Linn LP 12 Problem.......

I had an Linn LP12/Valhalla, I would suggest that you take it to a Linn Dealer/TT specialist because that Vahalla board has high Voltage and if you don't know what you're doing and don't know the general saftey rules for working on high voltage gear then I would not mess with it, one small slip of your hand and you can be seriously injured or even killed. It maybe something simple, Was the speed varying? because that's usually the first sign that the Valhalla is going bad otherwise it may be the switch itself or a bad connection. If its the Valhalla board this may set you back about $500-$700 for a new Valhalla but if the guy is good he may be able to repair the bad one with new caps for cheap because that's what usually the problem when the boards go bad due to having power supplied at all times even when the switch/power is off. I hope this helps.

Steve

They don't make Valhalla power suplies any more, and haven't for around 10 years. Please don't buy a replacement Valhalla at $500 to $700. I am sure they can be had for around half to a third of this. In fact if you are having trouble finding one at a reasonable cost, email me and I'll see if I can help. No promises, but I'm willing to try. (My dealer may still have the one he took out of my table last year when I went with the Lingo).

But if you have to spend anything close to $500, then pony up the extra cash for a Lingo, which will really make you table SOOOO much better sounding. If you end up with a Lingo, you may be ultimately very glad you Valhalla powersupply failed.

Thanks very much guys, how much does a lingo cost and where can you get one?
Is this old or current?
I just bought the table and got 2 records to play and then the problem.......just my luck.
I hope it is a simple fix, i have no intention on spending over a hundred bucks for repairs of which the local Linn dealer said it would most likely cost.
How much better sounding is the Lingo option? well worht the money?

My fave review of the LP12 from Basik through Valhalla to Lingo was Corey Greenberg's. I couldn't find it online but I have it somewhere in hard copy. This is what I got from Stereophile's review archives (John Atkinson):

In its various incarnations, the Sondek LP12 turntable has been reviewed a number of times in Stereophile: first by Larry Greenhill in February 1984 (Vol.7 No.2), then by Martin Colloms in March 1990 (Vol.13 No.3), then by Corey Greenberg in December 1991 (Vol.16 No.12). The effect of the Lingo power supply was first described by me in January 1991 (Vol.14 No.1), with a Follow-Up by Wes Phillips as part of his report on the Naim ARO tonearm and Armageddon LP12 power supply in February 1996 (Vol.19 No.2). Robert Deutsch also commented on the improvement wrought by the Cirkus base in May 1997 (Vol.17 No.5).

My reaction to the external Lingo supply, comparing it back in late 1990 with the older Valhalla board, was very positive. In particular, I felt the low frequencies were reproduced with considerably better extension and definition. I performed some basic measurements on the combination of the Lingo-driven Sondek with the Ekos and a Linn Troika cartridge in my 1990 review, which are reproduced in the Web reprint. In comparison both with the LP12 Valhalla and an Australian Aura turntable fitted with an early Graham tonearm, the LP12 Lingo had slightly better speed stability, evinced by the slightly narrower "skirt" around the spectral peak representing a 1003Hz tone from the Denon Test LP. However, low-level sidebands were visible both at the 11Hz frequency of the tonearm-cartridge suspension resonance and at ±50Hz, the latter not uncoincidentally the frequency of the Lingo's synthesized sinewave supply. Rumble was very low.

First question is, do you have the Cirkus bearing upgrade in your table? If not, I'm not sure you want to spend the money for a Lingo, but others may differ. I have seen the Lingo go for from $550 to $1200 used depending on type (half size Lingo I vs full size Lingo II) and condition. If you have a Cirkus bearing, it is definitely the way to go if you can afford it at this time. Otherwise, fix your Valhalla and upgrade when you can. The Lingo will have a more fundamental and wide ranging effect on the sound of your table than if you added an Ekos II tonearm (3K). It is absolutely incomprehensible that a power supply should make this much difference, but it does in this case.