Linn Basik Plus Tone Arm Manuals
As there appears to be much confusion about Linn's various products that have been christened 'Basik' I thought that I would come forward and try and clarify things a bit since I have been an ardent Linn watcher since the days of the Ariston vs. Linn single point bearing patent dispute.My apologies in advance for any inaccuracies in the following. If anyone has any additional information or can correct any inaccuracies, please feel free to contribute.Linn's 'Basik' HistoryLinn's first use of the word Basik, as a product name, followed the fifth Los Vegas Consumer Electronics show when Ivor commissioned a Japanese firm to produce a quality basic tonearm. The idea was that it could be partnered with the Sondek LP12 to provide a cost effective entry level front end. The arm was typical of the Japanese mass market preference at the time for European styled polished alloy S-shaped designs like the SME 3009 III, Acos-Lustre, Rega R200 and the much earlier Ortofon arms.
The arm mounting arrangement was the same as the highly robust one that was used for the top line Linn Ittok LV II and was a development of an Audio Technica design. It has since come to be known as the Linn mount.In keeping with the use of the letter k at the end of Sondek and Ittok, Linn christened the new budget arm Basik LV-V (for Los Vegas Five).Linn also sourced a cheap MM cartridge to include as a freebie with the Basik LV-V arm and named it Basik as well. This unit had a black plastic top plate, silver can and black plastic stylus assembly. I don't recall who the manufacturer was.Around the time of the tenth Los Vegas show, Linn commissioned the production of a new replacement, straight tubed, Basik arm and dubbed it the Basik LV-X. The LV-X seemingly used the same bearing, pillar and mounting collar setup as the LV-V but included a far superior clamping arrangement for the removable headshell in place of the LV-Vs universal bayonet mount. The finish was black anodized rather than the polished alloy of old.The Basik LV-X was included with a new 'improved' Basik cartridge which was provided by Audio Technica of Japan and otherwise sold as the conically tipped Audio Technica AT93. The new Basik cartridge was also available separately, bubble packed on a card, for about $80.00.
Linn Basik Turntable
Interestingly, the AT93 could be picked up, sans packaging, for about $25.00! An old AT93/Basik can be cheaply upgraded to an elliptically tipped AT95E by ordering an Audio Technica ATN95E (green) replacement stylus from various UK mail order sources.The Basik cartridge was allowed to slip into oblivion sometime after the introduction of the Basik derived tweaked K9 version. The K9 and later, K18 and K5 cartridges were all based upon the AT93 platform and some say that they pushed the design too far as the generator didn't warrant the bother. Linn dropped them all in recent years but have recently reintroduced the K5 due, they say, to customer demand.Back in the tonearm department, Linn decided to upgrade the Basik LV-X in an attempt to keep it competitive.
They reportedly improved the bearings and also dispensed with the then unfashionable removable headshell. The new 'improved' arm was renamed the Basik Plus.The Basik Plus was later replaced by the Akito which is a more substantial looking arm that Linn introduced with claims that it out performed the original thin pillared (original AT Mount) Ittoks. Many of Linn's dealers now claim that the Akito II outperforms any of the various incarnations of the Ittok. Linn's own Tonearm and Cartridge Service Manual contradicts this as it indicates that the bearings of the Ittok are superior by way of friction levels (30 swings vs.
15 on the Linn horizontal bearing test pendulum scale).Getting back to the Basik theme, Linn decided to go after the budget audiophile turntable market in a big way prior to vinyl's expected great sunset, and so introduced a Rega like product in the form of the Linn Basik turntable. It employed an Axis like outer platter with its outer surfaces machined to the same high level. In order to save on manufacturing costs the inner surfaces were not finished to the same degree. A machined plastic motor pully and sub-platter were employed rather that the costly machined alloy parts found on the Axis.
The all important main bearing was the same as that fitted to the Axis. The elaborate motor control electronics found in the Axis were omitted in favour of a typical resistor capacitor network and the Akito Mk I tonearm was pre-fitted. The Basik turntable eschewed the separate plinth and top board approach of the Axis in favour of an inverted tray like single plinth that incorporated three Axis like decoupling feet. The cartridge choice was up to the buyer with most opting for a K5. Later Basik turntables included the improved Akito Mk II tonearm.After the Basik turntable was dropped from the line the price of the Akito Mk II went through the roof.
Linn's 'budget' tonearm now pushes the $1000. Some claim that the only real difference between a Mk I Japanese built and a Mk II Scottish 'assembled' Akito is in the paint finish. I briefly had an Akito Mk I but never got round to comparing them.The Basik turntables introduction was a bit of a slap in the face to Rega as they had steadfastly stayed out of the higher end turntable market and even paid great homage to the LP12. Roy Gandy used to tell customers that the next logical upgrade from the Planar 3 was to a Sondek.
Some argue that the introduction of Rega's P9 was a direct result of Linn's horning in on Rega's turf.Some time after the Axis was dropped from the lineup, Linn decided to fill the gap by introducing a less expensive basic power supply version of the LP12. You may recall that when the Valhalla was introduced in 1982, it was subsequently included with all Sondeks as standard equipment and offered as an upgrade kit for earlier versions.
The Linn Sondek LP12 Basik is now the entry level turntable in the Linn product line with a simple AC referenced power supply rather than the previous Vahalla circuit. The Basik can be upgraded to the on-board Vahalla power supply version or, more likely, past it to the Lingo separate power supply version as the user sees fit.Well I hope that this clears things 'Basik' up a bit.Cheers,FlatThis post is made possible by the generousof people like you and our sponsors.