Linn Klimax DSM Flagship Network Music Player

The Klimax DSM is Linn's reference network music player and preamplifier — the single component around which a truly uncompromising system is built. At £35,000, it represents the summit of Linn's engineering ambition: a source component and preamplifier in which every element, from power supply to digital conversion, has been designed without concession to cost or compromise. It does not contain a power amplifier. It is designed to be the best possible starting point for a signal chain — one that continues into separate amplification or, most powerfully, into Exakt active loudspeakers where the digital signal remains intact all the way to the drive units.

The Organik DAC

The defining technology in the Klimax DSM is the Organik DAC — designed entirely in Linn's Glasgow factory, without recourse to third-party DAC chips. Where the vast majority of high-end digital components rely on established silicon from semiconductor manufacturers, Linn's engineers spent years developing an FPGA-based digital processing stage combined with a fully discrete analogue conversion circuit that is manufactured in-house. The result is a DAC architecture that removes the ceiling imposed by commercially available converter chips — the same fundamental decision that dCS made when developing the Ring DAC, and one that requires a level of engineering investment that very few companies in the world can justify.

The subjective result is a reduction in the digital character that even the finest chip-based DACs retain. Transient leading edges are more natural, decay tails extend further into silence, and low-level detail that lesser systems present as background texture is resolved by the Organik as musical content. The Klimax DSM supports resolutions up to 24-bit / 384kHz and DSD256 — but the measured ceiling is not the point. The point is what the Organik does within those figures.

Connectivity and System Integration

The Klimax DSM is available in two variants: Audio and AV. The Audio variant is the natural choice for a dedicated two-channel or Exakt active system. Two Exakt Link outputs allow a direct digital connection to Exakt-enabled loudspeakers such as the Linn 360, bypassing analogue conversion entirely and placing every stage of signal processing under Linn's control. Space Optimisation — Linn's mathematically rigorous room correction — is applied at source, and the corrected digital signal travels directly to the drive units inside the speaker.

For those using conventional amplification, the Klimax DSM provides both balanced XLR and RCA analogue outputs at reference quality. Network connectivity covers Gigabit Ethernet — with both RJ45 and SFP optical options — alongside Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.2. Streaming services include Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify Connect, Deezer, TuneIn and Calm Radio. Digital inputs include Toslink, two SPDIF coaxial inputs, and a USB Type-B Audio Class 2 input accepting up to 384kHz.

The Utopik power supply — incorporating Valley Switching and Power Factor Correction — is built in. The chassis is machined from solid aluminium, houses a 1600 × 480 TFT display, and weighs 16.4kg. Each unit is signed by the assembler who built it.

Technical Specifications

Who Is It For?

The Klimax DSM is for the listener who has reached the point in a high-end system build where the source is the constraint — and who wants to remove that constraint permanently. Paired with the Linn 360 active loudspeaker via Exakt Link, it represents Linn's complete vision of what a digital audio system can achieve: every stage of signal processing unified, from the network stream to the drive units, with nothing left to chance. Those stepping up from the Selekt DSM Edition Hub will hear the difference immediately — it is not an incremental improvement.

For a system built around a Linn Klimax LP12 turntable as the analogue source, the Klimax DSM provides the preamplifier stage to match.

Buying from Martins Hi-Fi

Martins Hi-Fi has been in Norwich since 1968. Elizabeth Gould runs the business today, and we stock only brands we have heard properly and stand behind.

A Klimax DSM purchase warrants a proper demonstration — come and hear the Organik DAC in a controlled listening environment at our Norwich showroom. Hearing the step from Katalyst to Organik in context is the most useful thing we can offer at this level.

When you get in touch, you'll be speaking with Dave, Chris and Tim — experienced specialists who can advise on this product and your whole system.

Contact us at info@martinshifi.co.uk, call 01603 627010, or WhatsApp on 07554 687137. You can read more about how we work on our Why Martins Hi-Fi page. We are at 85–91 Ber Street, Norwich, NR1 3EY.