I have listened to a fair amount of gear, and am always seeking to hear more. So far, as a whole, Linn is generally the best I have found for the money, and often much better than stuff that is MUCH more expensive.
Well, speakers may be the exception (caveat: I've never tried their stuff active). I will also say, although wonderfully accurate, well paced and neutral, Linn is not as dynamic as some gear - that is a legitimate complaint based on taste.
A lot of the complaints are far less legitimate. I've seen a fair amount criticism because as a company they aren't particularly interested in making heavy, macho equipment (think Krell). They use great sounding switch mode power supplies instead of heavy torriodal monsters, something that seems to baffle a lot of audiophiles who should know better. Linn also doesn't have a particular fetish for heavy, brushed aluminum - spending their time and money on what more directly effects sound. I have particularly heard this line of argument from dealers trying to sell 200+ lb amps against them, never mind nothing they sell sounds remotely as good. Some of these people will have the audacity to complain that Linn’s "build quality" is low, but Linn's quality record (established over 35 years) easily beats that of their brands.
Basically, I have decided a lot of people deriding Linn don’t know what they are talking about; some have agendas, and some have legitimate differences in taste.
