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Back to analog ..was it a mistake???

Like alot in the 1980s I went totally digital.Took my 300+ album collection and boxed them up never thinking I would venture back.My current digital system is about everything I always wanted.Black background,nice sound stage,fast,clean,detailed yet very musical.The speakers disappear and instument seperation is there and in the correct locations.Vocals are superb on all types of music IMO..
From strong suggestions from my bro I decided to try the analog approach again even though the analog systems Ive heard recently never came close to my setup.I bought a mid 1980s Linn lp12 and did some upgrades to it..Mose/Hercules2,new Akito2 arm,belt,oil,Denon DL160,cables..had it setup correctly.Bought a new Musical Surroundings Phono.Spent days cleaning records.What I have in sound is nothing short of a big dissapointment for the time and money spent.Forgetting the snap,crackle, pop which is very hard to get around the sound stage is nowhere to be found.The speakers no longer disappear,its like taking 10 steps backwards..Yea, I know the Linn isnt the beat all table as well as the phono but something is amiss here.Ive tried a few adjustments and things seem to become a little better but when I do the digital it becomes clear my analog attempt sucks.Am I expecting too much from my new investment back to analog???Is all this analog talk just talk from guys who never had a great digital system??Any positive imput or suggestions is appreciated..Thanks in advance
missioncoonery
normansizemore
473 posts
 
It's your crummy Linn LP12, I know I had one. Here is your problem. http://www.high-endaudio.com/RC-Linn.html

Now, go out and good a better table, idler drive, belt drive, even direct drive. There are good ones in all formats, the Linn just isn't one of them.

Best,
Norman
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mapman
15,679 posts
 
Gee, I guess that guy really doesn't like the Linn!

I guess he's right and the countless satisfied owners who have run their Linn tables happily for decades (like me) must be wrong. It's the only piece in my system that has survived that long, though I have run various models of OHM speakers for longer.
missioncoonery OP
732 posts
 
Mapman dont worry ,I totally ignore LP12 bashers..As stated I know the Linnn isnt the best table out there..But crummy,now thats just foolish chatter!!!
normansizemore
473 posts
 
You guys bust me up!, Ok, maybe 'crummy' was a bad choice of words. But remember I had one for like ten years. You owe it to yourself to 'listen' to something completely different and be honest with yourself. Find someone who has a GOOD, well set Garrad 301, or Thorens 124 and then hold on. I listen to everything, especially jazz and solo piano/guitar. The Linns is just sloppy, but so is a Thorens 150/160. You need to really jump into something like a VPI if you want to experience good belt drive. And I know that it is JUST MY OPINION, but it is an honest one.

Did you click the link in my previous post and read that Linn review? It is truly what I was experiencing. I went back to using an idler driven Dual 1229, which has been completely rebuilt. I put a Grace 747 arm on it with a Denon 103. Dead silent, soundstage is so deep and wide, and DYNAMICS, like a Linn is completely incapable of.

Linns, just sound 'soft' to me, and kinda boring. I am a musician, so maybe I am a little more critical, but I am involved in 'live music' nearly every day of my life, and that is what I want my hi-fi to recreate.

If the Linn does that for you, then there is no need to go further, it just didn't do it for me, and apparently not the gentlemen who started this post.
Cheers,
Norman
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mapman
15,679 posts
 
I'm not worried. The guy who wrote that is a very entertaining writer and has some good insights into audio. His Linn bashing is just way negative and over the top IMHO, I suppose because there surely are better tables out there 20-30 years later.

I don't know if I would shell out the bucks these days for a new Linn table, but the one I have that I acquired in 1986 or so for well under $1000 has served me extremely well. Perhaps the line is a dinosaur, but it deserves some respect for its staying power and the value it has provided to many over the years, similar to many other vintage designs.
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