Help - Need Speakers For Linn LP12 And Marantz PM6003 - Help

[admin_exported]

Hi there im new to the hifi world and not sure about what speakers to choose for my linn and marantz set up i seen a pair of mordaunt short mezzo 1 for £140 i also seen a pair of wharfedale diamonds 10.1 for £100 are any of these two pairs ok for my setup or am i better getting a pair of monitor audio BR2 or am i better saving up a bit more for monitor audio BR5 or RS5. please help.

 

[kusum65]

Never heard the Mezzos but have heard the others. The Diamonds are very nice and now theyve been tweaked by Peter Comeau they have to be one of the best bargains around.

 

[Anonymous]

thanks for your reply kusum65 - what about the monitor audio BR2s are they better than the wharfedale diamond 10.1

 

[Anonymous]

Hansen, I can't help thinking the rest of your kit isn't up to the LP 12, and there's no point buying cheap speakers when you have a source like that.

The Wharfedales are budget speakers and they sound like it. The Mezzos are considerably better if a bit forward. However, have you thought about buying second hand? You'd get a lot more speaker for your money, and perhaps more deserving of a source like yours.

 

[the record spot]

19Hansen81:Hi there im new to the hifi world and not sure about what speakers to choose for my linn and marantz set up i seen a pair of mordaunt short mezzo 1 for £140 i also seen a pair of wharfedale diamonds 10.1 for £100 are any of these two pairs ok for my setup or am i better getting a pair of monitor audio BR2 or am i better saving up a bit more for monitor audio BR5 or RS5. please help.

Decide on your budget, if it's adding up to a pair of Wharfedale 10.1s, then I'll respectfully suggest you save up a bit longer and get a better amp, better speakers and reap the rewards the LP12 will bring. Partnering it with budget amps and speakers will never realise its potential.

£300 will get you some superb secondhand speakers, a similar amount will get you a good used amp and the same again will get you a good secondhand phono stage. Sorry!

Don't forget a good cartridge too.

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you all for your replys i got a pair of monitor audio BR2 for now but i will save up the amounts as suggested by the record spot and when i have enough will it be ok to get back in touch with you to help me choose an amp and speakers that would be good partners for my LP12. thanks again.

 

[Anonymous]

Hate to depress you, but you can safely double what RS said. You have a source that some of us would kill for. Sources don't get much better than an LP12.

Out of curiosity, what arm and cartridge does it have? Also what level of upgrades?

 

[the record spot]

For sure, there'll always be someone around that can lend a hand. Probably worth having a look around and seeing which amps work well with the Linn against the kind of sound you like to hear, as opposed to the sounds you play. When you've worked that out, you can start working out what to look for. Plenty of sites out there that'll give you some pointers. Keep an eye on the budget and what the amps or speakers you shortlist would normally go for and then take it from there.

Personally, I'd suggest something like - only as a suggestion to give you an idea - something in the order of the Mission 753, fantastic speaker for the money, was around the £700/800 mark, but secondhand can be nearer £250-300. Put some quality amps on the the end of that and you're away.

A good cartridge (Goldring 1042GX as a minimum, Ortofon 2M Bronze or Black, or one of the Audio Technica moving coils, or the like) as a minimum and - if it needs it - a service for your Linn. Keep an eye out in the hifi press as some dealers have "Linn days" where you might get a free service for your deck. Rega do it too, the guys from Diverse Vinyl sometimes come along - Loud and Clear in Edinburgh send me a letter in the post a couple of times a year, so you might have something similar in your part of the world.

 

[Anonymous]

Don't understand the previous post at all. A top specced Linn is worth many thousands, which is why I asked the question about upgrades. If it has decent specs why suggest budget options?

Better to wait and find out what's on the Linn, in my view.

 

[the record spot]

And an introductory Linn new, is £2000. A secondhand one is around £450. Your point is?

Mission 753 in good nick for £300 secondhand is a BIG step up. Those boxes new now would be well over £1000 and they're superb. Get a decent set of amps on that and you can enjoy a big improvement over the OP's current configuration.

We already know the chap's not going to be spending the many thousands needed to havea top specced Linn, so why denegrate the options that would make a difference with real world money that could be achieved?

They're suggestions...which is why I don't understand your point at all. Then again, I didn't understand you saying I slandered someone on another forum the other week when I hadn't, so perhaps we're just different and needn't have to understand the other. I can live with that.

 

[Anonymous]

RS, do you know much about LP 12 turntables? There are many sites which will tell you about all their variations, upgrades and the effect on their performance. Of all the turntables they are the hardest to say what would go with them, which is my point. Taking new for example purposes only, how can you suggest ancillary equipment for an item that can cost anywhere between £3000 (I'm including the tonearm) and £15000? That's you generally, by the way, not you (as in RS) specifically.

 

[the record spot]

Plenty.

What configuration do you have in mind? The original 1973 spec? The current entry level Majik with the Project arm at £2k (check your numbers, it's not £3k, they brought the new one in about 18 months back), one with the Ittok, a Valhalla, or a Lingo....

http://www.linn.co.uk/majik_lp12

The POINT which you seem to keep missing, is not how high to jump, but to offer a step up from where the OP currently IS. As an EXAMPLE. It's not set in stone, so why be so blind to offering alternatives rather than be so prescriptive you don't offer anything at all except, hey, this is expensive? Tell me something new here?

I'm going to guess that the OP doesn't have a full spec LP12, and possibly secondhand at that and will go at this progressively. I hear Tim de Pavaracini did a fine phono stage for EAR but it costs a hefty stack, so let's be realistic here and work to the OPs budget with some pointers in the right line.

Oh and the 753 does a nice job with the LP12.

 

[Anonymous]

hi there sorry about the delay had to *** out my LP12 has the linn basik LVX arm with a goldring G1042 cartridge and inside it has the valhalla with nirvana springs thats all i know the serial number is 048014 hope this helps with what you need to know about it. i really appreciate the help from you guys as i really dont know much about the hifi world at all but its something i want to get into and after i get my hifi set up i want to start on a sourund system for my tv and bluray player again i will most likely need you guys to help set me on the right path for this aswell.

 

[the record spot]

OK, no probs - ignore the spat with T and me, different views and all that.

Contact Linn directly for their feedback on the date of production, just email them and give the serial number and they'll be in touch. Don't worry about how old it is, they'll answer with relevant info. I did for my old Mimik CD player and they came back, however they no longer supported that model (not a problem for the LP12, which they do right back to first production models, so you'll be fine).

Good call with the Cartridge and the arm will do you for now. The important thing is the rest of your partnering kit. Don't worry about the rest either, but do think about having it serviced as that will be money well spent. Then upgrade as and when you can afford to, but it will cope with very, very decent kit. You don't need to shell out silly money; spend wisely on the right gear and you'll reap the rewards.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks again everyone for all your help