Linn, Just Listen.... Linn, based in Glasgow, Scotland, was founded in 1973 by Ivor Tiefenbrun. They are world leaders in digital streaming products as well as speakers, amplification and, of course, turntables, with the iconic LP12.
Speed accuracy is critical for optimum audio quality under any load conditions encountered during the playing of an album. This is so there will be no adverse effects on the low-level cartridge signals being generated and fed to the phonostage. Below are a range of Linn Sondek LP12 power supplies which are perfect upgrades to your Linn Sondek LP12.
Linn’s new, reference turntable power supply features hyper-accurate speed management technology; generating sustained, uniform rotation closer to 33⅓rpm than any turntable.
You’ll experience even more of your music, in perfect pitch, thanks to a digitally managed motor control, and the latest, precision-engineered motor technology. It’s this harmonious partnership of mechanical and electrical engineering which results in new Radikal’s peerless, hyper-accurate rotation.
The improved board design at the heart of new Radikal incorporates whisper-quiet power supply rails, coupled with the use of smaller, more modern components – yielding Linn’s all-time lowest noise floor. These quieter, regulated supply rails not only provide impeccably pure power to the motor, but have the added halo effect of making our Urika phono stages sound even better.
Radikal’s cutting-edge motor design generates negligible electromagnetic interference, effectively eliminating it as a source of distortion. To make things mechanically quieter than ever, an all-new acoustic housing decouples the motor from the deck more effectively. The motor itself features smaller, lower-noise components, making everything electrically quieter than ever too.
New Radikal is available in a machined enclosure (anodised either black or silver) or a standard enclosure (powder painted black or silver).
The Linn Lingo power supply has received a major upgrade to deliver even better sound from your vinyl, thanks to the addition of ground-breaking technology derived from the extraordinary Linn Radikal power supply.
The Linn Lingo 4 incorporates a motor speed management system and uses digital processing technology to make the platter spin more accurately and more consistently. What’s more, it auto-calibrates the motor when the Sondek LP12 is powered on to ensure this accuracy and consistency every time. That’s crucial for music, of course: even the slightest speed variation affects the pitch, and a turntable that isn’t accurate is like a musical instrument that hasn’t been tuned properly.
With on-board circuitry that fits inside the deck and a new external slimline power supply which can be easily concealed, the new model is neater, more compact and cleverer than ever.
The source of the audio source, Linn Lingo is the first improvement to make to your LP12, providing a clear upgrade from the internal Majik power supply and previous Linn Lingo models.
Most Linn turntables with Valhalla boards do not run at 33.33 rpm and have quite large variations in speed, some running as high as 34rpm. Upgrading to the Zeus motor controller makes significant improvements to the listening sound stage, the sense of timing and rhythm of the track is far tighter.
The Zeus controller has an optical platter speed sensor and OLED display. The external version is supplied in a silver anodized aluminium case with connecting cables to the breakout board installed on the Linn cross brace where the OLED, sensor, switch and motor are attached.Zeus LP12 motor speed controller and sensor
The Zeus controller is a drop-in replacement for the Valhalla or Hercules and fits on a standard Linn cross brace and simply needs the mains and motor connections made. Main power and motor connections are made using screw terminals. There is also an OLED display that provides information on rotation speed and WOW percentage. The display can be set to turn off after a few minutes to avoid distraction in dark rooms or can be omitted entirely.
The Zeus is supplied with its own square switch and dual LED indication that fits in the standard Linn power switch cut-out.
Each phase of the motor has its own independent ultra-pure and stable sine wave to extract maximum performance from the AC synchronous motor. To eliminate motor vibration and noise, characteristics such as frequency, phase angle and amplitude are all adjustable via software if desired. (The Zeus is supplied with recommended default LP12 values).
Additional innovative features are Stylus and bearing run time wear tracking counters.
The Minos controller is a replacement for non-speed sensing motor power supplies. Whilst not as feature rich as the Zeus, unlike most other power supplies parameters such motor drive voltage, motor phase and output frequency can be manually trimmed via software to minimise noise and vibration and platter rotation speed.
The Minos has the same power saving features as the Zeus and of course electronic switching between 33.33 rpm and 45 rpm. It is supplied with an aluminium Linn style square switch with red and green LED’s.
The Hercules II is a replacement for the Linn Valhalla power supply, which also has the advantage of offering 45 rpm as well as 33 rpm.
There is also a GOLD version offering an improvement with better connectivity through gold fuse and cradle, leading to even more dynamic soundstage and bass delivery.
Fot those Linn Sondek owners who prefer an offboard power supply solution, the Mose, built around the superb Hercules II PCB, offers 33 and 45rpm and delivers stunning performance in all aspects of sound quality.
The Linn Lingo 3 received new and improved Akurate casework and, although the circuit board is the same as the Lingo 2, there are some sonic improvements due to mounting it within the better Akurate casework. Whether bought new or second-hand, the Linn Lingo 3 represents a sound investment for many LP12s.
The Linn Lingo 2 is identified by the fact that it’s housed in Linn’s LK-sized box and, although the very first Lingo 2s employed the same circuit board as the Lingo 1, the vast majority of Lingo 2s have an improved surface-mount component board inside. This was introduced very shortly after the Lingo 2 was brought into circulation. As with the Linn Valhalla, second-hand Lingo 1s and 2s represent great value for money when upgrading or starting with an Sondek LP12 on a budget. Please ask for details on second-hand units as we very frequently have traded-in units from owners who are upgrading to a Radikal power supply and DC motor (as detailed above).
The Linn Lingo 1 was first launched in 1990 and is an outboard power supply housed in a slim rectangular box. There are many sonic benefits in using a Linn Lingo over a Linn Valhalla power supply. Two very low noise crystal oscillators are used, one for 33 rpm and one for 45 rpm, the output of which is fed into a synchronous counter to produce a 50 Hz or 67.5 Hz square wave for 33 rpm and 45 rpm respectively. A precision filter is employed in the Linn Lingo to remove harmonics from the square wave leaving only a pure sinusoidal waveform, this allows the Sondek LP12 AC motor to run at its quietest, hence why it sounds better than a Linn Valhalla. The Lingo 1 was discontinued in 2001 and replaced with the Linn Lingo 2.Linn Valhalla – Discontinued 2004
Way back in 1973 when the first Linn Sondek LP12s were produced, the power supply feeding the motor was very simple, but in 1982 the first of the upgraded power supplies, the Linn Valhalla, was produced. This is an inboard power supply designed to isolate the rotation of the turntable motor from variations in the mains supply. The circuit board operates by using a crystal oscillator, dividing it down to 50 Hz, filtering it to form a pure sine wave, then amplifying this signal to a level which drives the motor.
You might ask, why write about this power supply given that it was discontinued back in 2004? Well, you may be interested to know that it is still possible to have the Linn Valhalla serviced! Class A in Sheffield undertake this work for us and it means there is a very cheap and simple solution to power the motor if you are looking to minimise the cost of buying a Sondek LP12 or just keeping an existing Sondek LP12 spinning nicely. Ask for details on our service exchange facility for Valhallas, or a serviced second-hand one.
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