Linn has in my opinion made another giant step in soundquality with the new Klimax DS hub with only digital outputs, this transport converts every nonbeliever with just listening to a single chord in the beginning of a song
Uh huh.
Linn has in my opinion made another giant step in soundquality with the new Klimax DS hub with only digital outputs, this transport converts every nonbeliever with just listening to a single chord in the beginning of a song
Every chain in the hifi system is important , sometimes the source or amplifiers have a big impact of the sound. This is not rocket-science.View attachment 226890
Jeez, woudln't expect that we see the "source is most important" marketing nonsense of Linn in this section...
Nope, decent electronics and digital sources which are transparent (i.e. have no audible differences) are trivial to make since decades. The differences in loudspeakers, room acoustics and analogue sources are the ones where by orders of magnitudes flaws can happen and where most efforts should be concentrated to.Every chain in the hifi system is important , sometimes the source or amplifiers have a big impact of the sound. This is not rocket-science.
I would listen to them at home with a really good source ( digital input for 8361) and buy the one that brings most enjoyment.SCM50 and Genelec 8361
Both are 10 inch active 3-way monitors so performance should be similar
Which would you choose and why?
View attachment 226905View attachment 226904
In a vinyl based system, the importance of the source was once easily proved in demonstration (even using a CD as a reference!). These days, the edges are blurred as top grade inexpensive pickups have come along which are fairly universal (I cite the AT VM95 ML and SH as great cheap examples and I've a soft spot for the now pricey Ortofon Super OM20, the stylus from this upgrading many a cheap Dual or Project deck) and which may not be as tonearm-platform sensitive as of old. No need at all for a hideous money oil-rig confection, but a carefully sited £1k Rega or Technics with a VM95SH would make a fine universal vinyl source for any grade of speaker I think and rather better made (hopefully) than the cheap decks all in under £/$500.Jeez, woudln't expect that we see the "source is most important" marketing nonsense of Linn in this section...
Every chain in the hifi system is important , sometimes the source or amplifiers have a big impact of the sound. This is not rocket-science.
Nice to hear about AT 95 as a very good upgrade for many record players. My first and second turnable ( Rega planar 3 and Linn lp12/Ittok ) had this cheap pickup and the sound was awesome, - butchering the sound of every -80 cdplayer we compared it with. I eventually upgraded to a Lingo motor supply and a Linn K18 with some further improvements.In a vinyl based system, the importance of the source was once easily proved in demonstration (even using a CD as a reference!). These days, the edges are blurred as top grade inexpensive pickups have come along which are fairly universal (I cite the AT VM95 ML and SH as great cheap examples and I've a soft spot for the now pricey Ortofon Super OM20, the stylus from this upgrading many a cheap Dual or Project deck) and which may not be as tonearm-platform sensitive as of old. No need at all for a hideous money oil-rig confection, but a carefully sited £1k Rega or Technics with a VM95SH would make a fine universal vinyl source for any grade of speaker I think and rather better made (hopefully) than the cheap decks all in under £/$500.
Where DIGITAL is concerned, the hierarchy idea was upended decades ago really once the speakers and customer interest finally turned away from a toppy speaker balancing out a dull rounded-tone source.. I was stunned not that long ago when I was given a Philips 371? plastic CD player from the mid to late 80's or thereabouts and how basically good it sounded, if a little 'safe' and 'nice' perhaps.
I'm sure that Linn system is impressive, but they're still in the dark ages of buying a ton of expensive external boxes to drive the speakers and if that new dac system of theirs 'sounds better,' what the dickens (I'm trying to be more polite) is it doing to the raw digital source fed it?
Having said the above, where the ATC's I've owned in the past were NOT kind to compression in a recording production, they didn't sound bad at all with vinyl, just a bit 'smaller' and constricted in scale generally.
External boxes is in the past for Linn, everything is built into the speakers and the only external is the source/pre.I'm sure that Linn system is impressive, but they're still in the dark ages of buying a ton of expensive external boxes to drive the speakers and if that new dac system of theirs 'sounds better,' what the dickens (I'm trying to be more polite) is it doing to the raw digital source fed it?
This is correct and true for the last systems they make.External boxes is in the past for Linn, everything is built into the speakers and the only external is the source/pre.
It seems you are talking about their previous active systems?
I think Linn has done this since 2013. People seems to think KEF and Dutch & Dutch are the ones on the “high-tech” frontline.This is correct and true for the last systems they make.
My guess is that because of Linn being so much in front of the future - other high end companies will eventually make everything inside their loudspeakers, just like Kef ls60w.
Another thing I believe Linn is before their time, is with their multiway active loudspeakers without waveguides. This will be the future lowering IMD distortion with real music .
Apologies for going off topic...Nice to hear about AT 95 as a very good upgrade for many record players. My first and second turnable ( Rega planar 3 and Linn lp12/Ittok ) had this cheap pickup and the sound was awesome, - butchering the sound of every -80 cdplayer we compared it with. I eventually upgraded to a Lingo motor supply and a Linn K18 with some further improvements.
Didnt you like it when Linn came out with their Karik/Numerik cd-player, adressing the soundproblems depending on bad spdif transfers at 1991 ? They were way before their time. The same happened with their streamers, a -09 model can be updated and used even today. .
Ofcourse its sad that their prices has sky-rocked. But buying some of the secondhand linnies can be bargains.
Edit: I dont own any Linn gear anymore - a Mac computer with a good DDC and Apple lossless is a very good digital source, almost as good as a Akurate DS, and much better than a Yamaha wxc50 or bluesound node.
I would say ever since about 1990, there is usually small sound differences between external dacs. There is, in my opinion , often bigger differences between digital transports feeding the dac , and a bad digital transport can hide differences between different dacs, where they in such cases will sound less good, and at the same time giving the false impression that all digital gear sound exactly the same - especially when doing comparisons.Apologies for going off topic...
Karik was hobbled and needed the Numerik to be full standard. Linn got the impedances wrong although the two boxes matched each other which is more than can be said for the Meridian 600 two box player of the time (Paul Miller tests).
I think we're getting dangerously close to sighted listening here as regards dac performance, Linn or otherwise. Linn's top boxes are very nicely milled out but again, l feel it's wasteful (had I plenty of money to consider buying back into the brand I may feel differently here). I'm certain I could place the £23 Fiio Taishan dac with 5V wallwart supply behind a stack of bypassed Linn digital stuff and you'd not notice (I'd love to do this for real )
Looking at all these different pro monitor speakers and suggesting home use, I honestly believe appearance is very important. The 'Classic' ATC's in veneered boxes with grilles fit in to a domestic environment as well as most domestic boxes do, but you'd need an understanding partner to use the grill-less admittedly cheaper Pro alternatives from ATC and other makes. Some partners wouldn't mind, but mine's fussy...
It's a extreme example of a customer service level "f### off, losers".Once said monitors were un-serviceable, what did Castle replace them with?
That side is mostly just manufacturer policy. Asked genelec and they are still repairing the speakers over 30 years ago without problem. Buchardt mentioned their A300It's a extreme example of a customer service level "f### off, losers".
Unbelievable.
When I thought about buying second hand ATC, I've called them and asked about service. They said they can offer full service for any speaker they made but it's only my choice if it's economically reasonable.
Almost the same with PSI.
Genelec and ATC are similarly good about long term product support, generally speaking. You have to be in the pro space.That side is mostly just manufacturer policy. Asked genelec and they are still repairing the speakers over 30 years ago without problem. Buchardt mentioned their A300
Backplate is design that if it goes bad, user can get a new plate amp from them and easily self fix or upgrade it, and it can fix their speakers as long as drivers are available
That's why I had written:In a vinyl based system, the importance of the source was once easily proved in demonstration (even using a CD as a reference!).
Nope, decent electronics and digital sources which are transparent (i.e. have no audible differences) are trivial to make since decades. The differences in loudspeakers, room acoustics and analogue sources are the ones where by orders of magnitudes flaws can happen and where most efforts should be concentrated to.