Linn SONDEK LP12 Setup Manual
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Linn SONDEK LP12 Setup Manual

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LINN SONDEK LP12
SET-UP MANUAL
IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT YOU READ THIS ENTIRE MANUAL BEFORE
ATTEMPTING TO SET UP YOUR LINN SONDEK LP12. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL,
AT BEST, RESULT IN SUBSTANDARD PERFORMANCE, AND MAY IN EXTREME
CASES, RESULT IN PERMANENT DAMAGE TO THE TURNTABLE.
We realize that the policy of most hi-fi enthusiasts is, "If all else fails, read the instructions". However, the
set-up procedure used on the Linn Sondek, while not terribly difficult, is significantly different from that
used on other turntables. It is virtually impossible to set the table up correctly without following the steps
in this manual.
These instructions refer specifically to the set up of the Linn Sondek LP12 when it is being fitted with a
Linn tonearm, and cartridge. Appropriate notations will be made for variations in procedure for other arms
and cartridges (see "Selecting a Tonearm and Cartridge").
WHAT WE MEAN BY TIGHT
Since we are dealing with a transducer that has to recover information considerably smaller than a
millionth of an inch from phonograph record, it is important that all the fasteners (nuts and screws) in the
turntable be very tight. Whenever the instructions call for you to tighten a fastener, we do mean TIGHT,
probably tighter than you ever would have imagined. However SANITY MUST PREVAIL in tightening
these fasteners. There is no advantage to tightening them past the point where the associated material
will deform, since you are then simply stretching or crushing the materials involved and destroying the
structure. A good rule of thumb is simply to bring the nut or screw up to where it seems very tight and
then turn it about 1/4 turn more (in the case of armboard screws, which are put into wood, 1/8 turn will
do).

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Summary of Contents for Linn SONDEK LP12

  • Page 1 It is virtually impossible to set the table up correctly without following the steps in this manual. These instructions refer specifically to the set up of the Linn Sondek LP12 when it is being fitted with a Linn tonearm, and cartridge. Appropriate notations will be made for variations in procedure for other arms and cartridges (see "Selecting a Tonearm and Cartridge").

  • Page 2: Tools Needed

    Turntable Set-Up Jig or substitute. (It will be necessary to have the turntable set up where you can both reach and see the underside of the table. Linn dealers have a special set up jig for this purpose. If you are doing this without a set up jig, it will be necessary to suspend the table between two Objects.
  • Page 5 LINN SONDEK LP12 SET-UP MANUAL PAGE 5 STEP BY STEP TURNTABLE SET-UP ****************************************************** CAUTION! ******************************************************* MAKE SURE THAT THE TURNTABLE IS UNPLUGGED FROM THE A/C OUTLET BEFORE REMOVING THE BOTTOM COVER! HIGH VOLTAGES ARE AVAILABLE ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD! FAILURE TO OBSERVE THIS PRECAUTION CAN RESULT IN SERIOUS ELECTRIC SHOCK! Please note that, on turntables equipped with the Valhalla circuit board, the board is "live"...

  • Page 6: Arm Mounting

    Current Linn Sondeks- use 2.5 mm metric hex key bolts, older units may use 2 mm or 2.35mm hex key bolts, Philips screws, or slotted screws.
  • Page 7 LINN SONDEK LP12 SET-UP MANUAL PAGE 7 PRELIMINARY ARM CABLE DRESSING Before mounting the arm cable, it is a good idea to pre-form it. As the cable comes out of the box, it will be folded, and have bends that make dressing it difficult. Running a hair-dryer close to the cable will relax it so that it can be straightened.

  • Page 8: Mounting The Cartridge

    LINN SONDEK LP12 SET-UP MANUAL PAGE 8 Slip the washer, P-clip, and nut onto the rear assembly bolt, with loop of the P-clip towards the rear of the turntable. DO NOT TIGHTEN THE NUT AT THIS TIME. Place the ground lead and nut onto the front assembly bolt, and tighten the nut down.

  • Page 9: Adjusting The Suspension

    LINN SONDEK-LP12 SET-UP MANUAL PAGE 9 ADJUSTING THE SUSPENSION Use a bubble level to make sure that the plinth (base) of the table is sitting level. Level the-suspension by turning the three nuts under the spring assemblies up or down. The...
  • Page 10 PAGE 10 LINN SONDEK LP12 SET-UP MANUAL In, the act of centering the suspension, you may have slightly changed the height of the suspension, either by turning a nut with the spring/grommet assembly, or because the springs compress slightly differently in different positions. Go back at this time, and check the height of the suspension, and readjust if necessary.

  • Page 11: Upside Down

    The tonearm should be tightly locked, but again, use restraint. It is possible on the Linn tonearms to tighten down the height lock screw to the point that you deform the arm pillar if you attempt to use this adjustment as a body building exercise.
  • Page 12 PAGE 12 LINN SONDEK LP12 SET-UP MANUAL Turn on the turntable, while observing the position of the belt. The belt should drop down to the bottom of the pulley when the table is turned on, and ride up to the center position on the pulley, where it just reaches its full diameter once the table is up to speed (refer to "Belt Height Adjustment"...

  • Page 13: Final Assembly And Adjustment

    LINN SONDEK LP12 SET-UP MANUAL PAGE 13 Replace the bottom panel. Plug the table in, and check to see that the motor is now quiet. FINAL ASSEMBLY AND ADJUSTMENT Replace the two front feet and tighten the screws on the two rear feet. To keep the bottom panel from sagging, put in the two screws that hold the bottom panel at the center front and center rear of the base.
  • Page 14 PAGE 14 LINN SONDEK LP12 SET-UP MANUAL POSITIONING THE TURNTABLE A turntable's performance can be substantially degraded by improper placement. The folk wisdom has been that a turntable should be placed on a very massive object to isolate it from vibrations, perhaps extending even to a massive isolation base with a compliant coupling below it.
  • Page 15 If you are selecting an arm other than a Linn arm for use with the LP12, you must bear in mind that the function of a tonearm is to provide a rigid link between the cartridge and the turntable. Records have information smaller than a millionth of an inch inscribed on them, and every bit of play in the arm, even at these extremely low amplitudes, is going to result in some loss of information.
  • Page 16 (On cheaper cartridges, including the one supplied with the Linn Basik arm, where the cost of the stylus is the major portion of the total cost, it is advisable to super glue the stylus assembly to the cartridge body.) Fundamentally, when choosing an arm and cartridge, one must always bear in mind the order of precedence and the function of the system.
  • Page 17 MAINTAINING THE LINN SONDEK TURNTABLE The Linn Sondek is designed to have a useful service life of at least twenty years and a. such is constructed using materials that are meant to have a maintainable appearance for that time. The following are suggestions for maintaining the turntable: The turntable base, which is of solid wood, can be polished with lemon oil or spray furniture polish.
  • Page 18 PAGE 18 LINN SONDEK LP12 SET-UP MANUAL...
  • Page 19 Over the past ten years, we have seen dozens of attempts to improve the performance of the Linn Sondek LP12. Believe us, if we ever found a way to improve the performance, we would do it. Below is a list of things that we have tried that DO NOT WORK. If any of them should happen to work for you, it indicates that you have made an error in the set up of the table.
  • Page 20 Other oils in the main bearing. As mentioned earlier, the bearing is subject to two and a half tons pressure per square inch. Linn oil is specifically formulated to eliminate the microscopic welds that can occur at that pressure. The long term use of any other oil can cause damage to the bearing.

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