If you are a hifi enthusiast, you may well think that there would be no better way to spend a couple of hours than listening to a system from one of the world’s most respected hifi companies.  You would, however, be wrong.  There is a better way to spend a couple of hours – listening to a system from one of the world’s most respected hifi companies while drinking endless glasses of champagne and cocktails* and nibbling on elegant canapés in Edinburgh’s blingiest jewellery store.

Linn Lounge evenings are centred around the music of a single band or artist and tonight we will be listening to David Bowie.  Before we get started, Stephen, our Linn representative for the evening, introduces representatives from local Linn dealer Hi-Fi Corner and Rox who are co-hosting the event.  He then explains a little bit about the history of the company and the equipment we will be listing to.  Tonight, it’s a pair of Exakt Akubarik speakers fed by an Akurate Exakt DSM streamer.  Stephen describes this as a mid-level Linn system.  We then see a short video that explains some of the features of the system and introduces Linn’s Space Optimisation technology.  As Stephen goes on to tell us, tonight’s music is played in “Studio Master” quality; the highest resolution audio files available.

One of the refreshing things about Linn Lounge evenings is that there is no hard sell whatsoever.  In fact, there is not even any soft sell.  Steven just wants us to know what we are listening to and having done that, it’s all about the music from here on in. Steven provides a knowledgeable narrative of Bowie’s career and intersperses this with key tracks.  Time prevents a fully comprehensive overview – I’d have liked to have heard Uncle Arthur or Love You Till Tuesday from Bowie’s 1967 debut – so we start with Space Oddity.  At points throughout the evening, audience members are invited to choose between two tracks and decide what we will hear.  Surprisingly, Rebel Rebel wins out over Life On Mars?  Perhaps less surprisingly Young Americans trumps Sound and Vision, but as that’s one of my favourites I ask for it to be played after the main presentation has ended.

I’ve been to several Linn Lounge events now and they have all been held in interesting venues, including a nightclub and a Lamborghini showroom.  One thing that these venues have all had in common is that they have been acoustically challenging. Linn’s Space Optimisation software may well taper the sound of your speakers to your listening room but it seems  unlikely that your room will feature six chandeliers and a mirrored wall, or for that  matter, a fleet of Italian super cars. Don’t go to a Linn Lounge event expecting to hear the system at its very best.  That’s not what Linn Lounge is about.  Go to a Linn Lounge to have a great time and hear some fantastic music.  Maybe the people who came along tonight will go back to Rox when they want to buy some special jewellery.  Maybe they will go to Hi-Fi Corner when they think about changing their system or buying a new one.  And maybe they will consider a Linn system when they do. If they do, it’ll be because they enjoyed what they experienced this evening, not because of some sales pitch.

To find out more about Linn Lounge and other Linn events visit  www.linn.co.uk/events

Tickets are free but limited, so be quick.

*Hifi Pig encourages you to enjoy your Linn Lounge event responsibly.