Linn Klimax DSM Flagship Network Music Player

The Klimax DSM is the reference point in Linn's DSM range — a source component and preamplifier with no concessions to cost. It does not contain a power amplifier; it is designed to be the best possible starting point for a signal chain that continues into separate amplification or into Exakt active loudspeakers. At £35,000, it is a commitment, and the performance justifies that commitment in ways that are not difficult to hear.

The current Klimax DSM features the Organik DAC — designed entirely in Linn's Glasgow factory, without the use of third-party DAC chips. It combines FPGA digital processing with a discrete analogue conversion stage that Linn developed over more than three decades of research. The result is a DAC that resolves fine musical texture with a naturalness that chip-based architectures — however well implemented — do not quite achieve. It is the kind of difference that becomes immediately apparent when switching between it and a very good Katalyst-equipped system: there is simply more music in the room.

The Organik DAC

Linn's decision to design their own DAC from scratch rather than building around established converter chips is the same kind of decision dCS made with the Ring DAC — a recognition that the ceiling imposed by existing chip technology is a real ceiling, and that removing it requires engineering work that nobody else has done. The Organik DAC is the result of that effort.

The conversion is handled by a discrete circuit that Linn manufactures in-house. FPGA processing upstream manages digital filtering and signal preparation. The measured performance figures — 24-bit resolution, up to 384kHz, DSD256 — represent the format ceiling, but the subjective quality of what the Organik does within those figures is what separates it from the competition. Listeners consistently describe a reduction in digital hardness: the leading edges of transients are more natural, decay tails are longer and more convincing, and low-level detail that often sounds like background information on other DACs is resolved as musical content.

Connectivity and System Integration

The Klimax DSM is available in two variants: Audio, and AV (which adds HDMI switching). The Audio variant is the natural choice for a dedicated two-channel or Exakt active system.

Two Exakt Link outputs allow connection to Exakt-enabled loudspeakers such as the Linn 530 without conversion to analogue. A Klimax DSM feeding a pair of Linn 530s via Exakt is one of the most coherent high-end systems available — every stage of signal processing is under Linn's control, with Space Optimisation applied at the source and the digital signal travelling directly to the drive units inside the speaker.

For those using conventional amplification, the Klimax DSM provides balanced XLR and RCA analogue outputs at reference quality.

Space Optimisation — Linn's mathematical room correction — is built into all DSMs including the Klimax. At this level of source quality, accurate room correction can be the difference between a world-class system and one that stops short of its potential.

Each Klimax DSM is signed by its assembler. The chassis is machined from solid aluminium with a 1600 × 480 TFT display. It weighs 16.4 kg.

Technical Specifications

Who Is It For?

The Klimax DSM is for the listener who has reached the stage in a system build where the source is the limiting factor, and who wants to remove that constraint permanently. It is a product that will not become a bottleneck in any foreseeable system — the amplification and loudspeakers are more likely to be the next area of focus. Paired with the Linn 530 via Exakt, it represents Linn's complete vision of what a digital audio system can be.

Those moving up from the Selekt DSM Edition Hub will notice the step, particularly in low-level detail retrieval and the naturalness of transient presentation. It is not an incremental improvement.

Buying from Martin's Hi-Fi

Martin's Hi-Fi has been in Norwich since 1968, and the Linn range has been part of what we do for years. We are still family-run — Ted Martin's daughter Elizabeth runs the business today — and we stock only brands we have heard properly and stand behind.

A Klimax DSM purchase benefits from a proper demonstration — if you are considering it, come and hear the difference between Organik and Katalyst in a controlled listening environment. That is the most useful thing we can offer at this level.

Reach them at dave@martinshifi.co.uk, chris@martinshifi.co.uk, info@martinshifi.co.uk, call on 01603 627010, or WhatsApp Dave or Chris directly on 07554 687137 for a quick answer after your purchase. You can read more about who we are and how we work on our Why Martin's page. We are at 85–91 Ber Street, Norwich, NR1 3EY, open six days a week.

Contact: info@martinshifi.co.uk | 01603 627010 | WhatsApp: 07554 687137 | 85–91 Ber Street, Norwich, NR1 3EY