Linn Sondek LP12 Support

In time the suspension will sag. This is simply gravity doing its thing or it may have been caused during transportation. Your suspension needs to be adjusted at all three points. Doing this yourself is risky. First, you may not have the required jig to mount the turntable so that you can work from the bottom upwards. Second, even if the unit has been switched off for a while, if you touch the capacitors on the exposed Valhalla power supply, you are toast. Rather contact any LP12 fundi in your area. They will know what to do.

Discolouration is sometimes annoying, but it is normal. As your platter ages, it loses its original shine. It is protected by a layer of lacquer. Do not remove this unless you really must do it. Some owners like a shiny, almost chrome, appearance. If you must do this, let us suggest the best way so that you do not ruin your very expensive platter.

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The first place to start is to see if the power is switched on. If the red LED shines, but dimly and you have a Valhalla board or an external Lingo power supply, eventually the capacitors dry out and must be replaced. This is an easy fix, but ony by an experienced person. Do not touch your Valhalla board or any other electric components under any circumstances. Touching those capacitors can be fatal.

If you think the capacitors are in order, have the motor checked by a LP12 fundi. Sometimes all that is needed are a few drops of oil. Note that Ordinary Joe cannot do this himself as it requires taking off the bottom plate, removing the motor, and using the right oil.

It may also simply be that the belt is worn out and has stretched. A new one is going to set you back about R1500.00.

There are many scammers out there who will take you for a ride, or just someone who does not know what they are talking about. Before you commit to buying a LP12, here are some pointers:

Online photos: You can spot a scammer a mile away. If there are five photos, for example, and each shows a LP12 with a different power switch, arm, cartridge, platter, and so on, it is probably not the actual unit for sale. I see this on Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace every day. Stay away.

Price: A LP12 with a standard Valhalla power supply and Ittok cannot cost more than about R30 000.00. Any more than this is a ripoff.

Check the serial number as a guideline to see when it was manufactured.

See this article for an indication of milestone changes.

Ekos Mk 1 tonearm: As good as the Ekos arm is, earlier versions, notably the Mk1, had problems with the bearing and grease. This is impossible to fix locally and owners who had Ekos arms with sticky bearings sent theirs on extended trips to Linn in Scotland.

Function: Arrange to see the unit yourself and let the owner (a) switch it on – check the startup speed. Anything more than five seconds from 0 to 33 means the power supply's capacitors are on their way out, or that the belt is worn out.

Arm bearings: If possible, ask the owner to rebalance the arm. This should indicate if there are possible issues with the arm's bearing. When balanced but without applying tracking weight, the arm should float in a horizonal position, with or without a cartridge mounted. A slight, very soft tap towards the middle should show the arm moving smoothly. Anything else may show that the bearings are suspect. Some people go to extremes and will drop a small piece of paper on the headshell to see how it behaves. Overkill? Maybe, but this is about the ultimate test.

One last option, but one that few will be able to do, is an armswing test. Usually an arm will have to complete about 70 swings in a vertically mounted position to be sure the bearings are still fine. This requires the arm to be removed from the turntable and the test is not for the feint-hearted.

General impression: Ask to listen to at least a few seconds of music you know. This will tell if the motor is stable, and if both channels work.

Appearance: Look out for obvious signs of wear that is more than usual – the plinth, lid, top plate, and arm board should be reasonably clean and clear of any dents or scratches that may indicate abuse. If there are signs of abuse here, chances are good that more sensitive parts may have been damaged.

If at all possible, ask a more knowledgeable friend to go with you to check out the unit. Remember that even if things look OK, you are buying the unit voetstoots (as is, with known and unknown defects) and once it has left the seller's location, what goes wrong is for your expense.

This is a very effective and easy fix. Take some teak oil and a sponge. Pour a small amount of oil on the sponge and carefully smear it around the plinth. Using a sponge ensures the oil penetrates the grooves. If you live in a dry climate, you may have to do this every few months.

It could well be that the Valvalla power supply, if you have one installed, is acting up. It happened to me when I bought my LP12 in 2023. Startup was slow, and on the first play it ground to a halt ten minutes in. It turned out that the Valhalla board was faulty. I had it recapped by one of the Sondek fundis, and it is now perfect.

The Axis and Basik turntables and excellent units in their own right. Sometimes though, they are a little bit harder to service, and spares are even more difficult to obtain. However, it is often only the power supply that gives problems and, like the Valhalla board on the LP12, it can be recapped and will function as new. If you have one of these turntables, then of course we will assist where we can.