• Choose from the best albums of 2009
• Beautifully presented boxed sets and collections
• Top quality 180g vinyl
• Seasonal gifts and ideas

Linn Records is beginning a downloads series (via Twitter) allowing you to test the difference between 24-bit Studio Master, 16-bit CD quality and humble streamed MP3 audio files.

These aren't some engineered test-tones or short audio clips, but full free tracks from the latest Linn Records releases.

First up is some incredible jazz from drummer Alyn Cosker. Download and have a listen to CD Quality vs. Studio Master. You can hear the 128K MP3 version by previewing (rather than downloading) either of these tracks.

Follow Linn Records on Twitter to keep up with the series and hear more. More will be added in the next few weeks, including some 24-bit/192kHz classical tracks and a taster from the soon-to-be-released new album from jazz great Claire Martin.

Take the 24-bit Tune-dem and let us know what you think - we'd love to hear your opinion and any particular requests or suggestions you may have.

Choose from the Classical, Jazz or Complete collection, which features a mix of classical, folk and jazz titles, and experience the thrill of Linn performance from our award-winning, world-renowned artists, including Sir Charles Mackerras and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Claire Martin, Ian Shaw, Carol Kidd and George-Emmanuel Lazaridis.

All three collections are recorded on Super Audio CD (SACD) hybrid discs. This will give you access to the highest quality disc format if you have a SACD player (e.g. Unidisk, Akurate CD), but also ensures cd quality on all other disc players.

Start your Linn music collection today or broaden your existing collection with this amazing offer.

For more info, including a complete list of artists and titles, click here.

Produced by Calum Malcolm (The Blue Nile), 'All My Sins' is a master class in melodic, folk-tinged pop featuring tracks co-written with, among others, Ricky Ross (Deacon Blue) and Francis Macdonald (Teenage Fanclub).

Featuring singles 'Swimming Upstream' and 'Carnival Attraction', 'All My Sins' is available in all good record stores from 22nd June 2009.

Get there first with 24-bit (Studio Master) and 16-bit (CD Quality) downloads direct from Linn Records' award-winning site - http://www.linnrecords.com/artist-maeve-o-boyle.aspx.

Praise for Maeve O'Boyle:

'Taxi could have been penned by Damien Rice...When she sang you could have heard a pin drop.' Daily Record
'[A] quite lovely collection of folk rock...Maeve's exceptional voice is evident'  Daily Express

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.’

Enjoy a special live performance from Linn’s latest signing, singer Maeve O'Boyle, at the Apple store in Glasgow in May.

Maeve will perform a selection of songs from her highly-anticipated debut album "All My Sins", due for release in June 2009, including the single "Swimming Upstream".

If you can’t make this performance, don't worry. Maeve is touring all round the UK and Ireland during May, June and July, so there will be lots more opportunities to hear this exciting new artist.

The Daily Mail recently said of Maeve: "Look out for this 21-year-old Scot who's been snapped up by Linn, who famously brought us The Blue Nile. The Nile's Calum Malcolm produces this quite lovely collection of folk rock, which includes among its collaborators Ricky Ross of Deacon Blue and Teenage Fanclub's Francis Macdonald. Maeve's exceptional voice is evident on the single, Swimming Upstream."

• More details of the Apple Store gig on Linn Records website 
• Maeve O'Boyle tour dates 

Linn Records’ 'Mozart Symphonies 38 - 41' by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Sir Charles Mackerras, has received two nominations from the prestigious Classical Brit Awards.

Sir Charles Mackerras has been nominated in the Male Artist of the Year category as well as for the Critics' Award, along with the SCO, for this highly-acclaimed recording.

The results will be announced in a dazzling ceremony on Thursday the 14th May at the Royal Albert Hall and will be broadcast the following week on ITV1.

Read full article on Linn Records website

Linn Records’ ‘Mozart Symphonies 38 - 41’ by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Sir Charles Mackerras has won the Orchestral Award and the Disc of the Year Award at the prestigious BBC Music Magazine Awards.

The Orchestral Award was decided by a public vote whilst the recording was selected Disc of the Year from the final 18 nominations by the BBC Music Magazine Jury.

Read full article on Linn Records website.