Linn Selekt DSM Classic Hub

The Selekt DSM Classic Hub is Linn's modular network streaming preamplifier at £5,650 — the entry point into the Selekt DSM platform, and the component around which a complete Linn Exakt system is built. It is not an integrated amplifier. It is a hub: a network player, preamplifier, DAC, and Exakt processor in a single modular chassis, designed to drive external amplification via analogue outputs or to feed Exakt-compatible loudspeakers directly via Exakt Link — bypassing the internal DAC entirely and carrying a precision digital signal to the speaker where conversion occurs as close to the drive unit as possible. At this price and at this level of capability, the Selekt DSM Classic Hub is the most significant single component decision in a Linn system — the architecture of everything downstream depends on what is chosen here.

The Classic Hub differs from the Selekt DSM Edition Hub in its chassis: the Classic is machined aluminium base with a folded upper case, restrained and precise in character; the Edition is all-machined aluminium with a mirrored spy glass panel and a precision stainless steel control bearing. The underlying electronics, streaming capability, DAC module options, and upgrade path are identical between the two. The Classic finish suits many rooms and systems better — its understated character is not a compromise, but a considered choice for the listener whose priorities are in the signal path rather than the fascia.

Modular Architecture — A System That Grows With You

The Selekt DSM platform is built around a cartridge-based modular architecture — three slots in the chassis accept Linn-designed output cards and a DAC module whose specification is chosen at purchase and upgradeable thereafter without replacing the chassis. Output cards cover stereo line-level, stereo power amplifier, mono line-level, subwoofer, and HDMI AV outputs. The DAC module — Standard, Katalyst, or Organik — is selected independently, and the progression from Standard to Katalyst to Organik represents a clearly defined upgrade path that the chassis supports throughout its life.

For the Classic Hub, the primary output path is Exakt Link — two Exakt Link outputs connect directly to Exakt-compatible loudspeakers such as the Linn 360 Active Loudspeaker, carrying the digital signal to the speaker where conversion and amplification take place as close to the drive unit as the laws of physics permit. In an Exakt system, the Classic Hub's internal DAC module is relevant for analogue outputs only — for conventional passive amplification, or as a fallback for non-Exakt sources. The Exakt output is what the Classic Hub is fundamentally designed to deliver.

The modular architecture means the Classic Hub purchased today with a Standard DAC module is not a compromise locked in permanently. The cartridge is swapped; the chassis remains. The investment in the chassis is an investment in a platform whose ceiling is Organik DAC performance and whose output card configuration can be changed as the system evolves.

Streaming and Connectivity — Complete at Every Level

The Selekt DSM Classic Hub supports high-resolution streaming to 24-bit/384 kHz and includes a built-in MM/MC phono stage for direct connection to a turntable — including a Linn LP12 Selekt Turntable or Linn LP12 Majik Turntable whose output does not yet include an internal Urika phono stage. Space Optimisation — Linn's room correction, applied in the digital domain at the network player — is standard across the Selekt range and operates on every source, including analogue inputs.

Network connectivity covers Ethernet (100Base-T), Wi-Fi 802.11ac, and Bluetooth 4.2. Streaming services include Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify Connect, Deezer, AirPlay 2, and Roon Ready. Digital inputs cover two Toslink optical and two SPDIF coaxial, accepting up to 192 kHz, and a USB Type-B input for direct computer connection. Analogue inputs include two RCA line-level connections and the integrated MM/MC phono stage.

HDMI ARC/eARC integration allows television audio to pass through the Selekt DSM Classic Hub — a practically important feature for systems where the television is a regular source, and one that allows Space Optimisation to process television audio through the same correction that every other source receives.

Space Optimisation — The Room Corrected Mathematically

Space Optimisation is included as standard across the Selekt range — a processing system whose mathematical model of the listening room's acoustic behaviour, built from data entered in the Linn app, generates a precisely calculated correction applied to the signal before it reaches the loudspeakers. Every room imposes its own signature on what it reproduces — boundary reflections, bass mode reinforcement, high-frequency absorption by surfaces and furnishings. Space Optimisation characterises these effects from room geometry and speaker position data, and removes their contribution from the signal as completely as current digital processing allows. For the listener using a Linn 150 Floorstanding Speaker or Linn 119 Bookshelf Speaker in passive operation, Space Optimisation is frequently the most significant single performance improvement available — delivering what physical room treatment cannot achieve, set up entirely in the Linn app.

Technical Specifications

Who Is It For?

The Selekt DSM Classic Hub is for the listener entering the Linn Exakt platform who wants the full capability of the Selekt DSM architecture — modular DAC upgrade path, Exakt Link outputs, Space Optimisation, MM/MC phono input, and complete streaming — in the Classic chassis at the most considered entry price. It is the correct choice for those building or planning an Exakt active system around the Linn 360 or Exakt-compatible speakers, for those running conventional passive amplification who want a network player and preamplifier with a genuine and clearly defined upgrade path, and for LP12 owners who want their turntable — including a Linn LP12 Selekt — integrated into a single-box streaming preamplifier architecture. The Classic finish suits rooms and systems where understated precision is the right aesthetic. For those who want the all-machined aluminium chassis and precision stainless steel control bearing, the Selekt DSM Edition Hub is the step up — same electronics, different physical execution.

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 Selekt DSM Classic Hub can be heard at our Norwich showroom in a complete Linn system — in both passive and Exakt configurations. The DAC module and output card configuration decision is one we are well placed to advise on before the order is placed: the right cartridge combination depends on the system you have today and the system you intend to build, and getting that right from the outset avoids unnecessary early upgrade costs.

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.