An intermediate system with aspirations

[springwood64]

I can't lay claim to eXtreme modest or high end :)

Primary source is LP 12 (cirkus/valhalla) with Akito Mk2 and Ortofon Kontrapunkt 'a' via Linn Linto. My old Linn dealer rudely referred to my LP12 as a 'frankendek' because it has a odd history. The original owner had it mounted in a specially made cabinet some time in the early 80s, ditching the original plinth. It was then bought by an ex Linn dealer who rebuilt it, adding a new black ash plinth, the cirkus kit and Akito arm and sold it to me.

The LP12 has a DIY modified base. This is 4cm thick solid dense MDF, painted black and mounted on 3 inverted aluminium cones.

The tone arm cable is a modified hand-made litz silver cable that started out as an experiment and which sounded much better than the stock Akito cable despite my cack-handed soldering. I suspect that it is likely to deteriorate over time because I struggled with the soldering, so I plan to repeat my A/A/B test against the original cable in a few months' time.

Other sources are Linn Kudos Tuner and Arcam DV88 DVD player. Amps are AV 5103 with Klout. Speakers are AV 5140s (recently replacing Ruark Talismans that I've had for over 12 years) with Ruark centre and nasty flat panels for surrounds currently sporting home painted hand prints from all the family in the style of Wanjidari (Aboriginal painter) - my wife has an artistic streak. Cables are all Linn blacks.

My approach is to achieve all upgrades by buying and selling second hand items, and my target is to do this at net zero cost. So far, so good. I started on this long and convoluted path with a Dunlop Systemdek II + Linn Basik + K9, Linn Majik-I + LK 100 and Ruark Talismans in 1995. It was the Majik that got me in to Linn in the first place, bought in the heady years before children.