For almost 50 years, Linn has been one of the leading hi-fi brands from the UK; the Scottish manufacturer based out of Glasgow owned the high-end turntable market for years with the LP12 and the company has grown with a wide range of electronics and loudspeakers for the home theater, CI, and automotive categories as well.
Their setup in the Emerald II Ballroom at T.H.E. Show 2023 featured the new Linn 360 Active Loudspeakers that are available in two different versions. You can read Robert Silva’s in-depth breakdown of both Linn 360 loudspeaker models here.
Linn and Shelley’s Stereo setup a rather cozy listening space with home theater seating and a gorgeous John Lennon painting that was placed over the equipment rack. The lighting and use of real plants created a feeling of intimacy that most rooms at hi-fi shows never get right.
You can find Linn components in thousands of audiophile systems around the globe; a vintage Linn Axis/Basik XVI Turntable with a refurbished Signet T11E Phono cartridge is my daily driver at our home in Michigan.
The Linn loudspeakers being used at the show were the active version called the 360 Exakt Integrated.
The rest of the system included the Linn Klimax DSM ($42,000) which is a Roon-Ready component and a LP12 Turntable ($30,970). The Klimax DSM can also natively support TIDAL, Qobuz, and Spotify.
The entire system (with cables) runs $177,970 USD — which surprisingly made it one of the least expensive high-end audio systems in the main ballrooms.
The 60′ x 40′ room clearly does not represent the typical home living environment, but what really stood out was the intimacy of the sound; acoustic instruments were reproduced with excellent timbral accuracy, detail, and a realistic soundstage.
Larger orchestral works filled the entire space rather easily and the bass response was extremely even throughout the rather enormous hotel ballroom.
Even sitting 20 feet from the loudspeakers, one could really feel the impact of the bass drivers and there was excellent definition and control.
Cohesive, detailed, and incredibly transparent sounding — which is should be for $177,970 USD as the system was featured at T.H.E.. Show. However, a streaming only hi-fi solution with 360 Exakt Integrated loudspeakers and Klimax System Hub ($21,000) can bring the cost down to $126,000.
Linn’s demonstration at T.H.E. Show was presented by Shelley’s Stereo of Woodland Hills, CA. For more information, visit linn.co.uk or locate a Linn store near you.
