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Linn Headquarters, Eaglesham, Scotland
Note: Interest Free Credit now available on Linn purchases, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
NEW Linn speakers just arrived, Blog and opinions to follow soon!
It has long been recognised that the power supply section of hifi components has a major effect on the sound quality. While some manufacturers use separate box power supplies Linn want to keep theirs with short paths inside the component. They do however have it in a separate box inside the component and that allows for ease of improvements and upgrading. For many years their proprietary technology for power supplies has been called Dynamik and now they have bettered it and made it available to existing Linn owners, it's called Utopik.
Prices at £ 1350, Utopik improves the sound of all these Linn products:
Klimax DS (all models) Klimax DSM (all models) Klimax Renew DS Klimax System Hub (all models) Selekt DSM (all models) Akurate DS (all models) Akurate DSM (all models) Akurate Exaktbox-6 and -10 Akurate Kontrol (all models) Akurate CD Kustom DSM Z4 and Z8 Majik DS (all models)
Linn 360 is the new flagship speaker. Visually stunning and Audibly Invisible these have had a long gestation period and worth the wait. New thinking on dispersion and drive units combines with their Organik technology to create an incredible achievement. There are 2 versions, passive with active bass comes to £ 55,000 while the full Exakt active version comes to £ 87,500
On demonstration soon, call us for a listen !
Linn announce major upgrade and additions to the Selekt DSM range.
Selekt has been with us for a few years and as Linn have been working on the incredible Organik DAC of the Klimax level equipment they now have a way of that technology reaching the Selekt level.
There is now Selekt Classic, the existing one, and Selekt Edition, a new version with the same dimensions but a solid machined case. This Selekt Edition can have Organik DACs taking you through different levels right up to £ 18500.
Alas this also means the demise of the Akurate level however to allow Akurate owners to access Selekt there is an upgrade offer to run for the first 6 months or so.
Two new Linn blogs written
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New Linn video showing the differences between the 3 levels of Sondek LP12, that's Majik to Selekt to Klimax
With turntable sales doing well Linn have recognised that their range could do with some filling out. June22 they have announced three new additions.
First comes ARKO, an all new tonearm built in Glasgow which sits between the entry level Krane and the Klimax level Ekos SE
This features an arm tube reminiscent of the Ekos with a new gimbal bearing arrangement and a bias arrangement similar to the Akito, which is now discontinued.
Arko shipping soon, £ 3000
Matching moving coil cartridge also available soon called Kendo
All the tricks, body machined from solid, boron cantilever, a cool £ 2800
These two indicate a new name for the mid level LP12, now called Selekt to match the streamer/amplifiers.
Mid level now costs £ 9-10,000
And into the entry level Majik LP12 comes a new moving coil cartridge imaginatively called Koil.
Long nights thinking of that!
Koil debuts very soon, £ 800
Last year the karousel bearing arrived to give a lift to LP12 owners, great improvement for £ 750. Linn haven't been idle as the LP12 is now better again. This comes at the high end as the Radikal power supply is now even better. The Radikal uses a super quiet dc motor with control circuitry in the separate case. This has now been further refined using FPGA technology, the super super precise clocking used in the Organik dac. Along with this is a new version of the motor. As Scots are nice people this is being made available as an upgrade for existing LP12 Radikal owners for £ 1750 as opposed to £ 4250 for a new one. This means that we fit the new motor to your turntable and a completely new board inside your Radikal case, simples.
At the same time emerges a new cartridge called Ekstatik and it is the best I've ever heard! Is it good value at £ 5500 ? Who knows, it just the best.
This full Klimax level turntable is now available here for auditioning, by appointment please and here is a link to a first review:
Klimax DSM is the pinnacle of the Linn range and one of my favourite pieces of kit. It is beautiful and brilliant! And now there is a new one also called.............Klimax DSM
I see only one drawback, £30,000. Although if you have a Linn DSM there is a trade-in offer!!
And if you want to hear some geeky stuff watch our video, like and subscribe, click this:
Want to know more about Linn the company and it's history? This is for you! A Brief History of Linn
Linn Majik DSM, our most popular Linn product, has just had a complete rework, it's a different animal completely.
Why and how? Watch this video Linn DSM4 Video Link
Linn Series 3 is here!
The long awaited Linn Series 3 is now on demonstration, and there's nothing quite like it!
This single teardrop cabinet produces the clearest and most dynamik sound you've ever heard from what is frequently referred to as a 'bluetooth speaker'
It is a beautiful shape as well, and the magazines have all raved about the sound.
That's because Linn have used the Exakt technology from their high end streaming systems
They could only find one problem, the price. Sure £ 2950 is a lot for one speaker,
it is however the best sounding wireless speaker in the world!
And if you want to take it further a 'slave' partner can be added for £ 2500, a really neat powerful and discreet system for £5450
Call in for a lis ten, but beware, you will want one, or two!
Linn Sondek LP12s have a fantastic new upgrade, the Karousel bearing.
I have now fitted about 12 of these and every client has been delighted with the improved clarity of sound. It's £ 850 and worth it! At the same time your turntable will have a service of new springs, grommets and a suspension reset included in the price.
All turntables benefit massively from a good service every few years. If you have a cherished Sondek then treat it to a new lease of life with a service of new belt, springs, a'nd grommets. For £ 140 it will sound much better, and we will also check out your cartridge/stylus. You dont notice the performance reducing over the years but you will certainly notice the improvement when it suddenly sounds so much better.
There are also many important Linn LP12 Upgrades available:
Subchassis, the new Kore at £ 900 is a big improvement in clarity and dynamics, the Keel at £ 2999 is the ultimate
Tonearm, the latest Akito is better than an old Ittok, now being superceded by the brilliant Arko at £ 2999. The Ekos SE is in another league, a beautiful piece of real precision engineering, £ 4555 Call in to admire in awe!
Cartridge choice will depend on the arm, Linn Adikt £ 570, Dynavector 20X2 at £ 649, Linn Koil at £ 799, Krystal at £ 1390, Kendo at £2800, Kandid at £ 3800 or even the incredible Ekstatik, just £5500 please.
Jan 20 and Linn have announced a streaming loudspeaker. This has been a long time coming in a market already successful for Naim at £700 to £1250 and Devialet at £ 1500- £2500.
So what does Linn bring to this party? We already know that the Linn app is probably the best there is, however for this to succeed it must have a very special performance, and it had better be as it is £ 2950 for one-box or £5400 for a stereo pair!
First sales in December were only through Linn's Harrods concession, general sales following soon and we will of course have one on dem for you to listen. Drop me a line if you want an email when it comes in, for now check out this link for it's first review, best wireless speaker they've ever tested!
Interest Free Credit and Buy Now Pay Later now available on Linn equipment
For example a Linn Sondek LP12 Majik level is £ 3450, that's £ 1062 deposit, less any trade-in, and 12 months at £ 199,
Or Linn Selekt DSM is £5250, that's £ 2260 deposit and 10 months at £ 299,
Or you can Buy Now Pay later for even lower monthly payments
The Linn Selekt is the latest Linn streamer and amplifier. Built on a modular chassis it offers a range of options all in one case
Choose from preamp/streamer or integrated power amp and two levels of dac including the amazing Katalyst
If you have a Majik DSM this is a large and obvious improvement in the clarity of the sound. Instruments are more realistic, vocals have more emotion and bass instruments go deeper and are more dynamic. Luckily Majik DSMs are always in demand so we're happy to take them back to help you upgrade your sound. It will depend on age and condition, around £ 4000 to change as a guide
Now on demonstration, call in for a listen, prices from £ 4000 to £ 6750
Our Linn Katalyst night was superb, using the latest Linn Akubarik Exakt speakers with katalyst DACs, 10 channels of them!
Luckily they are all built into the speakers and take up little room
If you want to experience this latest innovation from Linn then drop me a line to arrange an appointment and demonstration
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Ever wondered what goes into a Linn Sondek LP12?
Or how a complete Klimax level LP12 can cost over £ 15000 ?
Watch this:
Linn announce a gorgeous new cartridge, the Krystal.
This is a beauty to behold and sounds even better.
The Krystal replaces the long running Linn Klyde with coils and cantilever derived from the Kandid, Linn's £2960 top of the range.
The Krystal is £ 1500, and you recieve the usual £ 1 back, unless you have a Linn Klyde/Troika to trade-in when you get £ 101.
An Exakt system, What's Exakt all about?
New from Linn comes Space Optimisation, and it works!
Anyone with a Linn DS with compatible speakers, not just Linn speakers, can enjoy the benefits of this new technology
To check if your speakers work with this click this link:
One of the lovely features of Sonos that no-one else has is the integration of music services into it's menu. Now Linn has it too, and with a high performance twist.
You can already send Spotify/Napster/YouTube by Airplay to a Linn DS, that's easy, now there 2 high performance services embedded in the latest issue Linn Kazoo control software and the Linn White APP. Tidal and Qobuz offer 16 bit cd performance streaming of over 25 million songs and Qobuz also offers many in a 24 bit format, higher than CD.
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The Linn Exakt range has a new addition. With each new development Exact technology becomes more affordable and now it also applies to older Linn speakers. There is a new Akurate DSM Exact without the analogue outputs. This outputs in Exact digital format to an Akurate Exact tunebox which is a digital crossover and then digital to analogue converters to go the power amps and then speakers. The digital crossover is tuned to the specific Linn speaker you have, and also features room correction.
In addition there is a new Linn speaker, the bookshelf Akudorik, a development of the Akurate 212. The Akudoriks are £ 4000 per pair, but the really clever part is in the new stands.
That's why the stands are £ 9500 per pair!
If you think that's a lot for stands, which it is, they house the Exact digital crossovers and 4 by 100w power amps in each stand.
Buying the parts in separate boxes would cost £9000 and look messy. This is an elegant solution that really works. One small cable to each speaker and you are sorted.
Following this Linn will also apply Exact technology to other speakers so you will soon be able to upgrade B&W 800 series with Exact.
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Came across this old Volkswagen advert, it implies that VW engineers came all the way to Japan to learn how to make cupholders from the world's finest cd mechanism. It's filmed in the Linn factory in Scotland using the CD12, which still is the world's finest cd mechanism, it's been superceded by streaming though, enjoy
EXAKT FOR AKUBARIK NOW AVAILABLE
Linn Exakt
Put the source in the loudspeakers
Linn's new Exakt is a ground-breaking improvement in sound.
It keeps the perfect signal from a Linn DS source in the digital format right through to the loudspeakers, where the active crossover is also conducted digitally, dramatically reducing any losses of information and increasing both clarity and dynamics. Another benefit is that this new control allows room correction to be applied with no loss of performance, meaning that you can have the speakers close to the walls or even in a corner and still sound perfect!! This was previously impossible but is now a reality for top level Linn systems
Exakt is a protocol rather than a product. Launched to coincide with Linn's 40th birthday celebrations Exakt was demonstrated with the Linn Klimax DSM and Klimax 350A speakers, but will eventually be used in the rest of the range.
The Exakt system as demonstrated comes to a cool £50,000, although there upgrade packages available for existing Linn Klimax and Akurate owners so it will only cost you £ 25,000
Coming soon Akubarik Exact, same technology, teenie price, only £ 27,000 complete
Some great reviews for Linn products in recent magazines:
The Akurate DSM in Gramophone May issue was described as 'an uncanny experience' , 'capable of superb sound', and 'a remarkable network player'.
What Hi-fi and Hi-fi Choice both reported on the new Sneaky DSM and Hi-fi World also gave the Kiko system a thumbs up for performance
Interesting that while 2 mags that use streaming sources were over the top enthusiastic about the simple set-up and control system that Hi-fi World, the analogue flat earth magazine, thought it was complex. Some experience needed! It's really easy.
LINN AKUBARIK LOUDSPEAKERS LAUNCHED,
These new additions to the Akurate range use the famous Klimax/Akurate 3k Array for mid, tweeter, super tweeter along with a new lower mid unit and 2 internal bass units in Isobarik configuration.
The first version available has 6 internal power amplifiers in aktiv mode for fantastic dynamics and control, and comes with a price tag of £ 15,500
The Passive version is more affordable at £ 8700!
CHECK OUT THE BLOGS SECTION FOR MORE DETAILS
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Linn SNEAKY DSM
A new variant for an entry level Linn system featuring Linn's DS technology with a 2/4 channel power amplifier for easy biwiring/biamping. Also features both analogue and digital inputs with optical, spdif, and hdmi options. Interesting that the power amplifiers can run as 2 by 50W or 4 by 33W bi-amped for relevant speakers.
Money has obviously been saved by having no buttons/controls whatsoever! Why? because you can do it all from your phone/ipad. Clever!
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Linn have been honoured by What Hifi!? Seems unlikely I know as they are hardly ever reviewed in WHF, however the new Kiko system has caught their imagination as they called it ‘bang on the money.’ It is now the 'Best Streaming System £ 2000+'. Other awards have also come from Hifi Choice, Gramophone, and T3. Congratulations!
LINN DS Systems, Digital streaming made Simple
The Linn DS system has rewritten the rules of streaming. Linn have been at the forefront of hard disk systems for over 10 years now, but the DS system takes this to a new level of performance with a sound advantage over all other manufacturers from their unique streaming DAC technology.
Every part of the process has been examined in detail and engineered to produce the best sounding digital system ever. Book a demonstration to see how good your cds can sound, and why Linn DS customers are the happiest around!
Linn's policy of improving products in production and making those improvements and additions available to existing customers is showing it's value again.
Linn DS owners now have support for Spotify in their Kinsky operating system controlling your Linn system and music library easily from an iPhone or iPad.
This takes advantage of the research work they have done making Linn Radio and BBC Radio3 sound so good, as this technology also applies here making this the best sounding Spotify you will ever find.
This will come as standard on the new models Majik DSM, Akurate DSM, and Klimax DSM as well as the rest of the range.
The Majik, Akurate and Klimax DSM series add HDMI sockets and output to the screen. This takes the raw digital stereo sound from sat/cable/blu ray and processes this in the DS to give the best possible sound quality, in stereo.
People's next question is will this do surround sound? No it doesn't, what it offers is better clarity of sound than any surround processing using two speakers. And it's fantastic sound!
Pricing:
Majik DSM £ 2499
Selekt DSM, from £ 4000 to £ 6750, ask about the differences
Akurate DSM £ 7500
Klimax DSM £ 15800
AND 2 MORE OPTIONS IN THE DS FAMILY, all without controls on the box to keep the cost down. Full control by ipod/ipad/iphone/android phone/pc/mac
