Linn Next-generation Klimax DSM Review

The Linn Klimax DSM is the best product Linn has ever made. I know that's a big statement given the company's storied 50+ year history of producing products as lauded as the LP12, but the contest isn't even close. The Klimax DSM is in another league, in every conceivable category. I'll also take this a step further by saying unequivocally that the Klimax DSM belongs in the same very small class as the best digital products available on the market today. The biggest of the big names and the best of the best in digital playback, absolutely includes Linn and its Klimax DSM. Period.

Next-generation Klimax DSM

The 2022 Winter Olympics are currently underway. The best athletes in the world are gathered to find out who is the best of the best. Years of hard work and sacrifice can all come down to a single match, jump, or shot. How is this even remotely related to the Linn Klimax DSM network music player? Here's how I see it. Decades of product research, design, and manufacturing have lead Linn to its new flagship product that competes on the global HiFi stage with the best of the best. Linn created something very architecturally different from its previous products, took a calculated risk, and has confidently launched the Klimax DSM for the world to critique, listen to, and compare to peers.

I don't even consider the Next-generation Klimax DSM to be an upgrade. It's is a new product with a familiar name. All previous generations of the Klimax remain every bit as good as they were when released, but this one has major architectural differences that put it far above its Klimax predecessors. 

As a digital audiophile since I was born, I'm extremely interested in the heart of the Next-generation Klimax DSM, the Organik DAC. It's the first digital to analog converter designed and manufactured entirely in-house by Linn. The Organik DAC uses FPGA processing and a discrete conversion stage, not a DAC chip like those from ESS, Analog Devices, or the out of production (never to come back, due to a terrible fire) flagship AKM components.

There's no better way to describe what the Organik DAC is all about, than the way Linn described it in the launch video for the DAC. 

As we all know, an audio component is much more than its digital to analog conversion architecture. The Klimax DSM features a number of inputs that deserve some commentary. At first I was confused by the SPDIF BNC inputs labeled 1-I/O and 2-IN. Count me as a member of the "never read the manual until I have to" club. These SPDI inputs are really nice because they are BNC, and the first one can be either input or output, depending on the user selectable setting. I had no plans to output digital audio form the Klimax DSM, but the fact that I could've if I wanted to, is a plus. Just like Las Vegas, where adults can drink, smoke, and gamble everywhere. I don't partake in any of those activities, but I like the fact that I could if I wanted. 

The Klimax DSM features a Class 2 USB audio input. I was happy to see this because it's an option, and I like options. The USB input supports PCM audio only, up through 384 kHz. Fans of DSD, or those of us who are fans of music that have collected it in multiple formats over the years, will need to use the network input. 

Linn is a pioneer in the HiFi industry, when it comes to products with network inputs. Long before most audiophiles even thought about audio over a network, Linn was selling products that took advantage of this technology. The Klimax DSM is unique for Linn in that it has WiFi 5, copper Ethernet, and an optical SFP slot for a fiber network connection. Both wired connections support 1 Gbps, which is more than enough for two channel 24/384 PCM and DSD256. 

My entire network is wired with fiber optic connections between switches and some audio components. The Sonore optical Rendu and Rendu SE optical have been in my system for years. I connected the Klimax DSM to my network using a fiber cable and a pair of Ubiquiti single-mode BiDi SFP modules (UF-SM-1G-S). An optical connection shouldn't be confused with Toslink or any other means fo transporting audio, this is a network connection sending and receiving data. Given that it's optical, there can, by definition, be no electrical connection between the DAC and anything upstream.

The Klimax DSM is offered in three variants, 1) Klimax DSM AV with full capabilities (EXAKT + HDMI) ($39,000), 2) Klimax DSM Music with no HDMI capabilities ( $39,000), and 3) Klimax DSM Hub with only Exakt audio outputs ($19,500). My review unit is the Klimax DSM AV.

In addition to the new and the improved features of the Klimax DSM, the component's luxurious design is not lost on me. The 36 pound chassis with beautiful grooves cut out of the thick top aluminum plate, is something to behold. Pictures don't even come close to doing this component justice. The circular dial on top certainly looks nice, and in the right installation would be really valuable for navigation or volume adjustments. My audio system sits on the floor, about six feet from my listening chair. Thus, any physical buttons, of which the Klimax DSM has six, or dials, aren't useful to me. Both of these features would be fantastic if I placed the Klimax DSM near my dining room table, like I did the Sonus Faber / Mytek system.

The front panel 1600 x 480 TFT display is both beautiful and configured perfectly. It has a near mirror finish when nothing is displayed other than the tastefully illuminated words Linn Klimax DSM. When adjusting the volume or a new track is selected, indications of either selection are displayed on the front for a short time, then elegantly disappear. 

I used the words "configured perfectly" because the way the illuminated track information disappears, just screams luxury. Not only does the TFT display change to black, it also disappears. What I mean by this is, when get disappears, one can see the outline of the physical TFT screen for a split second when it's completely black. Then, it completely turns off, leaving only the mirror-like front panel. It's a terrific touch and shows that attention was paid to the little things. 

Like all Linn music players, the Klimax DSM works well with the Linn and Kazoo apps As this review isn't about the apps, I want to only mention that I really enjoyed the Linn app. Its simple interface enables listeners to stream from Tidal or Qobuz natively, and from a UPnP server such as MinimServer, without paying for an app subscription from Roon or Audirvana. Both Audirvana and Roon work with the Klimax DSM, for those interested in either combination.

Within the Linn app, I absolutely loved the way the volume control worked. Again, it's the attention to fine details that makes the entire experience very elegant. The volume can be adjusted by plus and minus buttons, or a digital wheel, analogous to the physical wheel on top of the Klimax DSM. The large numerical display was easy to see in the center of the wheel, and duplicated on the front panel of the Klimax DSM.

Both internally and externally, the Klimax DSM is unique, robust, and oozes luxury. These attributes, combined with what I heard when playing music, are what a high end audio flagship product should be all about. 

The Proof Is In The Listening

Now for the part of this review where I put away the spec sheets, grab a pot of Young Mountain Organic Nepali Golden Black tea, and just listen. In other words, the dream job of most audiophiles. 

In my system the Linn Klimax DSM was connected directly to the XLR input of Constellation Audio Inspiration mono amplifiers. The amps were connected to my Wilson Audio Alexia Series 2 speakers with Transparent Reference speaker cables. 

Question: Have you ever heard a system sound so good, that you recorded a quick video of it and messaged that to a friend, as if the sound would translate through phone speaker on the other end? Or, have you ever heard a system sound so good, that you messaged a friend suggesting s/he must do whatever s/he can to listen to component ABC? Count me in for both the sending and receiving part of both types of messages. The Linn Klimax DSM is so good, that it provokes text messages and seemingly non-sensical video recordings to be sent via SMS, immediately upon hearing it in one's system.

I usually need time to warm up to a component, or at least warm up my ears. Not so with the Linn Klimax DSM. From the moment I tapped play on my iPad Pro, I was all-in, hooked, and messaging friends. This was something special and I needed to let people know, as if there was a limited supply that'd be sold out by the weekend. What's more, a couple hours ago I sent the following text, "Just finished my last listening session with the Linn Klimax DSM. Now writing the review. You have to hear this thing." The Klimax DSM is so good that my text messages from day one until today, have remained the same. No wavering or hedging, just an enormous amount of enthusiasm for a product that made my listening experiences incredible. 

Let's start with an album by Larry Karush and Glen Moore, uniquely titled May 24, 1976. Strangely enough, with a descriptive title like that, one would think the first track on the album would have a name other than "Untitled," but that isn't the case. Listening to "Untitled" gave me goos bumps and caused me to giggle in amazement. A few expletives also came out of my mouth. 

I've had some stellar DACs in this exact same system over the years, but none of them reproduced what I heard on this track. Not a single one! I urge readers to stop reading, in order to listen to this track first. I don't want to suggest what one should hear and plant the seed in one's mind. 

The specific part of this track that stunned me, was 1:45 seconds in, when Larry Karush masterfully works the piano keys from right to left / high to low. I heard the notes go from right to left, yet at an angle as if I was sitting at the piano! High notes started just to the right of the right speaker. As Karush played the lower keys, the sound gradually moved from the right speaker toward the middle and finally stopped left of center, and back about 3 feet from where the sound started. This was true three dimensional stuff. It was as if I could hear the piano was angled away from me at 45 degrees. Truly astonishing sound.

An artist I just discovered named Aoife O'Donovan recently released a new album titled Age of Apathy. I've been listening to the album so much that my nine year old daughter says, "Come on dad, not Aoife again." Listening to the track titled B61, I melted into my chair. Aoife's voice is powerful yet smooth on this track, and sounds so unprocessed through the Klimax DSM. 

Though the vocal is front and center, it's the accompanying instruments that place the listener in the recording studio. From the shimmering cymbal to delicate guitar and percussion, and mix of other brief but beautiful sounds. Each of the sounds on this track sits in its own space, separate form the rest of the music, but part of the whole. This is what music is all about to me. Individual artists coming together as a whole band, without losing their own musical individuality. The Klimax DSM reproduced this so incredibly well on the other tracks too, including the site track Age of Apathy and Prodigal Daughter. Beautiful sound. 

Chet Baker's version of Alone Together is an all-time favorite of mine, presented to me in stunningly realistic form through the Klimax DSM. On this recording from 1959, it was Paul Chambers double bass that wowed me. Usually it's both Chet's trumpet and Pepper Adams' baritone saxophone that do it for me, but this time was different. The Klimax DSM is different. I could hear Paul Chambers bass in a way that was much more articulate than I was use to. Sure the typical finger plucks were present, but what I heard was a woody sound coming straight from the F Holes of the instrument. It was so realistic that I could almost smell the wood of his Germanic shop bass and see the hand-carved lady's face at the top of the scroll. Identical to the Aoife O'Donovan album, the instruments on this album were reproduced magically through the Klimax DSM. 

The Black Pumas self titled album is full of great music, such as the track "Know You Better." Right from the start, the quiet  and delicate kick drum has a realness to it, like a texture and air around it, even though it's not front and center. The Klimax DSM ensured that it could be heard among the other instruments. The other element to this track that I absolutely love is the keyboard. Through the Klimax DSM I could hear all the nuances and harmonics floating throughout the entirety of the track. It's a great sounding keyboard and I'm sure it was selected by Adrian Quesada for that reason. It's a shame that most people don't hear its ethereal sound like I did through the Klimax DSM. 

Bringing home how much I love the Klimax DSM, I'll touch on my favorite album of the last year or two. Black Acid Soul from Lady Blackbird is a sonic treat that's delivered with heart an emotion. It's the perfect combination. On the track "Blackbird," the sound through the Klimax DSM was like this quartet was in my listening room. It's not an audiophile recording by any means, but that matters not. Jonathan Flaugher's double bass is subtle in parts and more up front in others. In both parts, it has a texture, with subtle creaks, that's lush and like ear candy to me. 

Lady Blackbird's voice on this Nina Simone track is equally as stunning as her delivery. Merely singing this song with a good voice doesn't cut it. One must deliver it with passion and emotion. Listening to this through the Klimax DSM, enabled me to hear the minute breathy details as well as receive the communicated emotion she delivers. It's as if there's nothing in between the singer and listener. A soundstage set with backing instruments, and Lady Blackbird's voice hanging out front in a three dimensional space between the speakers left to right and between the listening position and the speakers front to back. The Klimax DSM delivered all the sonic subtleties a fine details that are essential for painting the sonic illusion in a listening room. Just amazing. 

Note: I used Space Optimization sparingly because it was tough to find a perfect setting for my well treated listening room. 

Conclusion

The next-generation Linn Klimax DSM flagship network music player is truly the best product the company has ever made. The unique DAC architecture, stunning exterior fit and finish, and absolutely fantastic sound quality put it on the podium, to use Olympic terms. The Klimax DSM is among a very small class of components that I consider the best of the best. I rank the Klimax DSM right up there with the best products from dCS, EMM Labs, and Berkeley Audio Design.

The Next-generation Klimax DSM moves Linn from a company with great products and a dedicated following, to a company one must look at if one wants the best of the best. Welcome to this exclusive club Linn. 

Product Information:

• Linn Klimax DSM $19,500 or $39,000
• Linn Klimax DSM Documentation / Manual
• Linn Klimax DSM Technical Specifications

Associated Music:

• Audiophile Style 50 (Qobuz)
• Computer Audiophile PJ4CA Playlist (Tidal)

Associated Equipment: