Linn Radikal Klimax Power Supply

The Klimax Radikal is Linn's reference motor controller and power supply for the LP12 — the component specified as standard on the Linn Klimax LP12, and the definitive expression of what motor control and power supply engineering for the Sondek platform currently achieves. At £11,500, it commands a price that demands a clear account of what it delivers beyond the Standard Radikal — and that account begins not with the motor control circuit itself, which is shared between both variants, but with the Utopik power supply that feeds it. The Klimax Radikal is not a more powerful version of the Standard Radikal. It is the same active digital speed management technology elevated to a fundamentally different standard of power delivery — a bespoke, massively engineered Utopik supply housed in a nearly 14 kg machined aluminium chassis, with fully independent dedicated output rails for motor control and phono stage power, and an auto-calibration routine that adapts to the physical state of the deck on every power-up.

The distance between the Standard and Klimax Radikal is not merely engineering refinement. It is the difference between a supply that is very good and a supply that is designed without compromise — whose chassis weight alone exceeds that of most complete turntables, and whose engineering decisions exist not because they were necessary to meet a specification, but because they were the correct decisions when the objective is the absolute best.

The Utopik Power Supply — Independent Rails, Uncompromised Delivery

The fundamental distinction between the Klimax and Standard Radikal is the quality of the power delivery that feeds the motor control circuit and the internal phono stage. The Standard Radikal uses a single regulated supply architecture — excellent in its class, and entirely sufficient for LP12 builds at Selekt specification and below. The Klimax Radikal uses a bespoke Utopik power supply with entirely separate, dedicated voltage rails: one for the motor control system, one for the Urika internal phono stage. These rails are fully independent — they do not share a transformer, a rectification stage, or any component in the supply chain between mains input and output. What the motor control circuit draws from its rail has no effect whatsoever on what the Urika receives from its own.

The practical consequence is a dramatic reduction in power supply noise reaching both circuits simultaneously. The motor runs on a cleaner, more tightly regulated supply, and its active digital speed management operates with correspondingly greater precision — maintaining 33⅓rpm with a consistency that the Standard Radikal approaches but does not match. The Urika or Urika II draws from a supply that is completely isolated from any motor-related electrical noise — a supply whose cleanliness directly lowers the phono stage noise floor and whose effect on low-level resolution and musical detail is immediately audible.

The Chassis — Mechanical Inertia as Engineering Philosophy

At nearly 14 kg, machined from three pieces of solid aluminium with high-mass stainless steel feet incorporating rubber ring inserts, the Klimax Radikal chassis is not merely a housing. It is a mechanical statement — a structure whose mass and rigidity ensure that no vibration from the motor assembly, no resonance from the supply electronics, and no structure-borne energy from the support surface reaches the circuits within. The machining process is the same philosophy applied to the Klimax LP12's own chassis: acoustic inertness through material mass and precision geometry, not through damping compounds or isolation feet alone. The stainless steel feet with rubber inserts decouple the chassis from the support surface; the aluminium structure above them is essentially immovable. The Klimax Radikal sits on its shelf and does not participate in the acoustic environment of the room.

The external character of the Klimax Radikal — black anodised aluminium, the same visual language as the Klimax LP12 and the Linn Klimax System Hub — is that of a component whose engineering ambition is expressed in material and precision rather than in visual complexity.

Auto-Calibration — Adapting to the Deck as It Is Today

The Klimax Radikal recalibrates its speed management on every power-up — a routine that measures and compensates for the actual physical state of the deck at that moment: bearing friction as the oil is at its current temperature and viscosity, stylus load from the fitted cartridge, and the environmental conditions of the listening room. The Standard Radikal does not perform this auto-calibration. It operates from a fixed calibration established at installation, which is correct for the conditions under which it was set up but which drifts as conditions change.

The Klimax Radikal's auto-calibration means its active digital speed management is always optimised for today's deck — not for the deck as it was when the system was commissioned. Over time, as bearing wear progresses infinitesimally and seasonal temperature variations shift the viscosity of the bearing oil, the Klimax Radikal adapts. The Standard Radikal does not.

Speed Management — The Core Technology, Elevated

Both the Standard and Klimax Radikal share the same active digital speed management architecture: the brushed DC motor's platter speed is checked and corrected on every rotation, maintaining 33⅓ and 45 rpm with an active precision that no passive or mains-synchronous system can approach. Electronic speed switching between 33⅓ and 45 rpm is standard on both. On the Klimax Radikal, this technology operates from the cleaner, more tightly regulated Utopik supply — and with the benefit of every-power-up auto-calibration. The improvement over the Standard Radikal in speed stability is measurable and audible: pitch holds more consistently, transients are crisper, and the LP12's characteristic timing — its fundamental musical identity — is more fully expressed.

The Klimax Radikal at System Level

The Klimax Radikal is specified as standard on the Klimax LP12 for a reason — it is the component that brings the LP12's motor control to a standard commensurate with the Keel SE sub-chassis, the Ekos SE tonearm, and the Kandid or Ekstatik cartridge. At Klimax specification, every component is operating at a level where the improvements offered by the next step in any hierarchy are audible and significant. The Klimax Radikal's contribution — cleaner motor supply, isolated Urika rail, auto-calibration, and the mechanical silence of its chassis — is not a marginal refinement at this system level. It is the correct and necessary foundation.

For LP12 builds at Selekt specification, the Standard Radikal is the correct and entirely sufficient choice — and the cost difference between the two is better invested in other components. The question of Klimax Radikal belongs to the conversation about a Klimax LP12 build, and that conversation is one we are very well placed to have.

Technical Specifications

Who Is It For?

The Klimax Radikal is for LP12 owners building or upgrading to Klimax specification — specifically those running, or intending to run, a Keel SE sub-chassis, Ekos SE tonearm, and Kandid or Ekstatik cartridge, where the Klimax Radikal's contribution to speed stability, power supply isolation, and auto-calibration is fully audible and fully justified. It is the natural partner to the Linn Karousel Bearing Kit and the Linn Bedrok Plinth at the highest LP12 specification level, and the correct Radikal for anyone whose LP12 build is at, or heading towards, the absolute reference. For LP12 owners at Selekt specification, the Standard Radikal remains the right answer — and the Klimax Radikal is a future consideration for when the rest of the specification reaches the level at which it can be properly heard.

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.

Fitting the Klimax Radikal requires motor replacement, internal wiring, and full LP12 suspension rebalancing — professional installation is essential, and we carry out the complete process as part of our LP12 servicing work. If the Klimax Radikal is part of a complete Klimax LP12 build — alongside a Keel SE, Ekos SE, and Kandid or Ekstatik cartridge — we will plan and execute the complete specification with you from a single conversation.

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.