Linn Dealers and technicians

[tmazz]

There's a ton of used turntables that come up for sale all the time. People practaclly give away old VPI HW19's, and I can't figure out why. They are one of those great tables that just sound right.

Bob I think it is just a supply and demand thing. As good s the old VPI tables were (and the new ones are) they really sold a ton of them, leading to a ready supply of VPI tables on the used market.

[toobluvr]

Jimmy

The suspension in my LP12 gave out after about 25 years.  David at Accent on Music in Mt. Kisco is a Linn specialist.  Give him a call and tell him (or his wife Alma) that I recommended them to you.

Accent on Music, Inc
www.accenthifi.com/
175 Main St. Mount Kisco, NY 10549.
(914) 242-0747

Let me know how it goes
Bill

I've been to this guys shop.  He's a hardcore brainwashed Linn cult member.  And he'll try to do the same to you with hard sell tactics, and negative comments about all other gear.  Everything sucks except for Linn.  Complete turnoff.  I'll take my business elsewhere, thank you!   

[tmazz]

Jimmy

The suspension in my LP12 gave out after about 25 years.  David at Accent on Music in Mt. Kisco is a Linn specialist.  Give him a call and tell him (or his wife Alma) that I recommended them to you.

Accent on Music, Inc
www.accenthifi.com/
175 Main St. Mount Kisco, NY 10549.
(914) 242-0747

Let me know how it goes
Bill

I've been to this guys shop.  He's a hardcore brainwashed Linn cult member.  And he'll try to do the same to you with hard sell tactics, and negative comments about all other gear.  Everything sucks except for Linn.  Complete turnoff.  I'll take my business elsewhere, thank you!   

It seems like the same story all over. I'm beginning to think that Linn recruits their dealers from the list of people who were rejected for jobs with the state because they are too rude to work at the Motor Vehicle office.

[topround]

They had a kid working at that Mt. Kisco store that asked me once what I used for an amp. I said tubes. He said tubes were too liquid for him, he preferred solid state.
I always thought liquid was good, but apparently not!
yes it is a cult...and they prey on the weak.

[accenthifi]

This is Accent on Music replying to some recent posts.
Are you confusing us with another Linn retailer? We have never been "hard sell" and have not been brainwashed by Linn. Please don't confuse our confidence in these products with the bullying tactics employed by others. We have our favorites; so do other dealers. That doesn't make us "brainwashed".

We welcome all to our store and give each visitor undivided attention. We simply explain the basic fundamentals and describe & demonstrate the upgrades for the LP12. They are not cheap, but do deliver value for money.

I sometimes think that some enthusiasts resent dealers who charge retail. If the product is good and our service adds value, what's the problem?

Along with Rega turntables we have worked with the LP12 since 1975. Over those many years we have tried almost every turntable made since the 1950's. The Linn LP12 and Rega turntables are our favorites because they get to the heart and soul of the music. That makes our customers happy; it's that simple!

We continue to believe this: they are the best values around. Please drop by for a listen. Bring a record.

David & Alma Wilson

[richidoo]

Welcome to Audionervosa accenthifi!

Thank you for responding in this thread. Please feel free to express yourself and rebut any negative comments.

[jimbones]

Thanks. I find the upgrade path numerous (Valhalla, Cirkus, Trampoline, Lingo, Bupkus etc  ) and costly. Although I am sure an updated Linn would sound very nice, I can't imagine that a other manufacturers are not competitive (and I won't need to spend $$ to get it to sound good)

[tmazz]

David I have no problem paying retail to a brick and mortar dealer and in fact if you poke around the posts here you will find I have written several times about the value of having a trusted dealer. I have been in this hobby for over 30 years and bought most of my gear from the same dealer. I trusted his opinion, valued the service he provided and never once thought I would have been better off buying something mailorder just to save a few bucks. He is retired over five years now and we still keep in touch.

That said while I ended up buying most of my gear in one place I did shop around at other dealers to hear things that my guy did not carry. And I an sorry to say that in all those years I have never been in a Linn dealer and did not leave feeling pissed off , talked down to and downright abused because I did not own British equipment. (And just to be clear I have never been in your shop so please do not take any of this as a reflection on you personally.)

The ultimate was one time when an audio buddy told me that a local Linn dealer had an LP I was looking for in stock.  I went into the shop and picked up about half a dozen audiophile LPs totaling over $100 and brought them to the counter to pay for them. The owner looked at them and said "Those are some pretty high end LPs, what kind of turntable do you play then on?" I told him that I had a VPI HWHaw-19 Mk II with and SME IV arm  and I forget which cartridge I had at the time but it was in the probably in the $800 price range. Without batting an eyelash his response what (and I will never forget these quote word for word), "Wow that is a real piece of shit. If you were really serious about music you would own a Linn." Now you can say what you want about my TT vs a Linn product and I can't say that an LP12 might not even be better sounding, but in no way could a VPI with an SME IV be considered a piece of shit. And over the years I have been in a number of Linn shops and got the same kind of condescending attitude from every one of them. And it is not just a NY thing, I have stopped in to Linn Shops in other parts of the country while on business trips and gotten the attitude. In my experience it seems to be a pattern. And through interactions with members of several audio clubs I have to say that most all of the stories I hear about other audiophiles' experiences with Linn dealers are very similar, so it is not just me.

All of that said I would like to say that I hope that you are the exception to the broad generalization and applaud you for swimming against the tide by keeping a traditional high end brick and mortar shop open. They are becoming more and more scarce and we could certainly use more of them in this hobby.

[jimbones]

Wow very well said T 

[StereoNut]

My intensions here weren't to call to order a meeting of the "Flat Earth Society" to do battle with the "Round Earthers" - so everybody should just take it down a notch or two!  

I was trying to help Jimbones (see reply#12) by recommending him to an authorized Linn dealer and technician that I have dealt with in the past that I was very happy with.  It was to give him an alternative source to getting his Linn LP12 looked at and fixed by a reputable and talented technician.  It wasn't to start a debate over how Linn dealers handle themselves (whether it be good or bad) nor was it to say Linn products are better than any other choices the audiophile community has to choose from when buying a turntable.

I feel bad that he had to, but I'm glad David took the time to respond to some of the generalizations made on this thread regarding Linn dealers.  Since I brought his name up (with good intensions, I might add) to start with, I am now compelled to come to his defense. Not only have I bought equipment from David and Alma from Accent on Music, I had David re-build the suspension on my LP12 in what sounds like the same problem that Jim is having with his Linn turntable now.

I have to say that I have experienced some "hard sell Linn cultist" treatment from one of the Linn dealers who was on Long Island and is now in NYC, but I cannot say that I've gotten any of that from David or Alma ever.  If anything, I enjoy their laid-back demeanor and David's wry sense of humor that sometimes catches me off guard.    

Matter of fact, I will tell you something about my dealings with David that go completely AGAINST the accusations directed toward him here.  When I brought my LP12 in for the suspension to be re-built, I asked David if he had any upgrade suggestions for my turntable besides fixing it and adding a new cartridge.  David had two used tonearms in the shop that came in as mint condition trade-ins that he suggested as worthwhile upgrades. (My LP12 had a Linn Basic+ tonearm on it since I had bought it new.) One was a Linn Ittok, the other the Rega RB300.  The Ittok was considerably more expensive than the Rega tonearm and yet David suggested I go with the Rega.  It wasn't an up-sell... it was a down-sell!  

Everyone has different tastes in equipment and sound, we all have different personalities and temperaments and our personal experiences with the same person or people can vary greatly.  I have a much bigger "live and let live" attitude than most and I can't expect everyone to be the same as me, but I don't think it's fair to generalize everyone of a particular manufacturer/dealer network into an audiophile "cult" that passes out cups of Kool-Aid. (BTW - Accent on Music does sell other turntable brands besides Linn.)  

If you disagree with what they choose to sell or how they conduct their business, that's fine - move on to a place that you're more comfortable with. Just don't bash everyone because it's more convenient to do so.

My 2¢
SN

P.S. to Toobluvr and Topround: I'm not looking to discredit your own personal experiences with Accent on Music. They are what they are and I understand that all too well by my own past experiences with a different Linn/Naim dealer that I had issues with.  I just didn't want this to become a "mob mentality" driven thread.  

P.P.S. to Toobluvr: Haven't seen you here on AN in a while.  Good to see you back.

[topround]

There was no discredit.
Tooby and I are just writing about our experiences, and ours is reflected by many others as well.
David may consider himself the exception, but as a rule this was and is Linn and Naim's  business model.
I though this may have been understood by everyone in the hobby.
Again while I am not a Linn or Naim user I understand their business model and have no problem with it. They do have tunnel vision and would prefer if their customers did as well, whether you choose to follow suit is up to you, and is your right. What dealer is going to talk to you about a product they don't sell? Not a good one.
In business everything is about money, because money is the life blood of the business.

So live long and prosper...........




Mike

[jimbones]

I always welcome honest and friendly dealers. First I don't think I even have a problem with my Linn! It's just that most Linn dealers tell you you must service the suspension periodically. i find that unusual, after all what other TT manufacturer tells you to do that? <insert Jeopardy theme music here> I had called a dealer asking about bearing oil. My only other complaint is that the upgrades are pricey. But Jeez, if I were to do all the upgrades on my Linn I am sure it would be over 5k! plus what I have already invested in the base TT!

BTW Bill, you make an interesting point that AOM sells turntables other than Linn. That is key because everyone that I know of is exclusive and sells Only Linn/Naim.

[StereoNut]

There was no discredit.
Tooby and I are just writing about our experiences, and ours is reflected by many others as well.
David may consider himself the exception, but as a rule this was and is Linn and Naim's  business model.
I though this may have been understood by everyone in the hobby.
Again while I am not a Linn or Naim user I understand their business model and have no problem with it. They do have tunnel vision and would prefer if their customers did as well, whether you choose to follow suit is up to you, and is your right. What dealer is going to talk to you about a product they don't sell? Not a good one.
In business everything is about money, because money is the life blood of the business.

So live long and prosper...........

Mike

Thanks, Spock... uhmmnn, I mean Mike!   I appreciate your comments in response here. You make a lot of valid points regarding ALL retailers, so that certainly keeps things in perspective. You're always keeping it real on AN, that's why we love your posts. 

SN