Linn Selekt DSM Review
The flexible Linn Selekt DSM can be adapted to most needs, sounds phenomenally good, and has a clever built-in room correction.
By Lasse Svendsen
When is an amplifier not just an amplifier? When it’s called Linn Selekt DSM. An incredibly flexible starting point for anyone who is tired of many electronic boxes and therefore prefers to have everything in one place. Because with a Selekt DSM, you can start with a stereo amplifier with integrated streaming and add the modules you need.
It can go from two-channel stereo to full surround by simply adding more amplifier modules. You can choose how good a digital converter you want. There are three DAC modules for the Selekt DSM, which is so flexible that you only buy what you need. And you can add a module at any time afterward if needed.
With Linn’s built-in room correction, Space Optimization, you can also adjust the sound from the system to the room the speakers are in, and simply put, get exactly the sound image you want.
The compact amplifier is only 35 x 35 cm in size and uses Class D amplifier modules that do not generate much heat. It is therefore very easy to place. It is also very user-friendly. Daily operation is controlled with the remote control, but the amplifier also has programmable buttons on the front, plus a volume knob on the top.
Like all streaming amplifiers, the music can of course be controlled with an app, where you can also choose between all settings—including the room correction if it is already done.
With analog and digital inputs, HDMI, streaming, and inputs for both MM and MC cartridges, a Selekt DSM can be placed in the living room and connected to both the TV and the turntable at the same time.
Modules
The basic version of the Selekt DSM is a preamplifier, with inputs and outputs, that can be upgraded with various modules to meet different needs. You can start with a standard DAC, or choose the more advanced Katalyst, or go all the way and choose the high-end Organik DAC that occupies two modules.
With a single amplifier module, the Selekt DSM becomes an integrated amplifier. With multiple amplifier modules, it can be used as a bi-amp or tri-amp amplifier, and those who have Linn speakers can upgrade them to active operation with active crossover. If you have speakers from another manufacturer, you can add an Exakt box, a separate unit with active crossover.
All this naturally applies in stereo, but you can also equip the amplifier with modules that provide up to 7.2-channel surround. However, then you also need an upgraded HDMI module with eARC (that is, audio return channel).
From Passive to Active Operation
The test started with the basic two-channel version of the DSM amplifier, connected to various speakers during the first weeks. Later, it was connected to a pair of Linn 150. First, they were driven as passive speakers by a 2 x 50-watt amplifier module. The amplifier was then expanded with two more amplifier modules, and the Linn speakers were converted to active operation.
That is, each of the amplifier channels drove its own driver: one module to the bass driver, one to the midrange, and one to the tweeter. The switch from passive to active operation can be done by yourself, but it is recommended that it is done by the retailer.
This also applies to Space Optimization, as the room correction is called, although it is possible to run it yourself with a laptop or iPad logged into the same network as the amplifier.
Like most network amplifiers, the Selekt DSM supports streaming in the app from Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz, Deezer, and online radio.
Space Optimization
But back to the room correction, which differs from what most of us are used to because Linn does not use a microphone and test signals but bases the correction on how the room looks. You enter height, width, types of surfaces, placement of windows and doors.
All these measurements are then uploaded to a server for calculation, and a couple of minutes later you have a corrected profile for the room, whereupon the processed signal is sent to the speakers. You can create several profiles with room correction, and if you, for example, like fatter bass, you can change the profiles to your taste.
The Sound With and Without Room Correction
As mentioned, the amplifier was first used as a regular two-channel integrated streaming amplifier. I connected a CD player to one of the optical inputs and a turntable to the MC input. So far, so good.
The amplifier is not the most powerful we have tested, but it had no major problems bringing a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 to life. It was not the same drive and punch in the bass as with a Yamaha A-S3200, but the combination of the 805 D4 and the Selekt DSM clearly delivered the goods.
The soundstage was perhaps a bit flat; it didn’t exactly burst with dynamics in all music, but the tone was pleasantly neutral, and there was plenty of resolution and detail in the sound image.
After a couple of weeks, I moved the B&W speakers and connected the Linn 150 floorstanders, first in pure passive two-channel operation, then in full active operation with three amplifier modules in the amplifier. It immediately sounded much better, with greater dynamic contrast, and suddenly there was more weight and depth in the bass.
The amplifier sounded directly like a significantly more powerful and potent version, which is correct. Because with 6 x 50 watts of power distributed over six drivers, you have both more power and torque at your disposal. Then one module plays everything below 440 Hz, another handles the range from there up to 2,500 Hz, and the last takes care of the treble.
Space Optimization can be turned off and on in the app, and there is no doubt that it works. Turning off the room correction after listening to music with it on is almost startling.
Because Space Optimization can, as we also experienced when we tested the cheaper Majik DSM, make a difference that is like night and day. The soundstage is flatter and more anemic without it, but with it on, the soundstage grows in depth, the bass is extended and reproduced with greater authority, and there is better balance in the speakers.
With the Linn 150 speakers connected in active operation, the sound quality was raised several notches, and the dynamic contrast became audibly better. The sense of rhythm on Ezra Collective’s latest album was significantly more pronounced with active operation and Space Optimization activated.
In Sade’s “Turn My Back On You,” the bass and drums moved further into the room, and there was significantly more weight and depth in the percussion. You can experiment with Space Optimization and change whatever you like according to personal taste and music style. And while you’re in the menus, you can adjust the tone from 0 to 100, so if you like a little extra tone, just help yourself.
I’m not sure if Space Optimization is better or worse than Dirac Live, which uses a measurement microphone to map how the sound behaves in the room. Both work, and both are time-consuming to use if you want optimal results.
Conclusion
If you choose a Linn Selekt DSM, you get almost everything at once. At least you get the option to choose which version of the amplifier you need. The basic version in stereo can be expanded with more connections and amplifier modules. You can choose how good the digital converter should be—they come in three levels—and the Selekt DSM can be configured as a 7.2-channel surround amplifier if you want home theater. The only downside is that the upgrades are costly. The price can quickly double if you add all the modules and the most expensive DAC. With Space Optimization and the possibility of active operation of the speakers, it’s hard to find a more flexible amplifier than this one.
Pros: Neutral tone and extremely resolved soundstage. Very flexible room correction. Can be adapted to many different needs.
Cons: Not the strongest amplifier in its class. The room correction is ingenious but complex. Expensive with everything included.
Specifications
Type: Network amplifier
Power: 2 x 50 watts into 8 ohms, 2 x 100 watts into 4 ohms
Technology: Class D
Connections: Ethernet, HDMI, analog RCA, Toslink, S/PDIF, RCA sub, USB
Turntable input: MM/MC
Headphone output: Yes
DAC: 24 bit/192 kHz
Network: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet
Streaming: Spotify Connect, Tidal, Qobuz, Deezer, CalmRadio, TuneIn
Frequency response: not specified
Dynamic range: not specified
THD: not specified
Signal-to-noise ratio: not specified
Other features: Remote control, app control, Space Optimization room correction
Dimensions/weight: 35 x 12 x 35 cm / 9.5 kg
Price: $7,200
DENON AVC-A10H Review
Founded in July 2014, 7Review is a free audio resource for beginners, and we're dedicated to helping you create the ultimate movie-watching experience right at home. We pull insights from top audio magazines and trusted industry sources to bring you well-researched, reliable reviews and tips. Whether you're a home cinema pro or just starting out, we aim to give you the info you need to make the best choices for your setup.
