Note that this is a discontinued product. You may want to visit the brand's page here to browse their newer products.
What reviewers think
Bloggers and YouTubers have tried this product—so we've summarized their strongest opinions below. Links to full reviews follow.
Product Strengths
- Capable of an informative, dynamic and exciting presentation
- Sensational dynamics and surefooted with rhythms
- Excellent build and finish with carefully honed engineering
- Lowest noise floor of any vinyl setup
- Delivers a sound of huge scale and power
Product Considerations
- Expensive
- Installation requires a certified, trained LP12 specialist
- Some may find the presentation tonally lean
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Clearaudio Innovation Wood/Luxman EQ-500: Klimax lacks natural warmth and spaciousness, preferring a more forward presentation, but renders the sound with more precision and agility
- Vs LP12 Akurate: The Linn LP12 Klimax has even lower noise floor
- Vs LP12 Majik: The Linn LP12 Klimax is very unique, smooth, more lively and more appealing with deep bass and extreme high-end air
Takeaway: The Klimax LP12 is a top-tier turntable delivering exceptional sonic performance and a very enjoyable listening experience. It represents the pinnacle of Linn's turntable technology.
What are hifi reviews useful for? (1) Identifying products you should demo in person at a dealer. (2) Learning which products reviewers unanimously praise as the best they've heard (this means they probably are legitimately great). (3) Identifying a product's attributes that satisfy your idiosyncratic needs and tastes. Beyond that, we often discount what reviewers say because they heap praise on most products—and are often apprehensive about publishing strong criticism or comparisons between products. Further, they seldom have more than a few products on-hand, often relying on their memories to compare past products. Always listen for yourself.
All
Klimax LP12
reviews
[{"title":"Linn Klimax LP12 Record-Playing System","link":"https://www.stereophile.com/content/linn-klimax-lp12-record-playing-system","source":"Stereophile","datePublished":"2022"},{"title":"Linn Klimax LP12 review","link":"https://www.whathifi.com/linn/klimax-lp12/review","source":"What Hi-Fi?","datePublished":"2020"},{"title":"Linn Klimax LP12","link":"https://the-ear.net/review-hardware/linn-klimax-lp12-turntable-arm-cartridge","source":"The Ear","datePublished":"2022"},{"title":"Linn LP12 Turntable Shootout: Majik vs Akurate vs Klimax","link":"https://www.audioaffair.co.uk/blog/linn-lp12-turntable-shootout-majik-vs-akurate-vs-klimax","source":"Audio Affair","datePublished":"2018"}]
An excellent review of a great product
/
Publisher
/
3/1/2022
An excellent review of a great product
Publisher
/
3/1/2022
Video Review
Manufacturer details
Features
Specifications
- Speed: Dual speed 33⅓ & 45 rpm
- Motor Type: Precious-metal brushed DC motor with moving coil rotor
- Dimensions (WxHxD): 445 x 140 x 356 mm
- Components: Sondek LP12 turntable with Karousel bearing, Keel machined sub-chassis and armboard, Radikal motor control, motor & power supply, Brushed DC motor in acoustically isolated housing, Ekos SE precision tonearm, Ekstatik flagship moving coil (MC) cartridge, Urika II moving coil phono stage
- Plinth Options: Standard or fluted
- Standard Finishes: Oak, Cherry, Black Ash, Rosenut, Walnut
- Special Finishes: Piano Black, Alpine White or match any color of choice (high gloss)
Description
With Klimax LP12, you'll experience your favourite albums – both cherished classics and those freshly unwrapped – as if it were for the first time. The latest iteration of our reference turntable, Klimax LP12, produces an even more musical, pitch-perfect performance. This is thanks to our latest, hyper-accurate speed management technology, whisper-quiet power supply, and cutting-edge motor design; and also to the level of fidelity achieved following our team's extensive experiments in material science – culminating in the breakthrough that is our all-new flagship cartridge.
Release Timeline
Manufacturer Site
Brand highlights
Taking a step back to look at reviewers' thoughts of the brand's entire lineup—not just this product—what stands out most is the following:
- Linn emphasizes its in-house engineering expertise rather than relying on off-the-shelf components, showcasing its commitment to innovative design and integrated system performance.
- The brand stands out for its fully integrated systems, offering a complete solution from source to speaker, designed to work harmoniously together for optimal sonic results.
- Linn's products, particularly loudspeakers, can be upgraded with "Exakt" technology, allowing for digital crossovers and individual amplification of each driver, significantly enhancing performance.
- They offer their "Space Optimization" technology to account for and correct room acoustics, demonstrating a commitment to adapting to diverse listening environments.
Select products
Select product comparisons
119
- Positioning: The entry-level compact bookshelf speaker in Linn's lineup.
- Description: Offers linear performance with premium drive units, making it suitable for small spaces or as part of a versatile system. Features a rear-ported design for enhanced bass performance, and its passive crossover can be bypassed for Exakt operation, providing flexibility for future upgrades.
150
- Positioning: A passive floorstanding speaker in the mid-range of Linn's offerings.
- Description: Designed for refined and sophisticated sound with excellent linear performance. Features a down-ported design for omnidirectional bass, setting it apart from the bookshelf 119, and includes a high-quality passive crossover that can be bypassed for Exakt upgrades.
Series 5
- Positioning: A stylish and customizable speaker series offering a balance of performance and design.
- Description: Integrates Exakt technology and an Isobarik bass system, providing powerful and accurate bass in a compact form. Unlike the 150 and 119, allows for extensive customization with various Fabrik covers and finishes.
360
- Positioning: Linn's flagship loudspeaker, representing the pinnacle of their speaker technology.
- Description: Features ultra-low distortion drive units and groundbreaking dispersion characteristics, delivering a soundstage with unprecedented clarity and realism. Stands out from the Series 5, 150, and 119 with its advanced Adaptive Bias Control and Power DAC technology.
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Avg. Product Price
$30,001-$40,000
Used For Sale
342
Available (Scroll Down)
Brand Popularity
17
of 900+
Badges
Top 50 Brand
Top 250 Brand
Products Listed
20
Founding Year
1972
Our take on the brand
Linn is a hifi brand known for its modular designs, particularly the Sondek LP12 turntable where users can upgrade virtually every component over time to maintain performance across decades. The brand stands out for developing its own technologies in-house, including the Organik DAC with FPGA processing and Space Optimisation, which models room acoustics without needing microphone measurements.
Look inside the brand
Brand Page
Our interview with the brand
What are two key technological innovations or strong opinions that differ you from other brands?
What's your approach to customer support?
What are your favorite tracks for showcasing the strength of your products?
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From our interview with
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Brand Page
Used
Linn
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What if you spend more?
J.Sikora
Reference Line
48000
48000
/
3
Reviews
J.Sikora stands out for being the only hifi brand to use Kevlar in their tonearm tubes, combining this unique material choice with a unipivot bearing design for optimal sound performance. Their tonearms feature a distinctive VTA adjustment mechanism modeled after a photographic lens, allowing precise adjustments during playback, while incorporating a mix of aluminum, bronze, and brass to enhance sound quality.
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Our summary
Product Strengths
- Exceptionally well-made with a 'boutique' manufacturer quality matching best mass-loaders
- Operates with an extremely low noise floor, and is ultra-quiet
- Offers a stable and precise sound reproduction, extracting maximum information from recordings
- Presents powerful and distinct treble and bass, with no roll-off, rounding or softening
- Delivers a large-scale, rich, smooth, precise, and energetic performance with impressive dynamics
Product Considerations
- The loose and sloppy interface between the disc and the threaded stub was criticized
- The Reference doesn't have the same grandeur—the sheer sweep that more expensive turntables deliver
- Opinions were strongly polarized, and nobody was left unmoved by this turntable's aesthetics
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- The reference turntable built on the Standard's strengths to offer a much more formidable sonic presentation
- These two offer similar tonal balance, similar way of sound articulation, but the Reference delivers even deeper bass and renders larger phantom images, while the Air Force Two seemed more resolving
Takeaway: The J.Sikora Reference is a top-tier turntable offering stable, precise, and energetic sound, making it a great choice for audiophiles who value extracting maximum detail from their vinyl collection. Its exceptional build quality and performance make it a standout product in the high-end audio market
Video review
Our take on the brand
J.Sikora stands out for being the only hifi brand to use Kevlar in their tonearm tubes, combining this unique material choice with a unipivot bearing design for optimal sound performance. Their tonearms feature a distinctive VTA adjustment mechanism modeled after a photographic lens, allowing precise adjustments during playback, while incorporating a mix of aluminum, bronze, and brass to enhance sound quality.
Product Page
Product Page
VPI
Titan Direct
60000
60000
/
1
Reviews
VPI is known for its high-end, American-made turntables. They stand out for their use of 3D printing in tonearm design, creating one-piece structures that enhance sound quality, and their unique unipivot tonearm design that balances on a single point for precise sound reproduction.
Expand Details
Our summary
Product Strengths
- Accurate and precise reproduction allows for hours of non-stop playing
- Combines the strengths of both solid high mass tables and suspension tables, without sharing any of the weaknesses
- Soundstage and solidity of 3-D images is exceptional
- Offers chameleon-like flexibility, allowing for different tonalities depending on tonearm, cartridge, and drive mechanism combinations
- Equipped with one of the best speed controllers, the VPI ADS, resulting in very low Wow & Flutter measurements
Product Considerations
- The reviewer experimented with different configurations to find the most suitable one for their music
- Changing over to the Belt Drive requires disassembling the top platter
- Careful attention must be paid to ensure proper tension on the three rubber belts in the Belt Drive
- Overall tonality is richer and warmer sounding end of the spectrum than neutral, which may not be for everyone
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Titan has a different design implementation and material quality with a much larger magnet than JC Verdier La Platine and DaVinci Audio's Gabriel turntable & Clearaudio's Master Innovation, increasing speed stability
- Titan sits firmly on a frame with a much wider footprint than JC Verdier, providing far superior stability
- Titan achieves the same open and airy harp sounds as Oracle V with a much quieter background
- Titan's midrange tonality of the mass strings is as rich—as warm and as textured as Nottingham 294 and TW-Acustic Raven AC (with Black Knight Platter)
- The Titan blossoms in the mid-range regardless of the tonearm, cartridge combination of choice, unlike the VPI HR-X which can be brighter than neutral
Takeaway: The VPI Titan turntable offers incredibly realistic sound reproduction with flexibility in sound based on configuration, offering a satisfying listening experience. This turntable is for serious audiophiles looking for top-of-the-line analog equipment.
Video review
Our take on the brand
VPI is known for its high-end, American-made turntables. They stand out for their use of 3D printing in tonearm design, creating one-piece structures that enhance sound quality, and their unique unipivot tonearm design that balances on a single point for precise sound reproduction.
Product Page
Product Page
What competes at this price?
VPI
Avenger Direct
36000
/
Released
2022
Based on our known design of the Avenger Tripod Chassis, the Avenger Direct takes our Direct Drive technology and marries it with our Avenger Series. The Avenger design has always been known as a "sandbox" type of design giving the owner the ability to mount up to 3 arms at any length or manufacturer model.
VPI is known for its high-end, American-made turntables. They stand out for their use of 3D printing in tonearm design, creating one-piece structures that enhance sound quality, and their unique unipivot tonearm design that balances on a single point for precise sound reproduction.
Expand Details
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Exceptional build quality and design, utilizing materials like acrylic, stainless steel, and aluminum, contribute to an inert structure
- The direct drive motor ensures accurate speed control, with feedback loops monitoring platter rotation
- Designed with three support posts, the Avenger Direct can accommodate up to three tonearms of various sizes and from different manufacturers
- A 3-point isolation system with adjustable feet provides excellent isolation from external vibrations in both vertical and horizontal axes
- Despite its high-end nature, the Avenger Direct is easy to set up and operate
Product Considerations
- The Avenger Direct is a significant investment, placing it in 'turntable grail territory'
- With a single tonearm arrangement, the tonearm feels further to the back of the deck than one might get from a larger chassis
- The Avenger Direct's sonic characteristics may benefit from careful cartridge selection
Takeaway: The VPI Avenger Direct is a top-tier turntable offering exceptional build quality, precise speed control, and versatile tonearm options. Its robust engineering and ease of use provide a rewarding listening experience.
Video review
Our take on the brand
VPI is known for its high-end, American-made turntables. They stand out for their use of 3D printing in tonearm design, creating one-piece structures that enhance sound quality, and their unique unipivot tonearm design that balances on a single point for precise sound reproduction.
Product Page
Product Page
J.Sikora
Standard Max Supreme
32796
/
Released
2024
The J.Sikora company celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. On this occasion, we have prepared a special product line for the anniversary year. In 2009, the founder, Janusz Sikora, completed the design of his first turntable. It was the progenitor of the current Standard Max model.
J.Sikora stands out for being the only hifi brand to use Kevlar in their tonearm tubes, combining this unique material choice with a unipivot bearing design for optimal sound performance. Their tonearms feature a distinctive VTA adjustment mechanism modeled after a photographic lens, allowing precise adjustments during playback, while incorporating a mix of aluminum, bronze, and brass to enhance sound quality.
Expand Details
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- The J.Sikora Standard Max Supreme 15th Anniversary turntable brings music in an unbelievably 'laid back' way
- It delivers a precise, open, very resolving treble
- The turntable suppresses pops & cracks and other distortion
- The sound is velvety, deep and almost warm
Product Considerations
- The bass is somewhat soft
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs TechDAS Air Force One—the Standard Max Supreme plays with less freedom and three-dimensionality
- Vs SME 20/3A—the Standard Max Supreme is less precise and open
- Vs Rega Naia—the Standard Max Supreme is not as effortlessly playing
- Vs Kuzma Stabi XL—the Standard Max Supreme has a deepening of the sound that is comparable
Takeaway: The J.Sikora Standard Max Supreme 15th Anniversary turntable is a top hifi product that offers a quiet and natural sound, allowing one to focus on the music. It is designed to work well with all types of records, regardless of their condition.
Video review
Our take on the brand
J.Sikora stands out for being the only hifi brand to use Kevlar in their tonearm tubes, combining this unique material choice with a unipivot bearing design for optimal sound performance. Their tonearms feature a distinctive VTA adjustment mechanism modeled after a photographic lens, allowing precise adjustments during playback, while incorporating a mix of aluminum, bronze, and brass to enhance sound quality.
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Product Page
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