BasikPlus or Akito: To upgrade or not to ...

I think you would be very happy with the akito. It is a much better arm than the basic. Do you have an lp12, if so the difference will be obvious.

The deck the akito would be used with is an early pre-cirkus lp12 (ser.no. around 36000) with valhalla ps and black springs and new rubber bearings. The cartridge I use is a K18.
I really like the sound of this combination and as the basikplus and the akito do look really similar (bearing seem identical) I was wondering if the akito was a "renamed" basik or a "redesigned" basik

Still wondering
Guido

...otherwise save for an Aro. They do crop up from time to time secondhand - I got mine for a little under £500 in mint condition, but that was exceptional - or save for a new one. Alternatively, find someone who has gone down that (or the Ekos I/II) route and buy their late-Ittok...

TC '..'
"Girl, you thought he was a man, but he was a Muffin..."

The ekos 2 and arrow are both brilliant arms but cost accordingly. An Ittok would be a really nice upgrade and would not cost an arm and a leg.

My memory is that an akito came out after the ekos as linn had found ways of bringing some of the ekos ideas in at a greatly reduced cost. This is reflected in the arm tube design and the use of new (at the time) adhesives for bonding the head shell etc. I think the bearings are a step up from a basik also.

So if you don't want to spend a fortune I do think you would think this is a worthwhile upgrade. Get it fitted by a good dealer and make sure they are happy with the condition of the bearings etc

A lot of Akitos end up sticking.

An Akito is a nice jump over an LVX, but I don't know about the Basik Plus. For a real upgrade, get an Ittok.

--Eric

Guido--

Eric gave some excellent advice: check the bearings very carefully. I owned an early Akito and had no problems at all, but on about 1 in 3 the bearings could stick. If the bearings are perfect, the Akito represents a substantial upgrade from an Basik Plus--it is smoother, more detailed, more tuneful, etc. A K18 will sound A LOT better in an Akito. That said, a used Ittok LV2 is an even larger step up--when I upgraded from the Akito to the Ittok it was a bigger leap up than from Basik Plus to Akito.

On the other hand, since it is effectively free--don't hesitate if the bearings are good !

Cheers,

Bob

I agree with Bob. I never had a Basik, but I did use an Akito and Ittok. The Ittok is magnificent compared to the Akito.

Can you stretch to a good Ittok (i.e. bearings)? Are you sure this is an Akito and not an Akito II?
And how are the bearings on your Basik+?

Phil

The idea of changing/upgrading came only with this idea of "free upgrade" if the price I can get for my basik would be ok.
As used ittoks seem to be priced around 200 GBP (some less some more) - no additional funds available - has to wait for a while.
A side thought: I know myself; with an ittok I would try to go for a mid entry level mc cartridge - just to get the idea, as my k 18 might be insufficient for that arm, I have mm boards in the moment, so mc boards would be required, as the better arm and cartridge would justify improvement on the deck I might be tempted to search for a cirkus upgrade. Then I had to realize that interior mc boards are easily outperformed by, say a stageline - my psc used to power the stageline, a 2nd hand snaps bought (+ slic) to power the digital section of the 102, by this creating an imbalance with the ps of the lp12, searching for an appropriate ps - in the end thousands of pounds spend because I followed your advice to go for the ittok .
I will check the bearings of the Akito (its a I) carefully - the ones of the basikplus are fine, did the bearing tests I read in another thread - as I'm quite new in the vinyl world (bought the deck in may and it took months to get all bits and pieces together) I want to move on slowly, yes my listening habits have changed - have not touched a cd for weeks (at home) - but lets see. My record collection has to catch up, too.
But I am convinced now - should go for the akito.
Btw. anyone looking for a immaculate basikplus?

regards
Guido

Linn used to do a demo between Ittok/Troika (or Karma, I don't remember) and Ekos/K18. The latter was, and will be, better.

So upgrade the arm until you reach the top before considering upgrading the cartridge.

You also need to be looking at finding a Lingo or equivalent, the same principle applies.

Paul

Recognizing that you're looking for a really *low cost* arm upgrade I just wanted to say that there is no need whatsoever to think in terms upgrading both arm and cartridge at the same time. An Ittok upgrade, by itself, helps show what the LP 12 can really do. Keep your eyes peeled and perhaps you'll find one when funds might barely allow you to squeeze one in. If you get it, you'll use it all the time!

Best regards,

Markus