Linn Axis Turntable Review

The Linn name is familiar to virtually all audiophiles largely because of the LP12 Sondek turntable, although the product line of the Glasgow-based company also includes amplifiers, speakers, tonearms, and phono cartridges. While the qualities of the LP12 are still the subject of some discussion in high-end audio circles, there are two indisputable facts about it: it is a very good turntable, and it is also a very expensive one.

Linn has introduced a new turntable, the Axis, that is priced much more affordably and still offers outstanding performance. Like the LP 12, the Axis is belt-driven, but it features a rather unusual and sophisticated electronic drive system. Its twenty-four-pole synchronous motor is operated from an internal oscillator and two low-distortion Class A amplifiers (one for each of the motor phases). According to Linn, the careful adjustment of the phase and amplitude of the two driving signals removes much of the usual motor noise and vibration. A control circuit monitors the motor’s speed, applying full power during start-up to get the platter up to speed. When the correct speed (either 33-1/3 or 45 rpm) is reached, the motor’s drive voltage is automatically reduced to maintain that speed, which also further reduces motor noise.

The die-cast aluminum platter is formed of two pieces. The inner drive platter, which is driven by the belt from a pulley on the motor shaft, is about 6-1/2 inches in diameter. The outer platter, 11-3/4 inches in diameter, rests on the drive platter and is covered by a thin felt mat. The total rotating weight (both platters plus the mat) is about 3-3/4 pounds. The drive platter is supported on a single-point thrust bearing in a permanently lubricated sleeve.

The turntable’s only operating control is a single button at the left front of the wooden base. A momentary touch on the button lights a red led and causes the platter to turn at 33-1/3 rpm. If the button is held down for about 2 seconds, a green led lights and the platter accelerates to 45 rpm. The speed change is made electronically by changing the frequency of the oscillator that drives the motor. At either speed, a single touch on the button stops the turntable.

The Linn Axis is normally supplied with a Linn LVX tonearm, although it is also available without an arm. The arm and platter are mounted rigidly on a metal plate. The Axis is supported on three tubular silicone-rubber feet under the wooden base, which ensure a level playing surface (when the supporting surface is level). Three other rubber supports, coaxial with the base-mounting feet, isolate the metal platter/arm board from the base. The Linn LVX is a moderately priced, high-quality tonearm with an integral arm lift, antiskating compensator, and threaded counterweight whose force scale is calibrated from 0 to 3 grams in 0.1-gram increments. The low-mass headshell is removable for ease of cartridge mounting.

The black-finished wooden base of the Linn Axis measures 17-1/2 inches wide, 13-5/8 inches deep, and 5-5/8 inches high, including the hinged, clear-plastic dust cover. The heat-sink fins for the driving amplifiers extend about 3/4 inch behind the base, and the removable molded-rubber power connector extends about 2 inches (2 inches is also the rear clearance needed when opening the cover). The complete Axis record player weighs about 16 Vi pounds. Price: Linn Axis with LVX arm, $575; without tonearm, $425.

Lab Tests

Our test sample of the Linn Axis came with a Linn K9 cartridge installed in its tonearm. The K9 (which sells for $175) is a moving-magnet cartridge that is generally similar to the lower-priced Linn Basik but with a “Vital” stylus (a form of line-contact stylus). The cartridge appears to be an ideal companion to the Axis and the LVX arm. We measured the effective mass of the cartridge and arm as 24 grams. Subtracting the rated weight of the cartridge indicates an arm mass of 16 to 17 grams, which places it in the medium-mass category, compatible with most cartridges rated to track at forces of 1.5 to 2 grams. The K9 is rated to track at 1.7 grams, which is the force we used during our tests of the system. The low-frequency resonance of the arm/cartridge combination was about 8 to 9 Hz, close to the ideal frequency of 10 Hz.

The cartridge output was 3.5 millivolts at a standard recorded velocity of 3.54 cm/s, and the two channels had identical outputs. The overall frequency-response variation was about ± 1 dB from 40 to 20,000 Hz, with the responses for both channels within 0.5 dB of each other. The channel separation was about 20 dB up to 10,000 Hz, decreasing to 13 to 15 dB in the 15,000- to 20,000-Hz range. The reproduction of a 1,000-Hz square wave showed only a single small overshoot and no sustained ringing. The vertical tracking angle of the stylus was 20 degrees.

Our high-velocity tracking tests indicated that the tracking ability of the Linn K9 was very good: it delivered an excellent sine wave from the 30-cm/s 1,000-Hz tones on the Fairchild 101 test record, tracked the high-level 32-Hz tones of the Cook 60 record, and tracked the 80-micrometer level of the 315-Hz tones on the DIN 45-549 test record. This is the sort of tracking performance that we expect to get from a good hi-fi phono cartridge but often do not.

The Linn LVX tonearm was equally outstanding. The calibration of its tracking-force scale was accurate within 0.1 gram, and its tracking error was less than 0.5 degree per inch for radii between 2.5 and 6 inches. The antiskating calibration—unlike that of almost every other arm we have tested— was correct. When the antiskating was set to match the vertical tracking force, it resulted in equal distortion (and tracking ability) from both channels at high recorded velocities. Another rare quality of this arm was its no-drift cueing lift. The friction between the rubber covering on the lift bar and the bottom of the arm tube prevented the arm from shifting during its descent. The arm unfailingly returned to the same point on a record from which it was raised. This may not sound like a major achievement, but among the tonearms we have tested over the past thirty years or so, those matching it can easily be counted on the fingers of one hand!

The turntable itself performed to the same high standards as the arm and cartridge. Its speeds were exact, and the flutter was only ±0.1 percent DIN-weighted peak, or 0.07 percent IIS-weighted rms. The unweighted rumble was —42 dB, and with DIN-B weighting it improved to — 69 dB. The effectiveness of the two-stage isolation system was demonstrated in our measurements of base-transmitted vibration. The overall isolation effectiveness was well above average, with the major transmission at about 25 Hz and a smaller response at 10 Hz. There were no significant responses above 30 Hz.

Comments

Testing (and using) the Linn Axis was a pleasurable experience. Admittedly, not having to install or set up the cartridge or make critical adjustments contributed to our enjoyment of the system’s qualities. But what we appreciated most of all was the combination of sophistication and simplicity in its design, the virtually ideal performance of each of its components and of the entire system, and the near-absence of aggravating “bugs.”

I say “near-absence” because even this superb record player was not quite perfect. On several occasions, switching on the amplifier from whose convenience outlet the turntable was powered also started up the turntable. Apparently a transient impulse sometimes triggered its control circuits when line voltage was first applied to the turntable. Possibly this would not have happened if the player were always connected to a powered outlet. Another aspect of its performance, which would not be likely to bother most people, was the slow start-up (about 12 seconds) at 45 rpm. At the lower speed, 3.2 seconds elapsed between pressing the start button and the achievement of rated speed.

But this is truly nit-picking. The Linn Axis is certainly one of the best record players we have seen in recent years. And, while it is not exactly inexpensive (though it is less than half the cost of a Linn LP12), it is an excellent value. The LVX arm is probably one of the least expensive high-quality tonearms available, and we have not yet used another one at any price that was as comfortable to handle. The K9 cartridge (not a part of the Axis, but certainly an ideal adjunct to it) sounded as good as any we have used, although there are a number of excellent cartridges selling in the same general price range. The synergism that produces such a fine overall product from these components is surely no accident.

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