Those comparisons enabled me to become one of the best selling VPI dealers in the world during the 1980s. (For years, I actually kept a Linn LP-12 in my store to help sell the VPI HW-19 making A/B comparisons on a regular basis. That is why I (actually my store) ended up with around 20 Linns essentially all of them were trade-ins. The other auditioners were virtually unanimous in their agreement with my characterizations of those results. The results of those numerous comparisons are discussed above. I even used special stands, that were supposed to enhance and optimize the sound of the Linn. I had the finest set-up men I knew do the actual work, to make sure there could be no excuses or uncertainty as to the final results. On a number of occasions, I even went to the further trouble of having both the exact same tonearm and cartridge removed from one turntable and placed on the other, just to isolate the exact differences between the turntables themselves. I routinely used the same models of tonearm and cartridge on both turntables, which is the only method that is fair and accurate. I have made more comparisons with the Linn versus other turntable designs than I care to remember, including many at my customers' homes. When it comes to music (though not audio): He also avoided * stating a clear preference, which should be a no-brainer in this particular instance. Dudley didn't just come out and write that the Linn sounds "simple" by comparison. "The Aries' timbral balance is different from that of the LP12/Aro combination - the latter sounding a little more 'open,' the VPI making chords sound a bit richer, thicker, and more tonally complex. This is what Art Dudley (now with Stereophile) wrote about the Linn when compared to the VPI Aries/JMW 10 combo in Listener Volume 6 No. 3D * (see " The Audio Press" file for the complete "Rules"). There is even the added bonus of an excellent example of the use of The (Secret) Audio Reviewer's Rule No. *For those skeptical readers who require further confirmation of this characteristic, from an actual, well-known "Linn Lover" no less, you are in for a rare treat. This ploy epitomizes the most cynical and misleading marketing strategies those which turn actual weaknesses into "strengths". This is because "the tune" and "the beat" will always be relatively easier to hear, in comparison to superior turntables, when the natural musical complexities have been compromised (by being subtracted). The Linn actually does "excel" in these areas. This is the reason why Linn, and its dealers, usually stress focusing on the most basic and simple audio goals ("follow the tune" and "PRaT") when it's auditioned. The frequency extremes (especially the bass) are also substandard. The Linn simplifies * and homogenizes the music, and it is also noticeably colored compared to its competitors.