They say it’s best not to meet your heroes, so I thought long and hard about how to approach this review. The Linn Sondek LP12 is arguably the most famous high-end turntable of all time. Its reputation as one of the most engaging and enjoyable high-end vinyl spinners has made it a legend the world over. Back in the late 1980s, when I was just 18 and putting my first system together for university, the LP12 and its archrival, the Michell GyroDec, were the two turntables I coveted most of all. Both were hopelessly beyond the reach of my student budget. So, they joined the Lotus Esprit Turbo and Kate Bush—in a dance leotard, staring wide-eyed at me—on my bedroom wall as examples of the things I most desired in life.
Kate Bush, photographed by Gered Mankowitz
One of the joys of being 18 is that you think anything is possible. But from the vantage point of middle age, I now look back secure in the knowledge that I’m one of life’s underachievers. I have never owned a Linn Sondek LP12 or driven a Lotus Esprit. And, unsurprisingly, Kate Bush has never stepped out of my fevered teenage dreams.
Arrival
Therefore, I don’t mind admitting that I was more than a little excited about the LP12 arriving, though not as excited as I’d have been if I had been told Kate Bush would be arriving. But the imminent delivery of the LP12 led to a feeling of giddy anticipation—a sensation all too rare in middle age. This was not just any old LP12, either. I had requested the aptly named “Klimax” model—the LP12’s ultimate incarnation (apart from the limited-edition 50th-anniversary version), priced at $30,968 (all prices in USD). At SoundStage! Ultra, we’re all about the high end, so I wanted to aim for the zenith of the Linn experience.
Linn Klimax LP12—the zenith of the Linn experience
On the appointed day, Jon Nelson, of the esteemed Linn dealer Ripcaster, arrived with a couple of modestly sized boxes and a partly assembled Klimax LP12. This is a seriously beautiful turntable. Its beauty stems not from spectacular design, as you find on a Transcriptors Hydraulic Reference, for example, but from its classic retro aesthetic. Like an Eames chair, it still looks utterly contemporary, 50 years on.
The LP12 is smaller than I expected. Perhaps that’s because its reputation is so huge—it’s hard to believe something so diminutive can bestride the audiophile world like a colossus. It looked positively tiny and slender compared to the AVID HiFi Acutus Dark Iron it replaced on my Ash Designs Cosmic equipment stand. Even my Michell GyroDec has a considerably larger footprint. The Linn measures just 17.5″W × 5″H × 14″D and weighs a relatively svelte 28.6 pounds; not much more than the platter on the Acutus Dark Iron!
I was delighted to see that the team in Glasgow, Scotland, still furnishes the LP12 with a classic fluted plinth, although the famous afrormosia finish is no longer available due to the tree’s protected status. My review sample came in fluted oak, although plinths are also available fluted or flat in black ash, piano black, cherry, rosenut, walnut, or a custom-matched paint color to suit your décor.
The classic design appears unchanged to the untrained eye, but beneath the surface—where it really counts—this is a whole new turntable. The deck has evolved over the years, as Linn’s engineers have sought to continually refine its performance. Linn is a firm with extensive engineering skills and experience, which means it can develop, design, and build pretty much everything in-house at the company’s impressive, state-of-the-art factory outside Glasgow. I hope to visit in 2025 to take you behind the scenes at Linn.
Variations
The LP12 now comes in three tiers of increasing performance and price. The cheapest by far is the Majik LP12, which comes complete with the Krane tonearm and the Adikt moving-magnet cartridge for a mere $5130 (or $5300 with the Koil moving-coil cartridge). Next up is the Selekt LP12 at $14,563, which offers the Kendo cartridge, Arko tonearm, Lingo power supply, Kore arm board and subchassis assembly, and Trampolin suspended aluminum baseboard. Topping off the range is the Klimax LP12 at $30,968, complete with Keel arm board and subchassis, Ekos SE tonearm, Ekstatik reference MC cartridge, Radikal II motor control unit and power supply, and the Urika II phono preamplifier.
An early version of the Sondek LP12
At first glance (and I find this reassuring), the deck seems stuck in a time warp: a wooden box; a satin-aluminum top plate; a power / speed control switch with red and green LEDs on the front left corner (red for 33⅓ rpm, green for 45 rpm); and the classic two-piece, zinc-alloy platter, topped, as always, by a black felt mat.
The platter is cast, machined, and left for a few weeks for the metal to stabilize. Then, it’s machined again and left to rest once more before being cut and polished to an impressive shine. The two pieces mate together with great precision, and the interference fit is designed to reduce ringing. Uniquely on the Klimax, there’s a black marker attached to the underside of the platter. A small optical scanner near the motor spindle uses the marker to read the rotation rate; the motor control unit uses this information to maintain accurate speed. It’s a sophisticated system, compared to most other turntables I have reviewed; most high-end designs simply rely on precision engineering of belts and drive pulleys to ensure steady rotation at the set speed, but Linn has introduced a feedback loop for even greater accuracy. I checked the speed with my SME stroboscopic disc (you can also use apps like RPM Speed & Wow, which read speed accurately by just placing your mobile phone on the platter). The LP12 was absolutely bang on.
Klimax LP12
The Klimax LP12 is supplied with Linn’s most sophisticated motor control unit, the Radikal II, and its companion DC motor. Housed in a beautifully machined, full-width, slimline but heavy case, this new iteration of the Radikal features ultra-quiet power-supply rails, shorter signal paths, and smaller components to deliver the lowest possible noise floor. The Radikal sends more power to the motor for startup, and the LED near the on/off switch on the top plate glows brightly to indicate this process. The acceleration of the platter is monitored via feedback from the optical sensor; when the Radikal senses the platter speed is correct and stable, the power sent to the motor is reduced and the LED indicator dims. If the Radikal detects that the platter is slowing down, it increases the power to the motor again to maintain speed. Sending the minimum amount of power to the motor to maintain accurate speed is important because it reduces motor vibration.
Radikal II power supply
The motor on the top-specification Klimax LP12 is a high-quality brushed DC design, rather than the standard AC motor fitted to the Majik and Selekt models. The DC motor produces less electromagnetic noise and is claimed to deliver a huge improvement in signal-to-noise ratio. In addition to powering and controlling the drive motor, the Radikal can provide power for the built-in Urika II phono stage.
The review deck came with the Urika II phono stage ($4250 when purchased separately) built into the plinth. It is located close to the tonearm base to minimize the signal path for the low-level signals provided by the Linn Ekstatik moving-coil cartridge fitted to the Ekos tonearm. The phono stage is optimized for cartridges supplied by Linn, which is great—unless, of course, you wish to fit a cartridge from another manufacturer. Then you will be faced with the conundrum of whether your chosen cartridge will match well with the Urika II, which doesn’t offer any ability to tailor gain or cartridge loading. In some ways, I think this is indicative of Linn’s thinking about its customers. Linn has created an ecosystem for you, rather like Apple does, which offers the benefit of seamless operation in the context of an all-Linn system. Once you step outside that ecosystem, though, the inability to tweak settings may prove limiting. I would like to have seen some switching options for cartridge loading.
Linn’s Urika II phono stage is built into the Sondek plinth
I encountered a slight problem with the built-in phono stage—I couldn’t just plug the RCA output cables from the Klimax LP12 straight into my Naim NAC 82, which has DIN input sockets. I spent a frustrating day phoning around local hi-fi dealers but none of them had an RCA-to-DIN adapter in stock.
The Radio Shop in Portsmouth, UK—a mecca for anyone needing spares or repairs
Fortunately, I remembered an old radio repair shop in Portsmouth, about 30 minutes by car from my home. The Radio Shop had just what I needed! I drove down there and found a mecca of vintage audio equipment. The shop was piled high with transistor radios, old turntables, amplifiers, and tape decks. It was one of those places that are becoming all too rare now, an absolute gem of a place that can refurbish just about anything—my old Technics tape deck is going in for repair shortly! When I told the owner that trying to find a suitable adapter had been like the quest for the Holy Grail, he looked astonished. Clearly, his shop can cater to every possible combination of interconnections, no matter how obscure.
I love shops like this!
The one-piece Keel subchassis is machined from a solid piece of aluminum and provides an extremely rigid support for the tonearm and platter. It has been engineered to maintain the same mass and center of gravity as the separate subchassis and arm collar fitted to the lesser models in the range. The underside is further reinforced by ribs at critical points to enhance rigidity. The built-in arm board is finished in black and sports the familiar Linn Sondek LP12 logo.
The Linn Keel arm board and subchassis may look the same as those fitted to lesser variants, but it isn’t
The tonearm supplied with the Klimax LP12 is the legendary Linn Ekos SE ($5855). Equipped with a titanium arm tube, this beautifully designed machined-aluminum tonearm can trace its lineage back to the original Ittok of the mid-1980s. Its ultra-low-friction stainless-steel bearings are housed in a machined-aluminum shell. The springs are temperature-compensated, while the die-cast aluminum headshell is bonded to the arm tube with advanced adhesives. Vertical tracking force is dialed in by way of a large, clearly marked dial on the side of the bearing housing, while antiskating is applied via another easily readable dial beside the arm base. The lift lever was perhaps the only disappointment. It was fine when warm, but when the house was colder, I would occasionally find that the Ekos would stop halfway, unless I manually moved the cueing lever all the way down. It was mildly annoying to sit down to listen, only to find that the needle hadn’t dropped into the groove. My SME Series IV tonearm offers more reliable and smoother cueing.
The Ekos tonearm
There’s something just so incredibly right about the way that the Ekos, and indeed the old Ittok, look on this turntable. Sure, other arms can be successfully used on the Sondek. Many swear that the Naim Aro unipivot tonearm, for example, is a wonderful sonic match, but the Ekos and Ittok complement the look of the LP12 best.
The Klimax LP12 incorporates the redesigned Karousel single-point main bearing. This design optimizes the union between the platter, spindle, bearing, and subchassis, and features a locknut fastening on the stainless-steel housing to increase rigidity where the bearing and subchassis come together. In addition, the thrust pad has a stronger housing which better supports the platter and its rotating mass.
As it has been from the LP12’s beginnings, the whole subchassis is suspended on three springs, which are adjusted and leveled from below. That’s one of the things that has given the LP12 a reputation for being tricky to set up, compared to more modern designs like the GyroDec, Acutus, and SME, all of which which can be leveled and adjusted from above. Once set up properly, though, I have no reason to think that the LP12 is fussier than any other suspended turntable, and Linn dealers are required to complete the setup in your home after purchase anyway.
The final element of the Klimax LP12 is the Ekstatik MC cartridge ($7295). This is a high-end EMT-derived design, featuring a microridge stylus mounted on a sapphire cantilever. Sapphire is far stiffer than boron or aluminum, resulting in less information loss between the stylus and generator. The Ekstatik’s cartridge body is machined into an unusual honeycomb structure, which is designed to reduce mass and bring the overall cartridge weight down to Linn’s preferred 7gm. A key innovation is Linn’s use of aluminum-bronze inserts for the cartridge mounting bolts. These are designed to optimize the interface to the Ekos SE tonearm, so that unwanted resonances are transmitted into the arm and out through the subchassis. A cartridge cover is supplied to shield the long, exposed cantilever. Personally, I always put the dustcover down when a turntable is not in use, so I elected not to use the stylus protector. In my experience, such protectors are fraught with risk if you start using them between listening sessions.
The remarkable Ekstatik MC cartridge, one of the finest cartridges I have ever heard
A dustcover is a welcome addition to any turntable, and it is surprising how many modern turntable manufacturers eschew them. I was surprised to find the Klimax LP12’s dustcover to be very lightweight in comparison to the thick acrylic of my GyroDec. One disappointing feature of the dustcover is that it doesn’t fully open vertically, so in use it feels slightly in the way of proceedings. It’s easily lifted off its hinges and removed, of course, but then you have the issue of where to put it safely, so I think this is the one area of the deck’s engineering that could be improved.
A welcome dustcover, but the hinges could be improved
Having described the entire Klimax LP12 package and what your $31k buys you, we come to one of the LP12’s greatest strengths. Perhaps the best thing about being a Linn owner is that it’s possible to buy a base-spec LP12—or even a secondhand unit—and then gradually upgrade it to a higher specification, as and when finances permit.
Listening
Despite hearing numerous LP12 turntables over the years, I wasn’t sure quite what to expect from this latest flagship incarnation. My impression has been that the LP12 offers a very enjoyable, but not strictly accurate, rendition of the music, with a rather euphonic and rich midband. The Klimax couldn’t be more different—it’s clear that Linn has evolved this transcription turntable a long way from its roots over the past 50 years.
The Klimax LP12 sounded extremely articulate, incisive, and precise, with no sense of the bloom I have associated with earlier or lesser variants. The level of detail it could extract from a record groove approached the state of the art—and here I’m talking about decks of the caliber of the SME Model 60. To say I was staggered by its sound is no exaggeration. After 50 years, the LP12 is still capable of performing at an elite level amongst the very best designs of the modern era.
For the first record, I turned to Blue Note’s superb reissue of The Sidewinder by Lee Morgan, on eye-catching blue vinyl (Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series 84157). This is a superb analog remaster, and listening to it on the Linn was spellbinding. This wasn’t mere hi-fi, but a coming together of jazz greats, right in my living room, that felt so real I could almost smell the cigarette smoke in the air. On the title track, Morgan’s trumpet was supremely open, but never harsh, with none of the “tear your head off” shrillness I have heard on lesser systems. The double-bass break was utterly surefooted, rich, sonorous, and possessed of commendable timbre and warmth. There was a feeling of breathtaking openness, although the deepest bass notes didn’t extend quite as low as on some modern heavyweights like the AVID Acutus. Despite this, I am not sure there is a turntable anywhere in the world that could do a better job of capturing the emotional essence of this track.
That’s not just my view, either. During my time with the Linn, world-class recording engineer Mike Valentine of Chasing the Dragon came around for lunch. As we played through a succession of fine jazz and blues records, he was as shocked as I was. The pitch stability of the Linn, attributable to its sophisticated drive-monitoring circuit, gave every record I played a sense of effortless temporal accuracy and confidence. Drumming benefited greatly, of course; the attack, sustain, release, and decay of every snare or tom strike in the recording venue was captured beautifully and relayed to the listener with consummate precision. Sustain on piano notes had zero waver, decaying linearly into inky-black silence.
On “Nightswimming” from REM’s Automatic for the People (Warner Bros. Records 9362-45055-1), the Linn further demonstrated its powerful control and delineation of each instrument. The piano was sublime, and I found myself moved to tears by Michael Stipe’s gorgeously vulnerable vocals. He possesses one of the most beautiful voices in rock, and, oh boy, did the Linn make that apparent. On this track his voice has a frailty—a purity crossed with a hint of gravel, like a choirboy who has spent too many late nights drinking bourbon. The Klimax brought forth every inflection of Stipes’s magical vocal delivery. This is why we audiophiles devote our lives to the pursuit of excellence, why we sweat the intricacies of turntable setup, obsess about cable dressing, fantasize about upgrades for decades, and spend our hard-earned money on audio. I have revered the Linn Sondek LP12 for years—I even applied to the firm for a job after university. It was as if all of those years of aspiration were leading up to this: my opportunity to experience a spine-tingling rendition of a truly beautiful song.
The Ekstatik-equipped LP12 is a staggeringly engaging turntable
Being a fan of Scottish music, I turned to the Proclaimers’ quintessential Sunshine on Leith (Chrysalis CHR 1668). Right from the off, the vocals and palm-muted electric guitars on “I’m Gonna Be (500 miles)” cut through with exceptional articulation and transparency. Those first drum strikes felt like they could take my head off with their speed and sheer attack. The SME offers greater bass extension, but doesn’t quite have the sheer bouncing exuberance or vitality of the Linn. It was utterly captivating. Every album I turned to ushered me in and begged me to feel its emotions, intent, and personality. The Klimax LP12 is perhaps the most emotionally communicative turntable I have ever heard. The glorious, waltzing “Cap in Hand” from the same album is a protest song in support of Scottish independence, and the Linn delivered it with real vehemence. There are some great lines in this song, but it’s hard to beat the humor of “I can tell the difference between margarine and butter, I can say Saskatchewan without starting to stutter,” all delivered in Craig and Charlie Reid’s wonderful Scottish brogue.
Throughout this album, the Klimax LP12 dished up impressive dynamics, and a broad, precise, and expansive soundstage with first-class width and reasonable depth. Instruments were locked solidly in space. The Linn excelled in capturing the swing of the music and revealing the tonality and timbre of acoustic instruments and voices. The plucked guitar strings of the sublimely beautiful “My Old Friend the Blues” showed excellent expression and delineation. The piano on “Sunshine on Leith” demonstrated the Sondek’s superb grasp of dynamics and showcased its ability to reveal the pianist’s accented playing. The Klimax LP12 has lost the midband coloration of its earlier incarnations, and while there are some turntables that extend deeper and offer more gravitas, the Linn was always superbly engaging and enjoyable.
Cutting the inner platter the Linn way
For those with wooden floors, it’s worth noting that the LP12 offers little immunity to footfall, and I certainly had to be cautious when walking in front of it. My GyroDec is equally susceptible. Neither comes close to heavyweight decks like the SME Model 60 or AVID Acutus, both of which isolate the turntable from its surroundings more effectively. It’s worth noting, of course, that the primary purpose of a turntable suspension is to isolate the cartridge from motor vibration, not footfall; however, decks like the SME manage to do both.
I turned to Handel: The Water Music (Decca L’Oiseau-Lyre DSLO 543), the incredible recording by the Academy of Ancient Music under Christopher Hogwood, and cued the final Hornpipe movement. Here the period instruments of the Academy were ranged across the natural space of London’s Walthamstow Assembly Hall with no unnatural spotlighting of instruments. This is a beautifully balanced and nuanced recording with sweet string tone and very natural sounding brass, because the microphones have been carefully placed at a suitable distance. In this way, the producer has allowed the orchestra to breathe within the context of the sizable acoustic space. The Linn revealed all of this and rendered the Academy with a gloriously rich and open sound, with extensive ambient cues intact. My perspective was just as it would have been if I had seen the orchestra perform live from 50 feet away.
Conclusion
At the beginning of this piece, I wrote that meeting your heroes often risks disappointment, but thankfully the Klimax LP12 exceeded my expectations by some margin. Given the LP12’s towering reputation, which has been sustained for over 50 years, this is no mean feat. I’ve had some truly exceptional turntables pass through my system over the past couple of years, from the SME Model 60 to the AVID Acutus Dark Iron last month. The LP12 predates all of them by decades. Yet, by continually refining its design, Linn has maintained the LP12’s position as one of the most enjoyable ways of playing back a vinyl record since 1973.
One of the most enjoyable ways of playing back a vinyl record since 1973
The Klimax specification endows the LP12 with staggering levels of information retrieval and vitality. It is a musical and emotional communicator par excellence, capable of raising the hairs on the back of your neck and bringing tears to your eyes. Replaying records on the LP12, especially those pressed from analog masters, made me wonder why anybody bothered to invent digital at all, because there are very few streamers or CD players that can match its level of musical engagement.
Perhaps the nicest thing about the LP12 is its relatively low entry-level cost. You really can start with the $5130 Linn Majik LP12, or even a $3000 secondhand version, then spend the next 40 years slowly climbing (or should that be klimbing?) the ladder to arrive at the full Klimax version reviewed here.
Think of the Linn Sondek LP12 as a first-class investment in your audiophile voyage. As they say, life is a journey. Travel it well.
. . . Jonathan Gorse
jonathan@soundstage.com
Associated Equipment
- Turntable: Michell GyroDec turntable with SME Series IV tonearm and Lyra Kleos SL cartridge
- Phono preamplifier: Trichord Research Dino Mk 3 with Never Connected Dino+ power supply, PS Audio Stellar phono stage
- Streaming DAC: Naim Audio NDX 2
- CD player: Naim CDI.
- Preamplifiers: Naim NAC 82
- Power amplifier: Naim NAP 250
- Power supply: Naim HiCap
- Loudspeakers: ATC SCM40
- Power: Dedicated 100A mains spur feeding two Graham’s medical-grade, six-gang power blocks; Naim Hydra; Naim Power-Line Lite.
- Cabling: Chord Company Sarum T loudspeaker cables, Naim NAC A5 loudspeaker cables, Naim interconnects on most Naim amplification; Chord Co. Sarum T Super ARAY XLR, Chord Co. SignatureX Tuned ARAY DIN-RCA, Chord Co. SignatureX RCA-XLR, Chord Co. EpicX ARAY RCA. Chord Co. EpicX ARAY interconnects for phono stages, Vertere Redline RCA-XLR between HiCap and NAP 250, QED interconnects for secondary sources
Linn Klimax LP12 turntable
Price: $30,968
Warranty: Five years, after registration.
Linn Products Ltd.
Glasgow Road
Waterfoot
Glasgow G76 0EQ
United Kingdom
Website: www.linn.co.uk
