Cartridges

Most cartridges can be fitted to a LP12 although this also depends on the arm fitted. However some cartridges are more popular on LP12s than others. Linn also produced their own cartridges. This section has details about the Linn cartridges and others popular on LP12s.

Linn Cartridges

Adikt

Description: A moving magnet cartridge to replace the discontinued K9. Anuminium cantilever, copper coil, replaceable Gtger II stylus.

Date of introduction: 2002
Output: 6.5 mV +/- 1.5dB at 5 cm/s 1kHz
Compliance:
Tracking weight: 1.5 - 2.0 g
Loading: 47k ohms, 150 - 200 pF
Weight: 7.0 g
Balance: 2dB at 1kHz
Price: 195 GBP, 350 USD (2002)

Akiva

Description: A moving coil cartridge designed to replace the Arkiv B.

"The magnetic structure ... caused all manner of mechanical resonances... the single large one (magnet) was replaced by two migets which could be held in front of the coil assembly"

"the moving pars.. are the same (coil, diamond, cantilever and so on) in the Akiva as in the Arkiv (B)"

Date of introduction:
Output:
Compliance:
Tracking weight:
Loading:
Weight:
Price: GBP (2003)

Arkiv

Description: A moving coil cartridge designed to retrieve the most musical information from the groove and maximise record life.. Top of the range model replacing the Troika but said to be "a very substantial improvement over it". This is the only cartridge that Scan-Tech designed and builds for Linn.

"Among the other cartridges that Scan-Tech have done, probably the most similar ones in concept (if not in execution) to the Arkiv are the Spectral MCR family and our own Lydian."

"The Arkiv uses a system in which the magnet and generator assembly are bolted directly to a skeletal aluminium block that serves as both chassis and exterior housing. As it does not have a plastic sub-chassis, the Arkiv's generator system suffers from less resonance and less monkey movement than the Troika (although I wouldn't be surprised if the resonance and monkey motion are exactly the things that endear the Troika to its proponents). The clear plastic piece on the front of the Arkiv is a non-structural element designed primarily to protect the internal components of the cartridge."

Date of introduction: 1992
Output: 150 micro V
Compliance: 10 cu
Tracking weight: 1.55 - 1.75 g
Loading: >50 ohms
Weight: 7.4 g
Price: 998 GBP (1994)

Asak Mk 2

The Mark 2 Asaka has higher output, improved stylus profile and better tracking than the original.

Date of introduction: 1997
Output: 150 micro V (1kHz @ 3.54cm/s)
Compliance: 12 cu
Tracking weight: 1.8 - 2.0 g
Loading: >50 ohms
Weight: 7.4 g
Separation: >30dB at 1kHz
Balance: +-0.5dB at 1kHz
Price: GBP (1997)
Features: Line contact stylus. Flying wire pin connection. Triple point mounting system to couple the cartridge accurately to the tomearm. Advanced alloy body machined from solid to locate transducer mechanism rigidly. Precision transducer with minimum sensitivity to spurious vibration. Highly developed and advanced stylus shape swaged directly into a super rigid boron cantilever for maximum strength and minimum moving tip mass. Advanced magnetic materials.

Asak

Description: A moving coil cartridge, top of the range in the early 80s. Plastic body.

Date of introduction: 1985
Output: 100 micro Volts
Compliance: 10cu
Tracking weight: 1.5 - 1.7g
Loading: >10 ohms, nominal 150 ohms, 560 ohms & 6800pF with Naim amps.
Weight: 7g
Price: 218 GBP (1984)

Asak T

Description: moving coil. An Asak but put together better.

Date of introduction:
Output: 100 micro volts
Compliance: 10cu
Tracking weight: 1.5 - 1.7g
Loading: >10 ohms, nominal 150 ohms
Weight: 7g
Price:

Asaka

Description: A moving coil cartridge, a successor to the Asak. It has an aluminium body and a better fitting cover than the Asak which has a metal cover that is quite easy to remove.

Date of introduction:
Output:
Compliance:
Tracking weight: 1.6 - 1.7 g
Loading:
Weight:
Price: 260 GBP (1987) 373 GBP (1992)

Basik

Description: moving magnet. Initially a 'freebe' cartridge given away with LVV and LVX arms. Later improved in the yellow bodied version.

Date of introduction: . Yellow Basik 1983.
Output:
Compliance:
Tracking weight:
Loading:
Weight:
Price : 13 pounds (1984)

K5

Description: entry level moving magnet.

Date of introduction: 1988 - 1996
Output: 4.5 milli V
Compliance: 14 cu
Tracking weight: 1.5 - 2.0 g
Loading: 47 kilo ohms
Weight: 5.8 g
Price: 39 GBP (1992), replacement stylus 24 GBP (1992)

K9

Description: A robust moving magnet cartridge for good information retrieval. Made by Audio Tech.

Date of introduction: 1986 - 1996
Output: 4.5 milliVolts
Seperation at 1KHz: Separation: >20dB
Channel Balance at 1KHz: within 1dB
Compliance: 12 cu
Tracking weight: 1.5 - 2.0 g
Loading: 47 kilo ohms
Weight: 7.1 g
Price: 59 GBP (1986), 89 GBP (1992), replacement stylus 55 GBP (1992)
Features: Metal body for secure fixing. Replaceable nude diamond stylus fnd gold contacts. Suits a wide range of tonearms.

K18

Description: moving magnet

Date of introduction: 1988 - 1996
Output: 4.5 mili V
Compliance: 12 cu
Tracking weight: 1.5 - 2.0 g
Loading: 47 kilo ohms
Weight: 7.9 g
Price: 155 GBP (1992), replacement stylus 84 GBP (1992)

K18/II

Description: moving magnet

Date of introduction: 1992
Output: 4.5 milli V
Compliance: 12 cu
Tracking weight: 1.5 - 2.0 g
Loading: 47 kilo ohms
Weight: 7.5 g
Price: 155 GBP (1992)

Karma

Description: low output moving coil. Superseded Asak as top of the range. Looks like Asak and has aluminium cantilever. Unlike the Asak it has a solid aluminium body, more powerful magnet and different pole piece geometry. As opposed to previous Supex cartridges badged as Linn this was the first designed by Linn and manufactured by Supex. The Karma is clearly much more of a Linn cartridge than its predecessors.

Date of introduction: 1983
End of production: 1986
Output: 200 micro V (1kHz 5cm/s)
Compliance:
Tracking weight: 1.5 - 1.7 g
Loading: 470 ohms recommended, 680 ohms & 1000pF with Naim amps.
Weight: 6.2 g
Price: (GBP) 293 (1984) 345 (1985) 399 (1987)
    (DM) 1100 (1983)
Channel balance : 0.25dB
Channel separation (L,R): 30, 30dB
Tracking ability (L,R): 80, 76um
Frequency response 100Hz-5kHz +2,-1dB
Frequency response 30z-20kHz +2,-2dB
Separation L or R 100, 3k 10kHz: 30, 33, 35dB
Separation R on L 100, 3k 10kHz: 32,37, 33dB
Channel difference 100, 3k, 10kHz: 0, 0, 0.5dB
Response limits ref mean 1k-15kHz: +1, -0dB
Response limits ref mean 1k-20KHz: +2.5, -0dB
LF resonance 12.5g arm (vert,lat): 11.5 11.5 Hz
Estimated compliance (vert, lat): 12, 12 cu
Recommended arm effective mass: 9-18 g
Low freq resonance rise 12.5g arm (vert, lat): 15.5, 14.5 dB

"Downforce of 1.7g, which gave adequate tracking abilities but left little in hand."
"Frequency response is smooth but with a fairly large 3dB downtilt, running from 100Hz to 5kHz, then a small controlled 1dB peak at 10kHz, and a small 'glitch' at 14kHz."
"Karma sets new standards for bandwidth integration, and is uncoloured and fast to boot."
"The body is a small strong alloy casting. The Karma is very weighty, powerful and extended in the bass, and slightly bright and brittle in the mid treble. Integration and control are major strengths. Focus, dynamics and projection in the midband are exceptional, but the sound is a little clinical, lacking the warmth, romance and depth of smoother sounding high-end models. Yet because of the fine integration, what seems to be less apparent detail translates into more coherent information."

Klyde

Description: moving coil. Replacement for the Asaka but described as "of virtual Troika quality". The Klyde is made by Goldring (to Linn specs) although it is claimed the housings are manufactured by SME.

Date of introduction: 1992
Output: 150 micro V
Separation: >30dB at 1 kHz
Balance: <0.5dB at 1kHz.
Compliance: 10 cu
Tracking weight: 1.55 - 1.75 g
Loading: >50 ohms
Weight: 8.0 g
Price: 449 GBP (1994)
Features: Strong alloy body to allow secure fixing to the headshell. Vital stylus. 1.2mm pins.

Troika

Description: Top of the range cartridge when introduced. It has a red housing which is machined from high tensile alloy and a three point mounting that only fits the Ittok and Ekos arms. It has flying leads rather than the usual pins for connecting to the arm. A development of the Karma cartridge. Manufactured by Supex, the two were manufactured side by side for a time.

"The Troika can be considered to be a variant of the old Karma design. In both of these older cartridges, the magnet and generator assembly was mounted to a plastic sub-chassis, which was in turn bolted to the aluminium outer housing (which was a "U"-shaped extrusion that wrapped around the cartridge internals. The cartridge was capped with a thin, aluminium L-shaped plate that protected the delicate internals."

Date of introduction: 1986
Output: 100 micro Volts
Compliance: 10 cu
Tracking weight: 1.5 - 1.7g
Loading: > 10 ohms, nominal 150 ohms, 560 ohms recommended
Weight: 7g
Price: 546 GBP (1988), 798 GBP (1992)