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Home News

Linn 119 Unlocks an Essential Upgrade Path to Exakt Sound

A £2,500 passive bookshelf speaker doubles as an entry point into Linn's Exakt digital active system

Marco Lisi by Marco Lisi
September 17, 2026
in News, Loudspeakers
Reading Time: 3 mins read
Linn 119 bookshelf loudspeakers shown in oak, black, walnut and white finishes

Linn has introduced the 119, a compact 2-way passive bookshelf loudspeaker designed to deliver an energetic, refined performance while doubling as an entry point into the brand’s Exakt digital active system. Priced at £2,500 per pair, the Linn 119 has already picked up a Hi-Fi+ 2026 Award in the Stand-mount Loudspeaker under £5k category.

  • Drive Units Borrowed From the Flagship 360
  • A Crossover Built for Speed and Signal Purity
  • An Upgrade Path to Linn’s Exakt Technology
  • Four Finishes, Optional Stands
  • A Floorstanding Sibling in the Same Family
  • Pricing and availability
  • Key specifications

Drive Units Borrowed From the Flagship 360

Linn 119 loudspeaker in satin black finish showing the drive unit trim and tweeter guard
The Linn 119’s drive units sit flush with the cabinet front, with no grille

The Linn 119 uses premium drive units mounted flush with the front of the cabinet, with no grille, a design decision drawn directly from Linn’s development of its flagship 360 loudspeaker to minimise obstruction of sound waves and improve driver movement. A magnet-mounted trim piece around the drive units features a series of fine, etched arcs evoking the surface of a vinyl record, finished off with an electro-formed Linn logo that doubles as a tweeter guard.

A Crossover Built for Speed and Signal Purity

Component quality runs throughout the Linn 119, with a high-quality, lower-order passive crossover engineered for signal purity, which Linn says lends the speaker its speed and dynamism. The cabinet is rear-ported for bass performance, and when the Linn 119 is paired with a Linn Network Music Player, that port can be bypassed with a digitally applied bass augmentation filter for faster, tighter low end, alongside Linn’s room correction technology.

An Upgrade Path to Linn’s Exakt Technology

Linn 119 loudspeaker in walnut finish on a stand beside a Linn Selekt DSM Classic Hub
Pairing the Linn 119 with a Selekt DSM opens the door to Linn’s Exakt technology

Its 2-way layout makes the Linn 119 one of the more affordable and straightforward routes into Linn’s Exakt technology. The internal crossover can be bypassed in a couple of minutes, after which the four channels of amplification, DAC modules and Exakt digital crossover needed to complete the system can all be housed inside a Linn Selekt DSM. From there, listeners can build out a Selekt System gradually, adding amplifier cartridges and DAC modules to take advantage of Linn’s Organik DAC, Exakt and Space Optimisation technologies over time.

Four Finishes, Optional Stands

Linn 119 loudspeakers in white finish either side of a turntable and Linn Selekt DSM
The Linn 119 is available in Satin Black, Satin White, Walnut and Oak

The Linn 119 is available now in Satin Black, Satin White, Walnut and Oak veneered finishes. Optional black or silver mild-steel pedestal stands are available separately for listeners who want to mount the speakers away from a shelf or sideboard.

A Floorstanding Sibling in the Same Family

The Linn 119 launches alongside the 150, a larger, floorstanding loudspeaker built on the same design principles but with a 3-way layout and downwards-firing ports for a more omnidirectional bass response. Both speakers can be paired with the new Linn Selekt DSM: Classic Hub, which adds an integrated headphone amplifier and dedicated subwoofer outputs to the existing Selekt DSM range, giving buyers a single upgrade path from a simple passive pair of Linn 119 speakers all the way to a fully active, all-Linn Exakt system.

Pricing and availability

The Linn 119 is priced at £2,500 per pair, with matching stands available for an additional £300 per pair. Full details, including demo bookings, are listed on Linn’s official product page.

Key specifications

  • Model: Linn 119 passive bookshelf loudspeaker (2-way)
  • Exakt: Yes, with Selekt DSM or Exaktbox
  • Crossover: analogue passive, lower-order design
  • Bass system: rear-ported (further augmentation available with a Linn Network Music Player)
  • Room correction: Yes, with a Linn Network Music Player
  • Binding posts: x2 pairs
  • Tweeter: 19.55mm soft Sonomex dome
  • Bass driver: 160mm Nextel-coated paper diaphragm
  • Cabinet volume: 9 litres
  • Dimensions: 191 x 328 x 241mm (W x H x D)
  • Weight: 7.15kg
  • Finishes: Walnut, Oak, Satin Black, Satin White
  • Price: £2,500 per pair, available now; optional stands £300 per pair
Tags: LinnLinn 119
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Marco Lisi

Marco Lisi

Publisher

Marco Lisi is the publisher of Best of High End, part of AV Concepts BV. His path into audio started early: as a teenager he was drawn into the world of free radio, presenting shows and living immersed in music every day. In his early twenties he ran his own production studio for five years, creating jingles and commercials — hands-on training in sound design, pro-audio workflows, and critical listening through studio monitors that still shapes how he evaluates gear today. He also spent years DJing in clubs before moving into publishing, first at two earlier online magazines before founding Best of High End. His hi-fi and home cinema passion was inherited from his father, an inveterate system-swapper. Marco's first setup — a confirmation gift — paired AKAI separates with entry-level Bowers & Wilkins speakers, a brand he stayed loyal to for years as his system grew from stereo into full surround and home cinema. Like many enthusiasts, he went through an extended "audiophile" phase chasing the next upgrade, before settling into a more grounded view: gear as a means to enjoy music and film, not an end in itself. Years of critical listening have given him a well-trained ear — the ability to characterize a system or pinpoint a change in the chain quickly and accurately. Just as important, his teaching background (a Belgian "regent" degree in Dutch language) gives him the tools to translate those listening impressions into clear, readable writing.

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