Linn Klimax LP12 Turntable

The LP12 has been in continuous production since 1972. In that time it has been upgraded, refined, and re-engineered — but never replaced. The Klimax is what happens when Linn applies five decades of accumulated knowledge to every component simultaneously. It is the most capable and musically convincing version of the turntable that has ever existed.

At £25,100, this is a serious investment in analogue replay. It is also a working turntable, built to be used. And it sounds extraordinary.

Where It Sits in the LP12 Range

The Klimax is the current top specification of Linn's LP12 range, sitting above the LP12 Selekt at £11,220 and the LP12 Majik from £3,700.

Every LP12 shares the same fundamental architecture and the same Karousel bearing. What changes as you move up the range is the precision of the components built around that foundation — the sub-chassis, the power supply, the tonearm, the cartridge. At Klimax level, each of these is the best that Linn currently makes. There is no higher LP12 specification to aspire to; this is the limit of the platform.

The step from Selekt to Klimax is meaningful and audible — but it is also a significant price increase. We are happy to let you hear both in our showroom and draw your own conclusions. Some people hear the difference immediately and find it straightforward to justify; others decide the Selekt is where they want to be. Both are legitimate outcomes.

Sound and Performance

The LP12 has always been known for timing — for its ability to communicate the rhythmic structure of music with a conviction that most turntables at any price cannot match. That character is present in the Klimax at a level that the lower specifications approach but do not fully achieve.

The Radikal motor control is central to this. Speed accuracy is fundamental to everything in vinyl replay: a platter that wavers, even fractionally, smears transients and loses the distinction between notes. The Radikal uses FPGA-managed motor control to hold speed to a tolerance five times tighter than its predecessor — closer to true 33⅓ rpm than any other turntable Linn has measured. The effect is not subtle. Timing becomes more precise, low-level detail emerges from a quieter background, and music gains a sense of forward momentum that is difficult to attribute to any single factor but is immediately recognisable.

The Ekstatik cartridge completes the picture. A MicroRidge stylus on a sapphire cantilever reads the groove with exceptional precision; the skeletonised body reduces mass to close to 7g, minimising resonance without sacrificing rigidity. The result is a cartridge that extracts an unusual amount of information from a record and presents it without adding its own character.

The Keel sub-chassis — machined from a single billet of aluminium-magnesium alloy — removes the jointing points present in lower-specification LP12 variants, producing a more stable mechanical platform that the Ekos SE tonearm and Karousel bearing can work from without interference. Everything in the Klimax is optimised to work together, and coherence of this kind is difficult to achieve by any other means.

Build Quality and Design

The Klimax LP12 is hand-assembled at Linn's factory in Glasgow. It is a substantial object — 28.6 kg, 140 × 445 × 356 mm — and it has the presence of something that has been built properly rather than manufactured to a price.

The Keel is visually distinctive: the single-billet machining process produces a sub-chassis whose form is determined entirely by engineering requirements, and it looks like it. The Ekos SE tonearm is equally purposeful — beautifully made, with the tolerances you would expect at this level.

The plinth is available in any colour, with Linn able to match it to speakers or any other reference. Each LP12 is built to order. These are not customisation options bolted onto a standard product — they reflect how the LP12 has always been made.

Connectivity and System Matching

The Klimax LP12 includes the Urika II internal phono stage — a moving coil stage mounted inside the LP12's baseboard, keeping the signal path from cartridge to output as short as possible. A separate phono stage is not required.

The Urika II has two modes of operation. As a standard analogue phono stage, it outputs a line-level stereo RCA signal that connects to any amplifier. In a Linn Exakt system, it connects directly into a compatible Linn source component — the Klimax DSM or Selekt DSM — with the phono stage's output passed digitally, preserving precision through the signal chain.

At £25,100, the Klimax LP12 belongs in a system that can do it justice. It will reveal the quality — and the weaknesses — of everything around it. It pairs naturally with Linn's own amplification and streaming ecosystem, and we are happy to advise on system matching for those approaching this from outside the Linn world. The Linn collection at Martins Hi-Fi covers the full range of compatible source and amplification options.

Technical Specifications

Who Is It For?

The Klimax LP12 is for the serious music listener who wants the best analogue source currently available and has the system — and the room — to support it. It is for someone who has heard the LP12 at lower specifications and wants to understand what the platform is ultimately capable of, or who simply wants to buy once and buy the best. It is not a practical choice for the occasional listener; it is for someone for whom vinyl is central to how they experience music.

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.

The Klimax LP12 is available to hear in our Norwich showroom; call ahead and we will have it set up with a system that makes sense for your budget. When you get in touch, you will be speaking to Dave or Chris — both experienced hi-fi specialists who can talk you through whether the Klimax LP12, or a lower LP12 specification, is the right fit for your room and your system.

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