Linn have released three upgrades to their iconic Sondek LP12 turntable recently, to give even more choice whether you are looking to buy a new turntable or upgrade your existing one: the Arko tonearm and Kendo and Koil moving coil cartridges.
Koil
The first of these is the Koil. It is possibly the most aptly named Linn product ever and is, simply put, a moving coil cartridge that allows you to take your turntable to a higher performance level. It uses a fixed nude microlinear stylus and a Boron cantilever, and as a moving coil cartridge it is more sensitive and extracts more information from your vinyl. At £800 it is a worthwhile upgrade over the Adikt moving magnet cartridge. There are now two Linn Majik LP12 package, the Majik LP12 MM with the Adikt fitted and the Majik LP12 MC with the Koil fitted. As the Adikt costs £574 the difference in price between these two packages is £226.
Arko and Kendo
The Arko and Kendo are a new tonearm and cartridge that Linn have introduced for their new Selekt level LP12, which was formerly known as the Akurate LP12. The Arko replaces the (very) long-standing Akito arm, which has been in production in one form or another since 1989! The Kendo is basically a more affordable version of their flagship cartridge, the Ekstatik, from which it takes many of its characteristics. With the availability of Linn’s entry-level tonearm, the Krane, now available to buy separately as well as the new Arko, there are three Linn arms available, along with six cartridges, to build your ideal specification of LP12. The tonearm range is:-
Krane - £1,350
Arko - £3,000
Ekos SE - £4,560
The cartridge range is:-
Adikt MM - £574
Koil MC - £800
Krystal MC - £1,400
Kendo MC - £2,800
Kandid MC - £3,800
Ekstatic MC - £5,500
Linn still offer part-exchange prices for cartridge upgrades.
There are now three distinct levels of Linn LP12, Majik, Selekt and Klimax. The Arko and Kendo are designed to go together and use the same ideas and techniques that Linn have used to build their higher-end siblings, the Ekos SE and Ekstatik. The same 7075 grade aluminium has been used in both the Arko and Kendo to create a physical synergy between the two that produces a sound even better than the sum of its parts. The materials have been honed and the design pared down to make sure that the sound is responsive and revealing.
The LP12 package range is:-
Majik LP12 MM - £3,450
Majik LP12 MC - £3,675
Selekt LP12 - £10,570
Klimax LP12 (inc Urika II) - £23,296
The announcement of the independent availability and cost of the Krane arm has revealed a very interesting fact. The Majik LP12 MM and MC turntables consist of a standard armboard and subchassis, solid base board, the Majik PSU, Krane arm and Adikt, or Koil, cartridge. When the price of those individual components are added up it reveals that the total cost is at least £1,500 more, making the Majik LP12 packages fantastic value! The Selekt and Klimax level LP12 packages, on the other hand, cost the same as the sum of their parts.