May 2009 Archives

Top German hi-fi magazines, Audio, Stereoplay and Stereo, are unanimous in naming the new LP12 SE with Radikal and Urika as the new reference standard for analogue record players.

Here's what they had to say:

Audio: '...World-class sound from a record player that actually looks like a turntable, that sports legendary reliability and will be serviced in decades to come - the LP12 is all you can wish for, and don't you pay more...Radically ingenious - it marks the very top of all turntables we have ever test...'

Stereoplay: '...The new LP12 plays in a class all of its own...There can only be one verdict: sole reference...'

Stereo: 'a sidereal hour in record playback...The Radikal/Urika LP12 literally outacts our reigning reference turntable, the 'old' LP12 SE...Simply magnificent!'

And for the Urika, some special praise from Audio: '...no doubt one of the very best pre-amps in the world...Slightly better than even our current reference, the Naim Superline + Supercap...'

Following our recent nomination, Linn are delighted to announce that we have won the Critics' Award at the 2009 Classical BRIT Awards for 'Mozart Symphonies 38 - 41', recorded by Sir Charles Mackerras with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

The Critics' Award, which was decided by a panel of distinguished media figures, was presented to Sir Charles by Classic FM's David Mellor. ‘Mozart Symphonies 38 - 41' beat competition from Paul Lewis' ‘Beethoven Piano Sonatas Vol.4' and Gerald Finley and Julius Drake's ‘Schumann: Dichterliebe & Other Heine Settings'. Sir Charles Mackerras, pictured below, was also nominated in the Male Artist of the Year category.

This award will be added to an already-crowded mantelpiece, which features: Disc of the Year 2009 and Orchestral Award 2009 from BBC Music Awards 2009, Album of the Year 2008 from Le Monde de la Musique Choc de l'annee Awards, Orchestral Disc of the Month from BBC Music Magazine, G Star - Recommended from Gramophone and Album of the Year (Symphonic Works) from Midem Classical Awards 2009.

Listen to samples of the award-winning tracks for free, or purchase and download the full Studio Master album, from http://www.linnrecords.com/recording-mozart-symphonies.aspx.

Sir Charles Mackerras pictured with Linn Records' Caroline Dooley and Philip Hobbs, and with Linn Products' Ivor Tiefenbrun. 

Linn recently received fantastic coverage in the FT How to Spend it magazine, in an article about high quality downloads.

David Cheal writes, ‘And for audiophiles, many of whom have hitherto taken refuge in the warm glow of vinyl, there is now the prospect of music that is better than CD quality, but which, tantalisingly, has the breadth and depth and detail of a studio master tape. The superior download has arrived.’

‘Of course, this music must be heard on proper equipment to get the benefit of all this extra digital information...

‘…a demonstration of Linn’s Klimax digital streamer…was similarly stunning. I heard a song by jazz singer Claire Martin in three formats: MP3, CD and Studio Master. Each was a huge step forward but the Studio Master version was sensational…I wasn’t listening to a hi-fi system, I was listening to pure music. Breathtaking.’

‘…what’s certainly true is that this is not just another niche area being colonised by equipment-fetishists and knob-twiddlers: it’s about hearing the music as it was meant to be heard, in all its detail and warmth, as naked as the day it was born.’

Linn were recognised in the WEKA (formerly Motorpresse) Awards Ceremony in Munich this year with Product of the Year Awards for Sneaky Music DS and Classik Movie.

Sneaky Music DS picked up the Most Innovative Product of the Year (Audio) and Classik Movie won 1st prize in the integrated cd/dvd player category (Stereoplay).

These awards were voted for by readers of German specialist magazines Audio, Stereoplay and Video/HomeVision, with over 40,000 votes received in total.

Thanks to everyone who voted for their favourite Linn products.