Linn 119
Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
92/100
Build Quality
75/100
Value for Money
85/100
The Linn 119 pairs open, transparent detail with unexpectedly deep bass and a room-filling soundstage that belies its compact cabinet. The Absolute Sound found it accurate, energetic and emotionally communicative, while Exakt activation adds striking snap, focus and dynamic scale. A seriously accomplished stand-mount with a clear path to a higher-performance Linn system.
Pros
Delivers open, highly detailed and transparent sound with exceptionally deep, articulate bass for a compact two-way.
Creates a surprisingly large, articulate soundstage that can convincingly disappear as a point-like source.
Exakt active operation brings appreciably greater snap, focus, dynamic headroom and musical immediacy.
Space Optimisation effectively reduces room-induced bass boom and supports close-to-wall placement.
Cons
Unlocking the full Exakt active and Space Optimisation+ experience ties the speaker closely to Linn's Selekt DSM ecosystem and raises overall system cost.
Its rear port needs breathing room from the wall, although supplied foam bungs and room optimisation can help.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 92/100
The 119 is described as unusually open, detailed and musically involving, combining the focus of a compact stand-mount with a presentation that feels substantially larger. Its Exakt-active configuration brings further snap, focus and dynamic expression, while the passive version remains highly capable in its own right.
Bass
92/100
For a rear-ported 160mm two-way, the reported bass performance is exceptional: the review calls it excellent and exceptionally deep. Room optimisation is also said to reduce bass boom effectively where room interaction is a problem.
Mid
90/100
The review finds the 119 highly precise with string quartets, while also praising its ability to convey emotion, texture and the underlying vibe of very different music. That combination suggests an articulate, communicative midband rather than detail for its own sake.
Treble
92/100
The speaker is repeatedly described as extremely detailed, open and transparent. The review does not report glare, hardness or sibilance, instead presenting the high-frequency resolution as part of a faithful and engaging whole.
Soundstage Imaging
95/100
The 119 is said to produce a surprisingly large, articulate soundstage and to disappear convincingly as a point-like source. With eyes closed, the reviewer felt it could readily be mistaken for a much larger three-way speaker.
Dynamics
91/100
The passive 119 is described as energetic without overstatement and able to retain musical drive with demanding material. Exakt activation is reported to add clearly audible snap, focus and headroom, making the presentation still more vivid and visceral.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
75/100
The supplied review concentrates on listening performance rather than cabinet construction, finish execution, terminals or long-term durability. It says little about the physical quality of the speaker beyond its compact stand-mount format.
Value for Money
85/100
At roughly $2,500 to $3,550, the 119 sits in a premium stand-mount segment, with its Exakt and room-optimisation ecosystem potentially adding to the system commitment. The review is emphatically positive about its performance but does not directly compare its price or value against competing speakers.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
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Specifications
- Speaker Type
- 2-way bookshelf
- Exakt
- Yes - with Selekt DSM or Exaktbox
- Crossover
- Analogue passive
- Bass System
- Rear-ported (further bass augmentation available with a Linn Network Music Player)
- Room Correction
- Yes - with a Linn Network Music Player
- Connections
- Binding Posts: x2 pairs
- Drive Units
- Tweeter: 19.55 mm soft Sonomex dome Bass: 160 mm Nextel-coated paper diaphragm
- Finishes
- Walnut, Oak, Satin Black, Satin White
- Dimensions
- Cabinet Volume: 9 litres Width: 191 mm Height: 328 mm Depth: 241 mm Weight: 7.15 kg
Manufacturer's Description — Linn
Energetic. Refined. Fun.
119 is a modern and compact bookshelf loudspeaker. It delivers an engaging performance – with energy, refinement, neutrality, and fun.
Passive Pedigree
Linn has a reputation for creating compact loudspeakers with excellent performance characteristics, even when positioned close to a wall. 119 is the latest Linn speaker to accomplish this feat, with a new performance benchmark and fundamentally entertaining presentation.
119 Selekt System
Pair your 119 loudspeakers with a Selekt DSM: Classic Hub, and you are investing in a complete system that can get better with age. Go from passive to Exakt by adding more internal amplification, upgrade your DAC modules, and benefit from free over-the-air software updates – all in one go, or incrementally as you desire.
Passive bookshelf loudspeaker
119 features top-quality drive units which deliver superb linear performance. Drawing from what we learned during development of our 360 loudspeaker, drive units are mounted flush with the front of the cabinet, with no grille, to minimise obstruction of sound waves and improve movement.
Focus has been placed upon component quality throughout the speaker. The passive crossover in 119 is created for signal purity, lending the speakers speed and dynamism.
Inspired by our reference 360 loudspeaker is a magnet-mounted drive unit trim, featuring a series of fine, etched arcs evoking the surface of a vinyl record, and an electro-formed Linn logo tweeter guard.
Optional black or silver, mild-steel pedestal stands are available for mounting 119 speakers.
Exakt
119’s 2-way layout makes it is easier and more affordable than ever to upgrade your system to Linn’s groundbreaking Exakt technology.
Internal crossovers can be bypassed in just a couple of minutes, and the four channels of amplification, DAC modules and Exakt digital crossover required to complete this neat yet extraordinary system can be contained within Selekt DSM. Just add speaker cables!
Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for Linn 119
- Absolute Sound (SG) — online and in-store — Singapore, Singapore (website)
- Accent On Music — in-store — Mount Kisco, New York, United States (website)
- Acoustic Streams — in-store — Lower Drift, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Adventures in HiFi — in-store — Chester, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Aktiv Music & Sound — online and in-store — Eau Claire, Wisconsin, United States (website)
- Alpha High End — online and in-store — Brasschaat, Vlaams Gewest, Belgium (website)
- Analogue Seduction — online and in-store — Whittlesey, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Audio Affair — online and in-store — Deritend, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Audio Alternative — online and in-store — Fort Collins, Colorado, United States (website)
- Audio Antiquary — online — Italy (website)
and 126 more verified dealers