Linn hails 360 floorstander as its finest ever Hi-Fi speaker

Linn has announced the 360, a flagship loudspeaker that brings with it a tower of new technology. Available in two iterations, Exakt Integrated and Passive with Aktiv Bass (PWAB), the model promises to deliver Linn’s ‘lowest ever levels of audible distortion’ and is said to be 'streets ahead' of anything previously released from the brand.

The formidable new floorstander features a curved cabinet with meticulously matched drive units. The front tapers from bottom to top, with shaped radii specifically matched to each individual drive unit. Drivers are placed flush within the undulating baffle, so that they emanate sound out and away from the speaker, without obstruction.

The 360 also introduces a new Bass System and 360 drive array. Handling the highs is the first 19mm Beryllium dome seen in the audio industry. Tooled by Linn, is said to push inherent distortion and resonance far above the range of both human hearing and measurement systems.

The midrange dome is crafted from thin-ply, woven carbon fibre, a cutting-edge composite once used by NASA for its Mars rover. Stiffness yet light inherent resonance and distortion created by the midrange drive unit is pushed almost three octaves above audible range, we’re told.

The Bass System employs a new Power DAC technology. It combines DAC and amplifier, thereby extending the digital path and reducing loss. Both upper and lower bass drive units utilise an aluminium-magnesium alloy. The pair of lower bass drivers have more than double the excursion of previous Linn speakers.

The loudspeakers alsouse Linn’s new Adaptive Bias Control amplifier technology, designed to eliminate distortion from the amplifiers.

The cabinet is built up from folded and formed 3D laminates. Machined into the 360 Array trim piece are a series of concentric arcs, a design nod to the Sondek LP12 turntable. These grooves are set adjacent to a tweeter protector, which features a trim machined inhouse from 5754-grade aluminium.

The 360 is available in a variety of finishes. The Glasgow Collection is a range of curated cabinet finishes that celebrate Linn’s Scottish base. The Classic Collection offers a more traditional choice of Piano Black or Alpine White.

The 360 Exakt Integrated variant is intended for use in conjunction with a Linn DSM Network Music Player, with all crossover, amplification and digital-to-analogue conversion circuitry located within the speaker utilising Exakt technology. The 360 Passive with Aktiv Bass (PWAB) edition, for use with third party amplification or an all-external Linn Exakt system using Exaktbox.

The 360 Exakt Integrated retails for £87,500 , while the Passive with Aktiv Bass version is a tad more affordable at £55,000.

Gilad Tiefenbrun, Linn CEO, declared: “Our new 360 loudspeaker is without a doubt the finest loudspeaker we have ever made; streets ahead of our previous benchmark.”