Linn Ekstatik Phono Cartridge

In order to make Linn’s best cartridge ever, we needed to look further afield, and at more varied materials. We conducted extensive experiments; auditioning different materials and configurations for the body, inserts, cantilever, suspension, windings and leads. The result is Ekstatik – the new jewel in the crown of the Linn cartridge range.

Linn’s all-new, flagship cartridge, Ekstatik, sets a new bar for arm/cartridge synergy; its unique construction forges an harmonious synergy with Ekos SE; wicking away more unwanted resonances along the arm, and out through the sub-chassis.

In Linn’s search for ever better materials, Linn’s experiments led us to the implementation of aluminium-bronze inserts. Now a feature of Ekstatik, these inserts allow us to reap the sonic benefits we found this alloy to possess.

With a bespoke, honeycomb cut into the cartridge body, we have skeletonised Ekstatik so that overall mass is reduced to Linn’s preferred sweet spot of close to 7g.

A micro-ridge stylus on a sapphire cantilever makes for an extraordinarily responsive cartridge. The sapphire cantilever is far stiffer than boron or aluminium, resulting in less loss between the stylus and the generator.

The overall result is an agile, responsive cartridge with the added performance yielded from specifying these materials; masterfully matched in unique configurations.

• Stylus Type: Micro-ridge
• Cantilever: Sapphire
• Armature: Square
• Pin Connection Type: Flying wire with termination clips - 1.2mm, gold
• Mounting Points: 3
• Coil Wire: Copper 4N
• Output Voltage: 0.45mV @ 3.54cm/s
• Channel Balance at 1kHz: <1dB
• Channel Separation at 1kHz: Better than 30dB
• Load Resistance: 100 Ω
• Load Capacitance: 1nF
• Tracking Force: 2.0 g
• Cartridge Mass: 7 g