Linn Klimax LP12 Turntable

The LP12 has been in continuous production since 1972 — a turntable whose fundamental architecture has been refined across more than five decades without ever being replaced. The Klimax is what happens when every component in that architecture is simultaneously specified at the highest level Linn currently makes: the Keel sub-chassis, the Radikal power supply, the Ekos SE tonearm, the Ekstatik cartridge, the Karousel bearing, and the Urika II internal phono stage. There is no higher LP12 specification. The Klimax LP12 is the definitive expression of a platform that has defined analogue replay for half a century — and at £25,100, it is among the most musically convincing turntables in the world at any price.

This is not a collectible or a statement product that rewards ownership more than use. It is a working turntable, built by hand in Glasgow, designed to be played every day, and capable of revealing detail, timing, and musical coherence that most sources — digital or analogue — cannot match.

Where It Sits in the LP12 Range

The Klimax is the summit of the current LP12 range, sitting above the Linn LP12 Selekt Turntable and the Linn LP12 Majik Turntable. Every LP12 shares the same fundamental architecture and the same Karousel bearing. What changes as you move up the range is the precision of every component 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.

The step from Selekt to Klimax is audible and meaningful — but it is also a significant price increase. We are happy to demonstrate both at our Norwich showroom and let you 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, and we will tell you honestly which represents the better decision for your system and your listening.

Radikal — Speed as a Musical Foundation

Speed accuracy is fundamental to everything in vinyl replay. A platter that wavers, even fractionally, smears transients and destroys the distinction between notes — undermining timing, the quality that the LP12 has always been known for above all else. The Radikal uses FPGA-managed motor control to hold platter speed to a tolerance five times tighter than its predecessor — closer to true 33⅓ rpm than Linn has measured in any other turntable. The effect is not subtle. Timing becomes more precise, low-level detail emerges from a quieter background, and music acquires a forward momentum and rhythmic conviction that is immediately recognisable and difficult to attribute to any single technical factor.

Ekstatik — Cartridge at the Limit of the Platform

The Ekstatik is Linn's reference moving coil cartridge, and it is the cartridge fitted as standard to the Klimax LP12. A MicroRidge stylus on a sapphire cantilever traces the groove with exceptional precision — the MicroRidge profile makes contact with a larger area of the groove wall than a conventional elliptical stylus, retrieving more of the recorded signal whilst reducing groove wear. The skeletonised body reduces cartridge mass to close to 7g, minimising resonance without sacrificing rigidity. The output is 0.45 mV, with a recommended loading of 100 ohms — both handled internally by the Urika II phono stage without the need for any external adjustment.

The Ekstatik extracts an unusual amount of information from a record and presents it without imposing its own character on the result. At Klimax level, the rest of the system is capable enough to reveal everything the cartridge finds — and the Ekstatik does not become the limitation.

Keel — The Mechanical Foundation

The Keel sub-chassis is machined from a single billet of aluminium-magnesium alloy. Conventional LP12 sub-chassis designs are fabricated from separate components joined at multiple points — each joint a potential source of compliance, resonance, or mechanical inconsistency. The Keel eliminates those joints entirely. The result is a sub-chassis of greater rigidity, greater dimensional stability, and lower resonance than any fabricated alternative — a more stable mechanical platform from which the Ekos SE tonearm and Karousel bearing can operate without interference.

The visual consequence of single-billet machining is a sub-chassis whose form is determined entirely by engineering requirements, and it looks precisely like that. The Keel is one of the most visually distinctive components in high-end audio.

Ekos SE — Tonearm at Klimax Specification

The Ekos SE is Linn's reference tonearm — hand-assembled, beautifully made, with bearing tolerances appropriate to the level of cartridge it is designed to carry. It has been refined over many years and remains, in its current form, one of the finest tonearms available at any price. At Klimax specification, it is the correct arm for the Ekstatik cartridge, and the two are designed and voiced as a complementary pair.

Karousel — The Bearing That Holds It All Together

The Karousel is Linn's current main bearing — fitted to every LP12 in production, and the single most impactful upgrade available to any pre-2020 LP12. On the Klimax, the Karousel operates within the most precisely specified mechanical environment the LP12 has ever had: the Keel sub-chassis, the Radikal speed control, and the Ekos SE tonearm all working in combination with a bearing that is tighter, quieter, and lower in friction than any previous LP12 bearing. The cumulative effect is a system in which every component is optimised to work with every other — coherence that cannot be assembled from separately purchased upgrades to the same degree.

Urika II — Phono Stage Inside the Deck

The Urika II is Linn's internal moving coil phono stage, mounted inside the LP12's baseboard and connected directly to the tonearm output — keeping the signal path from cartridge to preamplifier as short as it can physically be. No separate phono stage is required. The Urika II operates in two modes: as a standard analogue phono stage, it outputs a line-level stereo RCA signal compatible with any preamplifier; in a Linn Exakt system, it connects directly to a compatible DSM component — the Linn Klimax System Hub or Selekt DSM — passing the phono stage output digitally through the Exakt chain and preserving precision across the entire signal path.

Build and Finish

The Klimax LP12 is hand-assembled at Linn's factory in Glasgow. At 28.6 kg and 140 × 445 × 356 mm, it is a substantial and purposeful object. The plinth is available in any colour, with Linn able to match it to loudspeakers or any other reference — this is not a customisation option added to a standard product but a reflection of how the LP12 has always been made. Each deck is built to order.

Technical Specifications

Who Is It For?

The Klimax LP12 is for the serious music listener who wants the finest analogue source that Linn — and by extension the LP12 platform — is currently capable of producing, 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 wants to buy once, buy the best, and never revisit the question. It is not a casual choice — it is for someone for whom vinyl is central to how they experience music, and for whom the pursuit of analogue replay at its highest level is an end in itself.

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.

The Klimax LP12 is available to hear in our Norwich showroom — call ahead and we will have it set up within a system that reflects your budget and your amplification. The LP12 Sondek LP12-50 anniversary edition is also available for those interested in the full history of the platform: see the Linn Sondek LP12-50 for details.

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.