Arkiv

About the Arkiv

The Linn Arkiv is a high-precision low output moving-coil phono cartridge designed for audiophiles and professionals valuing accurate music reproduction. It features a Vital line-contact stylus swaged into a super rigid boron cantilever, precision wound coils, gold contacts, and a machined-from-solid high tensile hard alloy carcass for mechanical strength and rigidity. The cartridge directly couples groove deflections to the coil motion detection circuitry, minimizing information loss. It has a tracking force range of 1.55 to 1.75 grams, recommended load impedance greater than 50 ohms, and weighs 7.4 grams. Channel separation is better than 30 dB and channel balance within 0.5 dB at 1 kHz. It is ideally paired with rigid, medium mass tonearms such as Linn's Ittok or Ekos. The Arkiv is noted for its improved coil and suspension arrangement, enhanced sound quality, and superior tracking ability. It was retail priced around £1,200 including VAT in the late 1990s and is considered a refined evolution in Linn's cartridge lineup.