Linn Selekt LP12 Ex-Demo

Linn Selekt LP12 Ex-Demo

The Selekt LP12 sits between the Linn LP12 Majik Turntable and the Linn Klimax LP12 Turntable in the Sondek range — a fully specified, high-performance LP12 build that draws its components from the upper echelons of Linn's engineering, assembled as a coherent system rather than a collection of upgrades. This example is ex-demonstration stock from Martins Hi-Fi's Norwich showroom — a turntable that has been used to demonstrate the capabilities of the LP12 platform to serious buyers, maintained to Linn's standards throughout, and now available at a price that reflects its status rather than its performance. The engineering is unchanged. The music it retrieves is unchanged.

What the Selekt LP12 Comprises

The Selekt LP12 is built around the Linn Karousel bearing — Linn's current-specification, patented single-point bearing, and the most mechanically significant component in the LP12 platform. The Karousel is not a legacy assembly; it is a precision-engineered bearing developed to tighter tolerances than any previous LP12 bearing, providing the speed stability and low noise floor that defines the ceiling of what any cartridge fitted to this deck can achieve.

Above the bearing sits the Kore aluminium sub-chassis — a machined-from-solid armboard bonded to the Kore sub-chassis structure, providing a dimensionally stable, resonance-controlled platform for tonearm alignment and the suspended sub-chassis geometry that isolates the playing surface from the external environment. The Lingo hybrid internal/external power supply drives the 12V synchronous AC motor with a precision that the standard internal Majik supply cannot match — controlling motor speed with greater accuracy and lower noise contribution to the signal path.

The tonearm is the Arko — Linn's 7075-grade aluminium gimballed arm, with arm wand, headshell, and counterweight spindle all machined from the same material to provide consistent energy behaviour through the arm structure. The cartridge is the Kendo moving coil — Linn's own MC generator, bodied in the same 7075-grade aluminium as the Arko for material coherence between cartridge and arm that Linn's own measurements confirm reduces resonance compared to other pairings. The Trampolin suspended aluminium base board completes the mechanical isolation strategy at the deck's foundation.

Plinth Options and Finishes

The Selekt LP12 is available with a choice of plinth designs and finishes. Standard smooth or fluted plinths are available in Oak, Cherry, Black Ash, Rosenut, and Walnut. Special finish options include all wood finishes in high gloss, Piano Black, Alpine White, or a match to any RAL standard colour with a choice of high-gloss, satin, or metallic finish.

Where It Sits in the LP12 Range

The Selekt LP12 occupies the considered middle ground of the LP12 range — above the entry point of the LP12 Majik but below the zero-compromise engineering of the Linn Klimax LP12 Turntable. For most serious LP12 listeners, it represents the point in the range where the upgrade components begin to work together as a genuinely resolved system: Karousel, Kore, Lingo, Arko, and Kendo are each the correct choice at their level, and their combination produces a turntable that is more than the sum of its specified parts.

The Selekt LP12 upgrade path continues — a Keel SE sub-chassis, Ekos SE tonearm, and Radikal power supply each represent meaningful further steps, and the Linn Klimax LP12 Turntable at the summit demonstrates how far the same fundamental architecture can be taken. For those building a wider Linn system, the Linn Klimax System Hub and Linn Exaktbox Sub represent the digital and bass management components with which the Selekt LP12's capabilities are most fully expressed.

Technical Specifications

Who Is It For?

The Selekt LP12 Ex-Demo is for the serious vinyl listener who wants a fully specified, high-performance LP12 at a price that reflects its ex-demonstration status — not a turntable that has been compromised in any mechanical respect, but one whose value has been adjusted because it has served its purpose in our showroom. It is also the correct starting point for anyone who intends to continue developing the LP12 over time: the Karousel is already fitted, the Kore is in place, and the Lingo and Arko represent a tonearm and power supply combination from which the next meaningful upgrade steps are clear and achievable.

Buying from Martins Hi-Fi

Martins Hi-Fi has been in Norwich since 1968. Elizabeth Gould runs the business today, and we stock only brands we have heard properly and stand behind.

This ex-demonstration Selekt LP12 is available to hear in our Norwich showroom — the same environment in which it has been demonstrated throughout its time with us. We can set it up against other configurations in the LP12 range and discuss the upgrade path in the context of your existing system and long-term intentions.

When you get in touch, you'll be speaking with Dave and Chris — experienced specialists who can advise on this product and your whole system.

Contact us at info@martinshifi.co.uk, call 01603 627010, or WhatsApp on 07554 687137. You can read more about how we work on our Why Martins Hi-Fi page. We are at 85–91 Ber Street, Norwich, NR1 3EY.