Linn Sondek LP12 (1972–Present)

The Linn Sondek LP12 - often just called the Sondek or LP12 - is one of the most important turntables ever made. It has stayed in continuous production for over fifty years. It was Linn Products' first product, designed by founder Ivor Tiefenbrun in February 1973. The name comes from the 12" vinyl LP, and the "Sondek" prefix was added in the 1980s. Tiefenbrun's guiding principle, "the source is everything," became known as the Linn doctrine.

The basic design has never changed. It is a belt-drive turntable with a suspended subchassis. The subchassis isolates the platter and tonearm from outside vibration. Construction techniques and materials have improved over the decades, but the principle is the same as it appeared in 1972. The original played only at 33⅓ rpm and was later changed to a two-speed deck. Linn designed the LP12 to be modular, upgradeable and retro-fittable from the start, which is why so many original 1973 examples are still in service. Like a car or a grand piano, a Sondek needs periodic servicing to perform at its peak.

The British hi-fi press has long associated Linn equipment with what it calls PRaT - Pace, Rhythm, and Timing. The LP12's presentation is described as clean, detailed and musically engaging. The bass is tuneful and well defined rather than deep and thunderous, so you hear the pitch and texture of bass notes with exceptional clarity. The Ittok tonearm, Linn's first, was manufactured from 1979 until 1993. It was designed and built in Japan to Linn's specifications. The current flagship arm is the Ekos SE. Linn has also offered more affordable siblings over the years, the Axis (1985) and Basik (1989), but the Sondek has outlasted them all.

Documented specifications for the classic LP12 are thin. No dimensions, weight, wow-and-flutter or speed accuracy figures appear in the available record. What is known: a current used listing on gebraucht-kaufen.de asks €3,980.00, and the 50th-anniversary Sondek LP12-50 special edition carries a $60,000 price tag in the United States. A collector's note from StereoNET observed that the modern Selekt-spec LP12 costs considerably more in real terms than a late-eighties Lingo LP12, but is also far better sounding, and continues to have huge appeal.

• Belt-drive, suspended subchassis transcription turntable
• Designed by Ivor Tiefenbrun, February 1973
• Original speed: 33⅓ rpm only (later two-speed)
• Linn's first product; in continuous production 50+ years

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