LINN SERIES 3 (301)
This new-age hi-fi classic aims to be nothing less than the best of its breed
This is comparable in terms of ease of use to a classic Bluetooth speaker
Linn is by no means a newcomer to digital audio or streaming, but the Series 3 does represent a new approach from this prestigious UK brand, because it can be bought online and set up by an unqualified person: you or us, for instance. Its sawn-off teardrop shape is more reminiscent of a high-end air purifier, but the Linn Series 3 certainly sounds like a high-end hi-fi product.
Setup is easy enough via Linn’s Kazoo app, and you can then stream Tidal, Qobuz, TuneIn and music from your home’s many network drives via that app. Apple AirPlay is also supported, but we found it dropped out a lot from our iPhone. Luckily, there’s also the option of Bluetooth for streaming your phone’s content, and services not supported by Linn’s app – ie: nearly all of them. Normally, we’d consider it a bit perverse to spend nearly three grand on a speaker and then use Bluetooth, but the Series 3 supports the hi-res aptX HD form of Bluetooth.
There’s also an HDMI ARC input, so you can plug in your TV. This latter function would tend to work better with a stereo pair of these. A lone Series 3 is actually mono, but Linn will gladly flog you a second speaker – the 302 or ‘Series 3 Partner’ – with no controls, for a paltry £2,500. Additional 301 speakers can also be added, to build a no doubt stellar multi-room system.
A 301 twinned with a 302 sounds quite magnificent, but even a lone Series 3 puts up a fantastic performance. MQA isn’t supported, so you can’t utilise Tidal’s hi-res streaming, but Qobuz’s hi-res files are supported, and HD music from a local drive sounds quite mind-blowing, with the Series 3 floating a convincing sound stage from just the one speaker, even when placed in unpromising locations such as the corner of a room. The Series 3 also makes an excellent job of playing Tidal CD-quality as well as compressed MP3s, web radio and Spotify streams.
Thanks to its ease of placing and small footprint, this is comparable in terms of ease of use to a classic Bluetooth speaker, although clearly the price and expertise involved mean its not at all comparable in terms of performance. The Series 3’s blend of ease and quality mean it should be top of your list if you have the necessary readies. The only warning note we’d sound is that – while it’s admittedly hard to quantify these things – we’re not sure that this is more than twice as good as the Mu-so 2, but it sure as hell is more than twice as expensive.