Liquid Audio

Liquid Audio See. Hear. Feel. Bringing you closer to the music you love…from source to speaker. Tuesday to Thursday are appointments only
Friday and Saturday are open days

Supplier of Hi-Fi/AV systems and Linn LP12 specialist, in the heart of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter.

• Sales • Consultancy • Installation • Repairs • Vinyl •

30/05/2026

Here’s the final part of our time, working with this deck.

With the front tonearm suspension binding badly, we checked the bolt and found it wasn’t fully centred.
This handy little tool checks concentricity of the bolt which is vital to ensuring the suspension bounces correctly.
A quick tweak of this and some light adjustment of the other springs brought everything into focus for the desired pistonic bounce, and a nice linear decay.

Now it’s time for a final check and setup of the arm and cartridge.
VTF was done first to ensure we don’t stress the cantilever when measuring the other areas.
Then VTA is set, before checking azimuth, and the null point checks.
Everything was correct outside of VTA as the small knurled thumb screw to lock the arm into place was loose.
This is difficult to apply force to as it sits close to the armboard, so a nip up with pliers was required.

It’s finally time to get it onto test play and a clean in readiness for the client to see and hear it before taking it back home.

Saturday is underway with a play test of the current turntable we’re working on. The Heed Audio Lagrange S continues to ...
30/05/2026

Saturday is underway with a play test of the current turntable we’re working on.

The Heed Audio Lagrange S continues to impress with its grip on everything it’s given. A brilliant combination with our Kerr Acoustic K300s which sound completely natural on every system they’re connected to. They certainly make component evaluation so much easier.

On the other end of the scale, the Amp and FYNE AUDIO F5E speakers make a superb combination, too. We’ll be testing these with the new Ply-Fi Model 1 stands in the coming days to see how much more performance we can squeeze out.

There are also two big boxes at home which will be in the shop very soon. The contents are pretty special so we’re very much looking forward to sharing that with you.

One other bit of news is that we’re trialling something new through June. Our business hours are changing slightly to give some extra flexibility.
We will now be open from 10:00 on Fridays instead of 12:30 and our weekday appointments will also be from 10:00 instead of 16:00 onwards.

If you want to book in, you know what to do.

29/05/2026

Back to the top plate and whilst it’s been improved by straightening the battens, theres more to do.

Our old trick of checking the top plate with a steel rule is the first port of call and yes, there’s a bow in the middle the front to rear axis.
Switch removed and some ‘gentle’ persuasion does the trick.

However, when the switch is refitted it lifts again as the switch body is now fouling the plinth corner brace which is likely the root cause of the plate distortion and poor fit.
Rather than compromising the corner brace, an o-ring is put under the switch to give some clearance.

Now it’s time to set everything up properly which proves difficult.
Adjusting the suspension to get the correct suspension bounce is a nightmare when the top grommet is completely obscured by the sub chassis.
Sometimes, you need to rotate the whole assembly but depending on how it bounces, you need to move the grommet or spring independently and for some reason, the front right suspension assembly just does not want to play nicely…

As we start to put an exhausting week behind us, the weekend starts with some positive news. We were recently approached...
29/05/2026

As we start to put an exhausting week behind us, the weekend starts with some positive news.

We were recently approached by Ply-Fi, a furniture manufacturer from South Wales, who asked us if we’d like to try their new Model 1 speaker stands.
These have now arrived, been built and currently on test in the shop with our Audio Note (UK) Ltd Zero system. More info to follow on them.

Also, we are now an authorised dealer for Heed Audio
Many will know them as the manufacturer of some very nice power supplies and phonostages, many of which in use with LP12 owners the world over.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been evaluating some of their amplifiers in the shape of the Lagrange S and Obelisk with our Kerr Acoustic K300s.
Both amps have really impressed us (unsurprisingly, given the news) so our demo stock is currently being organised. In the meantime, you can hear the Lagrange S in store, now.

We’ll have some other updates to follow but in the meantime, have a great weekend.

28/05/2026

With the glued dowels in the plinth drying out, it’s time to check over the sub-chassis and tonearm assembly.
During stripping, I noted some irregularities so now I can look closer.

The top suspension grommets are all badly cut so were put to one side. Upon fitting new grommets, they were very proud of the sub-chassis. Another red flag…
I dressed the rest of the assembly then refit the battens to the plinth to do a quick mock up.
Zero chassis bounce and binding on every suspension leg. The pockets of the sub-chassis are cut too deep which requires the grommets to be modified to clear the top plate.

The ‘modified’ grommets are far from uniform and will deform/twist in their current condition. The outer platter is also very close to the top plate so some experimentation is required to find the best approach…watch this space.

27/05/2026

With a full strip down done, every component is scrutinised before either being adjusted or replaced.

The plinth has more signs of damage from the top plate and signs of sanded/stripped out plinth material.
This top plate is ~1mm thicker than the standard Linn plate and it appears the plinth has been made to accommodate that.
There are multiple scratches on the plinth and around 4” has been trimmed near the switch which has created a substantial gap.

We trial fitted a Linn plate to show the difference. However, the battens still aren’t level, leading to an uneven top plate surface which had a direct impact on suspension geometry and performance.

Each batten is measured to understand where there high and low spots are, before marking up the tape to see where to focus attention.
Unlike Linn plinths which typically have glue and staples holding the battens in place, these are screwed in which makes removal and repositioning, easier.

The three battens are removed and the areas to be reworked are filled with dowels and glue before being left to set.
Whilst this is happening, we turn our attention to the sub-chassis and arm.

26/05/2026

Next step is to investigate why the top plate is lifted and not level across the plinth. To do that, we have to go inside…

Whilst removing the baseboard, it was clear the tonearm wasn’t straight when at rest. Upon checking, the fixing for the collar was loose so it span on the armboard.
It was loose enough to not be at the correct VTA and would have likely slipped out when I rotated it in the jig. Just as well I checked first.

When it came to flipping the turntable, a few more red flags could be seen with some loose and missing fixings.
Once I could see the gaps between the top plate and plinth battens, it’s clear I would now have to commit to a full strip and rebuild. Time to start from scratch

Follow us this week as we do a deep-dive into correcting this turntable.

linnlp12sondek

25/05/2026

We were recently contacted by a gentleman who has some issues with his turntable. Although this isn’t a Linn LP12, it is based on one.

It uses all third-party parts with the exception of the bearing and sub-platter which is the Cirkus bearing from Linn.
He attended our LP12 workshop a few months ago and as a consequence, was concerned about his deck because of the top plate condition.

Some initial photos highlighted the main area of concern (the corner where the switch resides) but after seeing it in the flesh, some immediate issues were noted which required further investigation.

Follow us this week as we do a deep-dive into correcting this turntable.

23/05/2026

Every day in the shop is special. The opportunity to meet new and familiar faces, to discuss and learn about music (amongst many other things) and of course, the opportunity to hear lots of music.

Time spent here is never taken for granted. Sharing music and the experiences around it, is written into our DNA.

Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing this weekend, make sure you have awesome soundtrack and don’t forget to

A bright start to the long weekend with a few demos and collections planned for those who want to make pick up some new ...
22/05/2026

A bright start to the long weekend with a few demos and collections planned for those who want to make pick up some new gear to make the most of the extra listening time.

We’ve got some more new kit in for evaluation so that’s currently being put through its paces. More news on that in the coming week.

Have a great weekend.

Address

3, Warstone Lane (Unit 7)
Birmingham
B186JE

Opening Hours

Tuesday 4pm - 8pm
Wednesday 4pm - 8pm
Thursday 4pm - 8pm
Friday 12:30pm - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

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