LINN Kendo Moving Coil Cartridge

Meet the Linn Kendo Moving Coil Cartridge

Precision Moving Coil Performance

The stunning Linn Kendo is a premium moving coil (MC) cartridge engineered to deliver exceptional detail, accuracy and musical expression from the Linn Sondek LP12.

Drawing heavily on the technology and design philosophy of Linn's flagship Ekstatik cartridge, the Kendo brings many of the same engineering principles to a more accessible level, offering outstanding performance for discerning vinyl enthusiasts.

Designed to extract the finest musical detail while maintaining the natural rhythm and timing that Linn is renowned for, \ Kendo combines advanced materials, precision manufacturing and careful resonance management to create an engaging and highly revealing analogue experience.

Its rigid aluminium body, boron cantilever and super fine line stylus work together to retrieve an extraordinary amount of information from the record groove with remarkable precision and stability.

Inspired by the Flagship Ekstatik

The Kendo benefits from Linn's proven trickle-down engineering approach, inheriting many of the technologies and acoustic characteristics developed for the reference-level Ekstatik moving coil cartridge.

Rather than simply reducing cost, Linn design engineers focused on retaining the core mechanical principles that make the Ekstatik so successful, resulting in a cartridge that delivers exceptional transparency, detail retrieval and musical realism while representing outstanding value within Linn's cartridge range.

Advanced Materials for Superior Performance

At the heart of the Kendo is a rigid body machined from nickel-coated 7075-grade aluminium.

This premium aerospace-grade aluminium provides exceptional stiffness while controlling unwanted resonance throughout the cartridge body. When paired with the Linn Arko tonearm, which uses the same 7075-grade aluminium construction, mechanical energy is transferred efficiently away from the cartridge and into the LP12 sub-chassis, reducing colouration and preserving delicate musical information.

This carefully matched material combination creates an exceptionally stable platform for stunningly accurate vinyl playback.

Boron Cantilever & Super Fine Line Stylus

The Linn Kendo cartridge also features a lightweight, high-rigidity boron cantilever fitted with a precision super fine line diamond stylus.

This combination of low moving mass and exceptional stiffness allows the stylus to track the record groove with remarkable accuracy, retrieving subtle low-level detail while maintaining outstanding transient response and dynamic performance.

The super fine line stylus profile also offers excellent groove contact, reducing distortion and improving high-frequency extension while minimising record wear when correctly aligned.

Optimised for the Linn LP12

The Kendo has been designed as the ideal partner for the Linn Arko tonearm, with both products sharing the same material philosophy and mechanical characteristics.

Together they form a highly integrated tonearm and cartridge system that maximises resonance control, improves energy transfer and delivers exceptional musical performance from the Sondek LP12.

Product Features

• High-performance moving coil (MC) cartridge
• Inspired by Linn's flagship Ekstatik cartridge
• Rigid nickel-coated 7075-grade aluminium body
• Low-mass boron cantilever
• Super fine line diamond stylus
• Aluminium-bronze threaded mounting inserts
• Designed for exceptional resonance control
• Optimised for Linn Arko tonearm
• Outstanding detail retrieval and musical accuracy

Technical Specifications

Cartridge Type
Moving Coil (MC)

Body Material
Nickel-coated 7075-grade aluminium

Stylus Profile
Super Fine Line

Cantilever Material
Boron

Coil Wire
4N Copper

Pin Connection
1.2 mm gold-plated pins

Mounting Points
3

Output Voltage
0.45 mV @ 3.54 cm/s

Channel Balance (1 kHz)
< 1 dB

Channel Separation (1 kHz)

28 dB

Recommended Load Resistance
100 Ω

Recommended Load Capacitance
1 nF

Recommended Tracking Force
2.0 g

Cartridge Weight
7.6 g

Why We like to Recommend the Linn Kendo

Linn Kendo Moving Coil Cartridge offers much of the engineering excellence and sonic character of Linn's flagship Ekstatik cartridge at a more accessible level, making it one of the most compelling moving coil cartridges in the LP12 upgrade range. Its sophisticated combination of a rigid 7075-grade aluminium body, boron cantilever and super fine line stylus delivers exceptional detail, precision and musical engagement.

When paired with the Linn Arko tonearm, the Kendo forms a remarkably cohesive analogue front end, with both products engineered to work in perfect harmony through shared premium grade materials and resonance control. The result is a presentation that is open, dynamic and incredibly natural, allowing the Sondek LP12 to reveal more of the music contained within every record.

For LP12 owners seeking a significant step forward in analogue performance, the Linn Kendo is an exceptional cartridge that combines advanced engineering with the unmistakable musicality that has defined Linn for decades.