Technics SL-1200mk2 vs Linn LP12 comparison needle drops

Thought I would put these two one minute recordings I made of these two iconic turntables out there so folks can listen and comment. They both have comparable Linn moving cartridges and were fed through the same Exposure 13 phono preamp. The music is from a live recording of Keith Jarrett's - Nude Ants LP. I numbered the recordings to keep the identity of the turntable anonymous at least for awhile. The recordings were made at 96K so will hopefully not take long to download.

http://www.mediafire.com/listen/3z8ce28qj6yzq4z

http://www.mediafire.com/listen/80wkgzbfkkxxc0y

 

Quite enjoyable. My equipment at work is not unfortunately good enough to entertain critical listening. I may have to get that album though.

Two great turntables you have - I miss my Technics so much.

 

In my experience of owning and being around Linn turntables for many years, there is a vast difference in performance depending on the vintage and the upgrades present on an LP12.

What tonearm?
What power supply? (huge differences possible)
Other upgrades like Cirkus or
Keel?
etc.

 

Thanks John, these are fun, will give a listen a little later, doing a drop (BeeGees Gold Vol.1) at the moment

 

That info is in my profile, but Lingo, Ekos, Cirkus...
Oh, and the Technics is stock other than an Ekos arm cable and Linn cartridge tags.

 

I like file one better. I think it's the Linn. The piano sounds clearer, has more air around it. However it sounds slightly faster in pace than file 2.
File 2 has slightly better bass definition so it must be the Technics. The piano however, sounds a bit muddier by comparison. This over my crappy Creative Labs PC speakers.

 

Both sound pretty good. Clip 1 seems to be a less forward in the mids, and/or with more HF energy and a bass that's a little clearer and a little less wooly. Clip 2 seems richer through the mids and might in the long run be easier to listen to in some ways and seems to accentuate surface noise less. Hard to know on the basis of the short clips which would be more satisfying in the long run or without familiarity with the source material which is more accurate -- does clip one over accentuate the frequency extremes at the expense of the mids? Is clip 2, by being fuller in the mids and upper bass, more timbrally natural or less? I dunno. My first impression is that I like the clarity of 1 better, but I could also image the possibility that that greater HF energy could be irritating over time and might in fact be revealed to be less natural. In fact the more I listen to the clips the more appealing I find the fuller midrange of 2, I just don't love the way #2 handles the bass -- it seems woolier at the top and less present at the bottom -- but again, maybe it's more accurately delivering what's on the recording.

 

I prefer the first file, whichever deck it may be.

 

Listening on my phone (not exactly a revealing system), I prefer the first file, it sounds seems a bit more vibrant.

 

Went with one, sounded more "natural", regardless nice job on the drops, I would be happy with either

 

Yes, no. 1 sounds a bit cleaner low down here too, so hopefully (for the asking price) that's the Linn (but I wouldn't bet on it ).

 

Listened on my laptop speakers. In file 2 when the bass keeps returning to the same sustained note, it's a slightly different note (pitch) every time. There's less continuity in the tune, and some musical intent is lost. In file 1 you can hear the note is bang on every time. So either file 2 is the Linn, exhibiting its distinctive wow, or your SL1200 is broken.

 

As usual I'm going against the grain. 2 sounds bigger with more depth and clarity. Just used my headphones and my old laptop.

 

Prefer the 1st sample... sounds more engaging.

 

Chromebook > AKG K550.

I couldn't hear much difference, but the drum fills and piano definitely sounded 'livelier' and a smidge more realistic on Clip 1. By contrast, Clip 2 was slightly earthier and a hint muffled when played back and forth against the first clip.

 

I think if you could combine the bottom end clarity and reach and the top end extension and transient detail of clip #1 with the warm, solid, full natural timbred midrange of clip #2 (clip #1 seems to suffer almost from midrange suckout) you'd really have something. Possibly a lot of the differences we're hearing are in how well the different arms are handling the cartridge, and the effects of tonearm resonances.

 

I believe that the differences are mainly different types of vibrations between the arms too. It is of course possible that the cartridge can have some effect, as it´s not the same cartridge used. I definitely prefer file #1.

 

Yeah, different carts makes is something other than an apples to apples comparison.

 

Being that it is an upright bass, even with the best of players it is near impossible to hit a note exactly at the same pitch every time (Paul Chambers on So What anyone?). The pitch instability of fingers is far worse than any properly working turntable.

 

It's funny. These kinds of comparisons always show to me, as much as anything, that our different perceptions are at least as wide apart as the differences between the gear itself.

While I preferred clip 1 (because I think the bass in clip 2 is just a little too mushy and indistinct -- like there's a wooly resonance in the upper bass -- and lacking the snappy, easy extension in clip 1; and because I think it's more dynamic), I think clip 2 over all has a greater sense of continuity, probably because the midrange, where most of the musical action is, is more full and forward (it's almost sucked out in clip 1), and the midrange timbres are more natural (the bright crispness of clip 1 and the midrange suckout -- and to me that's the biggest difference between the too -- make the piano and snare thinner and a bit tinkly -- how they might have sounded miked in a big hall, but not onstage, I suspect).

These differences in perception are one of the reasons that when I read an audio review I linger over the tech details (description of the circuit, build quality, parts, etc) and measurements if there are any, but just kind of skim the subjective description part of the review. I have no way of knowing if the reviewer hears things at all the same way I do.

 

cant really tell the difference.

 

This is exactly the difference I heard. The drums are tighter on file 1, the bass is tighter on file 2 and the mids/highs are a little softer. Though I'm not confident enough to guess which is which.

 

It would be great to hear the carts swapped without knowing which deck is which and see if the differences between the files follow the carts, which if they're different carts, I suspect they might.

 

I preferred File 1

 

I prefer clip #1, but I'm also not listening on great equipment -- a Creative USB dac feeding some modest Sennheiser earbuds I have at work. Clip #2 just seemed a bit bright compared to #1.