How Scottish Hi-Fi Specialist Linn Makes Its Endlessly Upgradeable LP12 Turntable

When Ivor Tiefenbrun debuted the Linn turntable in 1973, he sent shock waves through the music world. The device quickly won favor among audiophiles due to its superior sonic qualities, among other attributes. Plus, it was purpose-built for modularity: Customers who bought an LP12 in the ’70s can still improve their machines with any of the more than 50 mechanical and electrical upgrades released over the past half century.

That legacy led former Apple design chief Jony Ive to contact Gilad Tiefenbrun, Linn’s current CEO and Ivor’s son, proposing a collaboration with Ive’s company, LoveFrom. The two firms teamed up to create a limited-edition record player in honor of Linn’s 50th anniversary.

While other high-end turntables can resemble kinetic sculptures, Linn’s Sondek LP12-50, only 250 of which will be made, is quiet, elegant, and understated—the same aesthetic that dates back to the original model. Vinyl is the antithesis of a streamed track: It’s a material, perishable good that requires care and maintenance. Correspondingly, the LP12 is a thing of moving parts, a piece of mechanical engineering made by hand in Linn’s facility in Glasgow, Scotland. Unlike mass-produced items made on assembly lines, an LP12 is the sole focus of a single craftsperson who assembles, tests, and packs a unit—a degree of attention reflected in the $60,000 price.

Product trainer and ambassador Gordon Inch describes Linn as an “engineering company that happens to make hi-fi.” Here, he guides us through each step that goes into bringing its signature product to life.