Re: Linn Cirkus bearing set

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Sunsun22

Sunsun22

Member
Joined 2004
Re: Linn Cirkus bearing set

I wish to change my Linn LP12 to Cirkus but the Hong Kong dealer is selling me a full set that includes the spring, subchassis, arm board etc. Why do I need these since I already have them in my turntable? Is there a place that I can only buy the Cirkus bearing?

Is there an online source that I can buy Linn accessories at a reasonable price?
 
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harwoodspark

Member
Joined 2005
The Cirkus bearing has a larger mounting flange so requires a new subchassis.The bearing itself is different so is matched to a new inner hub. You use your own outer platter. The springs are the black ones. If your deck has the shiny springs, fit the black ones anyway as they are supposed to offer improvements to all decks irrespective. I thought the armboard was the same. There is a Cirkus kit for sale on Ebay at the moment.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CIRKUS-upgrad...ryZ48648QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Si.
 
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harwoodspark

Member
Joined 2005
Sorry I didn't get back sooner. The bearing is the main component of the cirkus kit. It is larger and stronger around the mounting points to stop it from flexing.The subchassis is basically the same as before but is different where the bearing fits obviously. There is also a strengthening ring which the bolts pass through to clamp the housing flange to the subchassis. The bearing, subchassis and hub really should be considered as one unit.
I have heard it said that some people prefer the sound of the bearing, subchassis,hub unit which was used immediately prior to the implementation of the Cirkus mod. I've never compared the two so I wouldn't know what the differences were.

Si.
 
S

Simon1972

Member
Joined 2004
the spindle, subplatter, bearing housing and internal sleeve bearings are identical.

If you make a sub chassis that is solid and stiff and bolt your bearing to it you'd be hard pressed to hear the difference between just the Cirkus bearing and the older bearing. It's the sub chassis that made the difference.
 
tubenut

tubenut

Member
Joined 2002
croak.co.za
The Cirkus sub afaik is made from a slightly thicker material and the brace is epoxy glued rather then spotwelded (though this was done before). The armboard is a new composition too.

I agree though, the main upgrade wrt Cirkus is the sub, not the bearing. Rather then spending money for cirkus, keep your old bearing and buy a Funk Charm sub and armboard assembly.
Huge improvement and at a fraction of a Keel price.
 
tubenut

tubenut

Member
Joined 2002
croak.co.za
sq225917 said:
slapping a disc under the sub-chassis and bolting through to the bearing collar is as good as the cirkus upgrade, there is no magic in it, just a bigger flange.
Click to expand...

How thick would you make this disc? The thickness of the disc will affect the space between the top of the sub chassis and bottom of the subplatter if I understand right. There would also be a cavity between sub and this disc, the smaller OD of the cut out in the subchassis then the proposed disc OD would cause this. Could one one not buckle the sub as one tightens the bolts due to this cavity?
 
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harwoodspark

Member
Joined 2005
I did a search and came up with Vinylengine and a history of the LP12 and it states that the glued subchassis came into being in the late seventies, well before the Cirkus mod. It also states that the Cirkus bearing is different. The housing has a larger flange and takes larger bolts. The bearings themselves are spaced differently and that the subchassis is made from thicker metal. I can only conclude from this that the Cirkus mod is the whole thing, ie, the inner platter, bearing and subchassis.

Si.
 
YNWOAN

YNWOAN

Member
Joined 2007
What Harwoodspark states is completely correct. At one time I was a Linn dealer and the glued chassis came out a long time before the Circus kit. The only difference between the Circus chassis and the prior glued chassis is that the metal at the point where the bearing bolts is double thickness; prior to this a small area of the chassis brace was cut away where the bearing fits. The three bolts that hold the main bearing in place are slightly larger on the Circus though this mod was introduced to main bearings a little before the circus. All linn bearings bolt to the chassis from below; the bolt heads are on the top surface of the chassis and the bearing flange fits under the chassis.
 
tubenut

tubenut

Member
Joined 2002
croak.co.za
harwoodspark said:
the Cirkus bearing is different. The housing has a larger flange and takes larger bolts. The bearings themselves are spaced differently and that the subchassis is made from thicker metal. I can only conclude from this that the Cirkus mod is the whole thing, ie, the inner platter, bearing and subchassis.

Si.
Click to expand...


Yup, "Cirkus" is Bearing, subplatter, subchassis, armboard and 2 belts.
I think the general concensus is though that though the new bearing perhaps is the most memorable from the marketing effort, it is actually the sub chassis changes that make the big sonic difference. Looking at just about any Linn (without a Keel) the most obvious glaring "low performance" part is the subchassis and lossy coupling to the armboard.
 
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