench and set up again in your home. Who does the work, what we keep in stock, and how to look after the deck once it is yours.
Pearl Audio
Two technicians, five decks, most parts on the shelf
Pearl Audio has been a Linn dealer since 2006, and the LP12 is the turntable we sell more of than any other. It is also the one we keep working on: our customers come back over the years for the next part, and a deck we delivered as a Majik may be a Klimax a decade later. That pattern shaped the way we run the store.
We have two in-house LP12 technicians, John Loranger and Russ Sherrell, each of whom has been building LP12s for more than a decade. We stock most parts for most LP12 upgrades, so a bearing, sub-chassis, power supply or arm can be fitted the day you decide rather than ordered and waited for, and we keep all five of Linn's standard plinth finishes in stock: Black Ash, Cherry, Walnut, Rosenut and Oak. Five LP12s in different configurations are on display in our rooms, so you can hear what a Lingo, a Kore, a Radikal or an Ekos SE adds before you commit to it.
Every deck we sell or upgrade is set up on the bench and then again in your home, on the furniture it will live on: suspension leveled and bounced, arm cable dressed, bearing oil checked, belt and pulley cleaned, arm geometry, tracking force and anti-skate set, and speed verified. A service visit covers the same ground for a deck of any age, and we take older LP12s and other quality turntables in trade toward upgrades or a new deck.
Plinths
Five finishes in stock, and more to order
Linn's standard plinth is kiln-dried hardwood in five finishes, smooth or fluted, at the same price across the three specifications. Pearl Audio keeps all five standard finishes in stock. High-gloss versions of each wood, Piano Black, Alpine White and any color matched to a RAL standard are made to order, and the Bedrok plinth comes in natural oiled beech.
- OakKiln-dried hardwood, smooth or fluted
- CherryKiln-dried hardwood, smooth or fluted
- Black AshKiln-dried hardwood, smooth or fluted
- RosenutKiln-dried hardwood, smooth or fluted
- WalnutKiln-dried hardwood, smooth or fluted
Swatches are approximate. Fluted plinths, high-gloss and special finishes carry a surcharge and are priced on request.
Click a photograph to enlarge it; move over it to magnify.
Owning one
Service, moving house and trading up
An LP12 asks little. Linn publishes no fixed service interval; it says the belt should last at least five years of regular use, that bearing oil is replaced only if it has been lost, and that the motor pulley and electrical contacts should be cleaned and checked periodically. In practice the deck tells you: if the bounce has gone uneven, a record sounds slow or flat, or the arm cable has been disturbed, bring it in. We check the suspension, oil, belt, speed and arm geometry, and with a Radikal deck we also confirm the controller's calibration.
When you bring a deck to us or move house, follow Linn's transport rules: lift off the outer platter, remove the inner platter and fit the spindle cover, fit the bearing cap so the oil stays where it belongs, remove the tonearm counterweight, and use the original packaging if you still have it. Never move an LP12 with the inner platter or the counterweight fitted. Bring the power supply, the arm cable and a record you know well; it is the quickest way for both of us to hear whether the deck is right.
If your LP12 is older than its parts, we would rather upgrade it than replace it, and the three decks page shows how far it can go. We also take LP12s and other quality turntables in trade toward upgrades or a new deck; values are confirmed when we see the deck, and condition, box and accessories matter. For a system around the deck, the Linn story covers the Selekt and Klimax DSM players that take a Urika II over Exakt Link, and we also pair LP12s with Luxman, McIntosh, Burmester and Audio Research electronics every week.
Hear it in Portland
Five LP12s, side by side
Hear a Majik, a Selekt and a Klimax LP12 in the same room, or bring the deck you own and let us show you what the next part would do. Appointments are by arrangement, Monday to Saturday.
Arrange an LP12 auditionOr call (503) 222-2599 · sales@pearlaudio.com · Back to the LP12 overview