Film -- 3 days ago
Linn is the heritage audio company combining cutting-edge engineering with Glaswegian passion
From the legendary LP12 turntable to modern streaming marvels, Linn’s half-century of hi-fi obsession proves that great sound isn’t about hype – it’s about heritage, precision, and a refusal to bow to trends
In a world of glossy gadgets and Bluetooth speakers that barely last the summer, Linn stands out like a tweed-clad engineer among tech bros – quietly confident, fiercely precise and allergic to bullshit. Born in 1973 in Glasgow, the audio brand wasn’t made to follow trends. It was made to fix hi-fi. And under the industrious guidance of founder Ivor Tiefenbrun, that’s exactly what it has done.
It all began with a simple, almost rebellious concept: what if the turntable mattered more than the speakers or amplifier? At the time, many were too busy polishing their amp knobs to take notice. But it wasn’t long before Ivor’s “source-first” philosophy took hold and he caught the attention of industry insiders with the now-iconic Sondek LP12, a turntable that quickly became the audio world’s equivalent of a cult classic.
Ivor Tiefenbrun
The LP12 wasn’t a one-and-done. It was designed to be upgraded – modular, tweakable and insatiable when it came to improvements. Over the decades, Linn has engineered over fifty upgrades for its Sondek – from the Bedrok™ plinth, to the Radikal motor and Ekos SE tonearm – building a full-blown LP12 ecosystem. Many LP12s from the 70s are still spinning today, just with a few thousand pounds’ worth of modern enhancements bolted on.
As digital audio began to gain ground, Linn was among the first high-end manufacturers to embrace the shift. In 2009, it became the world’s first hi-fi company to stop manufacturing CD players entirely, redirecting its focus towards high-resolution digital streaming as a superior format. This bold move was validated by the success of Linn’s Network Music Players, which continue to set benchmarks in network music playback.
The Linn factory in Glasgow
One of Linn’s most accessible yet powerful product lines today is the Majik series. Designed to offer a complete Linn experience at a more approachable price point, Majik systems are all-in-one solutions. At their heart, the Majik DSM is an integrated streamer, preamp, and power amp in one sleek unit, providing seamless access to high-resolution streaming, analogue and digital inputs and intuitive control via Linn’s app.
What makes the Majik system so compelling is that it retains Linn’s core design values – precision, musicality and future-proofing. It’s often seen as a gateway into the Linn world, providing customers with a taste of Linn’s high-performance ethos while also offering a path toward more advanced setups. As with the LP12, the Majik line is part of a broader ecosystem where each component can be upgraded or expanded to suit the listener’s evolving preferences.
So whether you’re an analogue romantic worshipping at the altar of the LP12 or a digital devotee with a taste for sonic excellence, you’ll find the ultimate audio expression with Linn. From those early days of sonic rebellion to today’s sleek streaming systems, Linn has built a reputation not just on sound quality, but on sheer engineering vision – and an unwavering belief that music should be experienced, not just heard.
Now, read about how Linn creates the world's purest audio equipment...
