Linn AV5125 5-channel Amplifier Review

[simbloke]

It makes sense that the turntable bearing could ruin things, but back in the day the UK Hi-Fi press pushed this line so much that people would spend WAY too much on a turntable. Followed by an average amp and cheap speakers. No consideration was given to the room back then - that I recall. Oh and don't forget that all the Japanese stuff was rubbish because it had tone controls, too many buttons and VU meters! Now we know "all the best stuff's made in Japan"

 

[PenguinMusic]

It makes sense that the turntable bearing could ruin things, but back in the day the UK Hi-Fi press pushed this line so much that people would spend WAY too much on a turntable. Followed by an average amp and cheap speakers. No consideration was given to the room back then - that I recall. Oh and don't forget that all the Japanese stuff was rubbish because it had tone controls, too many buttons and VU meters! Now we know "all the best stuff's made in Japan"

Hi,

Might be that they did make this claim.

I have some gear from the company (power-amps and speakers, but weird enough, no source... I wasn't that satisfied with it, except for the Karik CD player).

But I never followed their argumentation that close. I went to several shops, had some serious listenings there. Borrowed the equipment for a day or two. Listened to it in my own room. Liked what I heard, so took it...

All I remember is their "credo" is "Source first"... And mind you, I "believe" that indeed :-(

And still mind you, as soon as a DAC does not allow me to turn off it's upsampling feature, well, I simply do not even look at it.

 

[simbloke]

Of course this is hindsight on my part. At the time I thought the press was right, British stuff was better, and had no idea who might have been pushing the mag's agenda. I'm a lot older and more cynical now.

 

[PenguinMusic]

Of course this is hindsight on my part. At the time I thought the press was right, British stuff was better, and had no idea who might have been pushing the mag's agenda. I'm a lot older and more cynical now.

LOL

We share something here I think

 

[anmpr1]

As I remembered at the time they said "Source first". And to tell that ,they also said : "Whatever the qualities of the pre/amp/speakers, they will never recover a signal that has been lost at the beginning..."

That was how I understood Linn. It made sense as far as it went. Of course from this they implied that the best source was a Sondek.

Julius Futterman had a similar idea, but with him the origination of the amplified signal had to be a tube. Anything other than (or coming after) the tube degraded the sound, to include output transformers which, for him, was the biggest offender. He spent his audio life on that one idea.

Back in the day these things were more important. When men like Herb Keroes and David Hafler were figuring out how to design decent transformers at a price point, or later when the difference between a direct drive with no suspension and an isolated record player was important. Today, it's an historical remembrance. The turntable thing has been mostly relegated to the back room, and electrical parameters have been pretty well worked out for all practical purposes.

 

[LTig]

... from the company that claimed the most important component in a hi-fi system in terms of sound quality is the turntable platter bearing.

Is that what Linn claims ?

As I remembered at the time they said "Source first".

Yep, and since at that time their only source was a record player they extended this order of importance accordingly, claiming that the drive was more important than the arm and the arm more important than the pickup.

Actually IME their may have been some truth in it. ATTENTION: pure subjective opinion to follow - read at your own risk. When I shopped for a new record player many years ago I auditioned a Pink Triangle player with a good pickup at one dealer and a basic Linn LP12 with a simple pickup (K9?) at another dealer, listening to a recording of Beethovens piano concert #4, Friedrich Gulda playing the 2nd movement (Andante con moto). On the PT the beginning was just boring but when Gulda started to play louder and faster the piano began to sparkle very nicely. The LP12 did not sparkle at all, but right from the begin the music fascinated me so much that I kept my breath to not miss anything to happen. When I noted this emotional reaction I knew which player to buy.

Of course I consequently fell victim to Linn's upgrade philosophy and later bought a used Lingo power supply (1st gen) and a used Ekos arm (1st gen). The Lingo made a much bigger difference than the Ekos though. I also changed the K9 to a Clyde (which I was not happy with) and later to a Van den Hul MC1 Special. This combination (together with my DIY phono pream) is now my end game vinyl player and sounds amazingly close to digital if the vinyl is really good and the digital is not "remastered" ( e.g. Dire Straits Brother in Arms or Frankie goes to Hollywood Liverpool).

 

[milosz]

Ivor Tiefenbrun, founder of Linn Sondek, said many things in many interviews over the years. The turntable is the source, which is therefore the most important and the most important part is the platter bearing are among the claims he made.

Seems to me that since what you actually hear are the speakers (or headphones) seems to me that they will have the greatest impact on sound reproduction quality. Linn Sondek's claim that the turntable is the most important was a publicity gimmick, a marketing ploy, gaining attention by going against reason.

You can have the finest DAC in the world, but if you are listening through 99 cent earbuds you are not going to have good quality reproduction.

 

[rynoshark]

Fantastic. Thanks for testing the AV5125. I've been trying to decide whether I use my AV5125 for my Linn Tukan/5120 rear channels or Marantz MA500 monoblocks. Having little data on the AV5125 made it difficult other than just keeping it Linn.

Still not sure what I'm going to use, and which I'm going to get rid of. The MA500 monoblocks certainly have a cult following, and they've driven my 5140s, DCMs, and other speakers in the past.

 

[Doubleroll]

My AV5125 is doing a great job powering Linn Katan’s surrounds. I do have the Dynamik power supply upgrade as well as Aktiv cards installed. Sounds great and reliable for the last several years...

 

[rynoshark]

@Doubleroll, what are your fronts?

I've debated changing away from Linn (5140/5120 Aktiv fronts, Tukan surrounds + single 5120 rear), since my system sounds a bit muddled at times compared to my apartment when I first bought them. They sound a bit muddled at times, and hard to hear, I need to adjust a few things in my room first. We mostly watch movies these days, and only occasionally listen to music (Spotify).

 

[Doubleroll]

@rynoshark I am currently using Espek Aktiv fronts, Ekwal Aktiv center, Katan Aktiv surround. Two Akurate 4200’s and the AV 5125 for amplification. Strange that the system sounds muddled as I do not experience this. Maybe some simple adjustments will take care of the muddy sound for sure...good luck!

 

[snatex]

I have 2 AV5125's in my system. One of the 5125's has Bass/Mid and Treble Aktiv Cards in it and I use 4 channels of amplification to power my front speakers - Linn Ninkas. The other 5125 powers my center (Linn Trikan) and rears (Linn Uniks). I solved the HDMI issue brought up above by getting an Emotiva MC700 AV processor with analog outputs for each channel and running them into my Linn Kisto AV preamp.

 

[jalejos]

Good solution, and cheap.

 

[NiagaraPete]

I have 3 X LK-140 Aktiv bass, middle, treble, Ninka's with Kustone bases. I've been really happy for a long time. I've some spare Aktiv cards if anyone is looking.

 

[DSJR]

I was always fond of the LK140 and Ninka's were pretty good passive and came into their own as an attractive active system - easy to convert as well I remember.

Look, with a vinyl system, if you lose info or distort it in the turntable, arm and cartridge followed by the phono stage, you can never ever get it back. I did enough dems back in the day and am fine with that concept. Put a so-so turntable system into a decent amp and top quality speakers and the sound really does shrink and suffer generally. You'd be amazed how a bottom level AT95E cartridge can refine and 'improve' as the deck and arm it's fitted to get better. Obviously high end vinyl these days is a luxury (Naim have just announced a £16,000 player and that's cheap in some quarters and middling in Linn ones), but you can do well for a lot less. The Linn LP12 is a success story all its own with regular updates (which have progressively taken the 'fruitbox' out of the sound - you'd need to know the thing well to understand) and the colourations the older ones had always made records sound 'interesting to listen to' even if the didn't deserve to.

Digital, especially today, is so good and basically transparent even at the bottom price range that I have no qualms whatsoever in agreeing that the speakers and room are the most important thing - oh, and an amp which is able to drive said speakers without distortion/clipping...

 

[NiagaraPete]

I'm really too old and lazy to spin much vinyl these days.

 

[leManu]

Just sold mine today. I plugged it in again to demo the buyer. I was surprised how good it was compared to my new Nilai500. Not as quiet and resolving, but very good nonetheless.

 

[Steve1138]

Don't get to play much vinyl these days on my LP12 / Ekos 1/ Akiva/ Radikal/URIKA 1 with 2 x Akurate 4200\B power amps, Klimax Exakt DSM / Klimax Ekaktbox (Organik) + Keltiks due to stroke 4 and half yrs ago - so its mostly streaming now through the Linn App from Qobuz.
What did blow me away though was when I heard the active Klimax 350's at the Linn daler in Zug, Switzerland with Stevie Ray Vaughan's Tin Pan Alley on vinyl played on a non Klimax LP12 - it was as if Tommy Shannon was in the room with his Fender bass and amp. Made my Keltiks system seem like a pair of Kans.

 

[AudioSceptic]

My all time favourite piece of gear was a Linn Sondek LP12 turntable with an Ittok arm. I purchased it from Graham HiFi while working in London in 1983 as a very young engineer. It was the front end to a very small Naim Nait Amp and a pair of Linn Kann speakers. System cost me 6 months salary and was a very irresponsible purchase, however, It gave me many many years of listening pleasure until I stupidly traded the LP12 for a pair of crap speakers.

Like most I find their gear too expensive in recent times and it just doesn't make sense to purchase their products when compared with say second hand Benchmark DAC2s (or a Topping DAC) combined with D class amps. However, back in the day they were class leaders. RIP Ivor Tiefenbrun, you were one of the very best audio engineers of all time.

RIP? I thought that Ivor was still alive (and kicking!).

 

[Ajax]

Apologies to you and Ivor.

I saw this in a newspaper and mis-read the first name but that's no excuse. My bad.

"Marcus Tiefenbrun, the leader of one of Scotland's most successful engineering firms, has died suddenly aged 60".