Both cabinets present very well with light signs of use consistent with their age. The foam fronts have been professionally remade and present neatly. Drivers are clean and undamaged. Please refer to our photographs for a full assessment of cosmetic condition.
The Sara’s defining characteristic is its use of Linn’s patented Isobarik bass loading system. In a conventional two-way speaker the bass/midrange driver operates in a ported or sealed enclosure in the standard manner. In the Isobarik configuration, two bass/midrange drivers are coupled together — one mounted on the front baffle in the usual position, and a second mounted immediately behind it within the cabinet, facing the first. The two drivers are wired in opposing polarity so that they move in tandem, the rear driver effectively loading the front one and sharing its excursion demands. The result is that the coupled pair behaves acoustically as a single driver of twice the moving mass but in a cabinet of half the volume that would otherwise be required. This allows Linn to achieve extended low-frequency performance from a relatively compact enclosure. The Sara cabinet is sealed — an infinite baffle design — which gives a characteristically controlled, well-damped bass roll-off rather than the tuned port resonance of a reflex design.
The bass/midrange driver is a 200mm unit with a carbon-loaded polypropylene cone, chosen for its stiffness-to-weight ratio and resistance to flexural resonance. The tweeter is a 19mm soft dome unit — in this case a Scan-Speak unit, visible in the photographs — crossing over at 2.5kHz. The crossover network uses 12dB-per-octave slopes. The cabinet is a substantial piece of construction at 14.5kg per speaker, reflecting the internal bracing and damping required to control the acoustic environment of the Isobarik loading arrangement.
The rear panel features bi-wire binding posts, allowing separate amplifier connections to the bass and treble sections for those who wish to bi-wire or bi-amp. The terminals accept 4mm banana plugs or bare wire.
Important Owner’s Notes
The Linn Sara is a genuinely demanding loudspeaker load. Its nominal impedance is 4 ohms, with a measured dip to approximately 2.6 ohms in the crossover region. It should be used only with an amplifier rated and comfortable driving 4-ohm loads — amplifiers specified for 8-ohm use only may struggle or run hot. Linn’s own recommendation was to partner the Sara with amplifiers capable of delivering substantial current; the Naim NAP250 was and remains a frequently cited pairing, though any robust current-capable amplifier rated into 4 ohms will be suitable. Sensitivity is modest at 88dB/1W/1m, which reinforces the need for a capable amplifier. The speakers are designed for stand-mounting at a stand height of approximately 500mm.
Technical Specifications (Source: Linn Products official product information sheet, archived at docs.linn.co.uk. Note: Linn’s documentation covers the Sara and Sara 9 under a single product information sheet; the specifications below apply to both variants. The sensitivity figure of 86dB at 2.5m as independently measured by Popular Hi-Fi in July 1982 is broadly consistent with the manufacturer’s stated 88dB/1W/1m.)
- Type: 2-way Stand-mount Loudspeaker, Isobarik bass loading
- Enclosure: Infinite baffle (sealed), Isobarik configuration
- Driver Complement: 1 × 200mm carbon-loaded polypropylene bass/mid unit (Isobarik coupled pair); 1 × 19mm soft dome tweeter (Scan-Speak)
- Crossover Frequency: 2.5kHz
- Frequency Response: 50Hz – 20kHz (±2.5dB)
- Nominal Impedance: 4Ω
- Efficiency: 88dB / 1W / 1m
- Power Handling: 75W
- Bi-wireable: Yes
- Dimensions (H×W×D): 425 × 332 × 244 mm
- Weight: 14.5kg per speaker
- Recommended Stand Height: 500mm
- Years of Production: 1978–1990
- Country of Origin: Scotland, UK
Why Buy From Us
With over 40 years of experience in the Hi-Fi industry, we are well placed to assess and test equipment of this type. Every item we list is fully inspected and tested before sale — this unit was checked by Andrew in our workshop.
When you buy from us you can expect:
- Full inspection and testing prior to listing — not simply a visual check
- A 3-month guarantee on every item we sell
- Transparent descriptions with no omissions
- Professional packaging to ensure safe delivery
- After-sales support available by phone or email should you have any questions
The Linn Sara remains a speaker with a loyal following among those familiar with its particular strengths — a tightly controlled, musically coherent presentation driven by an acoustic design that was genuinely ahead of its time. This pair presents well, with the remade foam fronts addressing the one age-related issue that most Sara owners will eventually face. Stands are not included; Linn recommended a stand height of 500mm. This is a matched pair listed as a single lot. Please feel free to get in touch with any questions prior to purchase.
