Linn Majik DSM - Speakers?

[plastic penguin]

Yeah they were. The only ones I didn't try were the PMC's as, to be fair to the guys in the shop, they'd already added in the Focals and CM9's to the list I originally went for. I'm just too polite sometimes *stop*

When I was in there I was also spying the Naim stuff and wondering how that would sound with them too. And then I came home and re-listened to the same stuff on my 140's and they sounded great. Now I'm REALLY undecided.

Just out of interest what is it about B&W/Focal that you don't like?

I find Focal just a little forward and fatiguing over longer periods.....though the Arias have improved that a bit.

I have just never clicked with B&W. Those that I've heard have had a slightly harsh treble and bass that was a bit heavy for my taste.

I'm more on the Spendor/Harbeth side of things....but I do like all the speakers that have descended from the Blades.

Given you like the 140s, I'm surprised by your findings....maybe it's to do with your room?

My advice - Do a lot of listening to a variety of different stuff before committing.

Focal really are amp dependent. Get it wrong and they can sound shrill, but with the right power plant they can sound wonderful. Pretty much like MA Silver range.

Likewise, Naim amps can sound too brash and fatiguing. As mentioned earlier, a dem is a must.

 

[Paulq]

I don't plan on moving away from Linn in a hurry to be honest and have never been one to upgrade simply for the sake of it. The Naim question was just borne out of curiosity more than anything to see what people's view was.

However, I AM thinking about buying a CD player (remember those?) to (a ) use with the Linn to begin with and (b) maybe for the source for a bedroom system in the future. The Marantz DC6005 seems to get a good rap - what's the view? Going forward I'd probably pair it with it's sister amp and 685's or something like that but, for now, it will just be to play CD's through the existing setup.

Either that or find a s/h unidisk or something?

 

[CnoEvil]

The Linn Sneaky makes for a great 2nd system....the amp has more power than you'd expect.

 

[Pedro2]

I have recently made a discovery which is relevant to this thread. It happened after I sold my Roksan Caspian power amp that had been driving a pair of ATC SCM11s from a Linn Majik DSM. Truth is, I'd never really listened to the Majik power amp and it had always been switched off.

I'd decided to upgrade from the Caspian which became a little harsh when turned up, I thought. While pondering on its replacement, I thought that the Majik power amp could be switched back on and the ATCs hooked up. The result was a little unexpected. The sound improved!

Can only think that the synergy with the new ATCs works well. I know that Cno thinks that Linn and KEF LS50s work well together so maybe this is another good (great?) combination. The level of detail revealed is amazing with both Linn and ATC digging deep into the recordings. However, there's nothing harsh or sibilant about it. It's just very musical ! Been listening for hours since Friday's discovery.

I am now thinking of adding a Linn power amp to complete the upgrade (notice that you've got one Paulq) and scouring well known sites for second hand Akurates.

So Paulq, you might want to give the new ATC passive range a listen with your Linn kit. If you want to hear deep into the mix but without ear-bashing fatigue, I'd recommend them without reservation. Good luck!

 

[Paulq]

Hey Pedro

Thanks for the heads up and am glad you made the discovery that the Linn MDSM is actually a very capable performer in its own right. I find that bi-amping the Majik 140's with the 2100 does really benefit them a great deal.

I hadn't seen or heard of the ATC's to be honest and also hadn't considered standmounts as the cabinets I have been lookin at have been exclusively floorstanders as I find that they provide me with the bass weight (but control) that I like.

 

[Pedro2]

Paul,
A Linn forum poster advised me to be careful with pairing Linn amps to non Linn speakers as they often do not match well. He suggests that Linn make amps for tbeir own speakers and vice versa.
This may explain why lots of people dislike Linn amps.
ATC make fine speakers (check out the glowing reviews). The SCM40 is their entry floorstander but is £3k.
I've no idea what any other model apart from mine sounds like with a Linn amp but they are all designed with the same musical tuning I believe.
The SCM11 have also appeared on the SPACE supported speakers list. Others, no doubt , will follow.

 

[CnoEvil]

Paul, A Linn forum poster advised me to be careful with pairing Linn amps to non Linn speakers as they often do not match well. He suggests that Linn make amps for tbeir own speakers and vice versa. This may explain why lots of people dislike Linn amps. ATC make fine speakers (check out the glowing reviews). The SCM40 is their entry floorstander but is £3k. I've no idea what any other model apart from mine sounds like with a Linn amp but they are all designed with the same musical tuning I believe. The SCM11 have also appeared on the SPACE supported speakers list. Others, no doubt , will follow.

TBF. There are those on the Linn forum who totally defend "The Linn System". Now I'm not saying that there isn't a synergy going on, but personally I think there are speakers that work better (for my taste)..

 

[Paulq]

Paul, A Linn forum poster advised me to be careful with pairing Linn amps to non Linn speakers as they often do not match well. He suggests that Linn make amps for tbeir own speakers and vice versa. This may explain why lots of people dislike Linn amps. ATC make fine speakers (check out the glowing reviews). The SCM40 is their entry floorstander but is £3k. I've no idea what any other model apart from mine sounds like with a Linn amp but they are all designed with the same musical tuning I believe. The SCM11 have also appeared on the SPACE supported speakers list. Others, no doubt , will follow.

Hi Pedro

I kinda agree with CNo on this one as I have had previous experience of Linn kit going very well (B&W to my ears) and not so well with others in the past. I am a big fan of the Linn sound but I make those decisions only with my ears not the badge or the name whereas I think there can tend to be a bit of discipleship going on with some Linn and also Naim owners. Conversely there seem to be a body of people who regard them as 'non hifi' given what many consider to be their unrealistic pricing and slick image.

I am too old, and have spent too much money, to experiment too much now to be honest and I'll probably stick with them as a source until I hear something that betters it for me. The speakers are negotiable as I go from liking them a lot to hating them in the space of an hour sometimes. They are VERY selective about the sound you put through them. I am likely to save up a bit and really upgrade to something a bit more high end rather than go with something at the same level. Whatever you do there are ways you win and ways you lose.

 

[Pedro2]

Paul,

Couldn't agree more on Linn as a source. I heard Linn with Naim streamers and the Linn sounded better to my ears (as well as my wife's). The dealer also said that he preferred the Linn sound although he may have had a financial bias here.

As for swapping and changing as well as auditioning amps, speakers etc etc, you can go on an almost endless quest with almost limitless permutations. I won't be moving from Linn as a source anytime soon. I'm also on the verge of buying more Linn amplification which goes against much advice from a variety of sources. Trust your ears in your own room is the best I can say. Good luck with whatever you decide on and enjoy the music.

 

[fu140]

Hi Paulq,

Have you tried Space Optimisation with your DSM? I run a Majik DS into a Denon 2311 AVR with B&W CM8's (s1) and got a worthwhile improvement in sound after spending some time with it, sounds fantastic now! It is possible to raise the bass shelf and you might end up saving some money!

 

[Pedro2]

Quick update:

Having sold my Roksan Caspian last week and being (pleasantly) surprised by the quality of sound using the inbuilt power amp in the Majik DSM, just bought a second hand Linn power amp off fleabay. Amp in question is a Chakra 2200 from around 2010; now sold as Akurate 2200 with improved power supply. Rated output is 110 watts rms into 8 ohms.

The effects of a marked increase in power is obvious and not what you may first expect. It will go louder; however, this is not biggest bonus (we rarely, if ever, require nightclub sound levels). The music appears to project more from the speakers, instruments can be identified more easily and there is an improved timbre to a range of acoustic instruments. Got to say that the combination of Linn streamer, power amp and ATC scm11 is superb. There's bags of detail, effortless sound and it's highly musical. My conclusion has to be that Linn amps may sound awful with some speakers but not this amp with these ATCs.

I'm now tempted to upgrade the amp with the improved power supply. May resist this for a few weeks...

One happy listener*biggrin*

 

[Paulq]

Slight change of plan here since I last posted. For reasons I won't bore you with (house move), for around 12 months I will have to move my system into a much smaller room; one measuring around 12 x 11 feet. What's for sure is that I will never ever get the best out of the 140's in there so my plan is twofold:

1 - Put the 140's in storage for 12 months until such time I will move the system into a sufficiently large room. At that point I'll either take them Aktiv or flog 'em and, as stated above, buy something as a real upgrade.

2 - For now I plan to buy some decent standmounts for the Linn system. Possibly overkill but I ain't going a year without music. These standmounts, after 12 months, will then be the speakers for a second system in a different room. I'd be looking to pair them with either a Marantz NA6005/PM6005 combo using Powerline adapters to link to my NAS or something similar.

So, my question is now slightly different in looking at standmounts that would sound sufficiently good with that setup in a room that size. The obvious ones for me are the 685 s2's but someone mentioned ATC's and I am sure there are others? There's a danger in a room that size that they could either sound too sterile or too boomy though I want enough bass. Budget is around £500 and I'd be bi-amping them.

Any thoughts?

Thanks again for all the replies.

Edit; Demo for 685 s2's, MA Silver 1's, CM1's and Aria 906's tomorrow. Any others I should listen to?

 

[CnoEvil]

I know I sound like a one trick pony......but try the LS50s. They are cleaner, tighter and more detailed than the R Series and IMO. have traits that are better...they are a mini reference speaker at a budget price.

EDIT. Sorry, I seem to have lost the run of myself and now see they are out of budget.

 

[Paulq]

I know I sound like a one trick pony......but try the LS50s. They are cleaner, tighter and more detailed than the R Series and IMO. have traits that are better...they are a mini reference speaker at a budget price.

EDIT. Sorry, I seem to have lost the run of myself and now see they are out of budget.

Yeah and tbh I am gonna stick religiously to budget as this is very much a temporary measure and the start of a second system so I am not going to go mad. I'll 'probably' go for the 685's but will have a listen to others too. Will be good to have something to compare the 140's to in my own place. The 685's, on paper, are a 'downgrade' but they seem to get rave reviews everywhere so am looking forward to hearing them.

The bigger temptation I have is whether I buy the second system now despite having no intentions of using it for over a year 'til the house is finished. The CD6005 and PM6005 are both reduced......should I or shouldn't I? I am also very tempted with the NA6005 for the complete system. If I buy 'em all I am a dead man.

 

[CnoEvil]

My (in budget) suggestion would be Q Acoustics Concept 20.

 

[Paulq]

Well, today was demo 2 day and never expected the outcome to be what it was. Don't forget I was deciding, initially, which standmounts would replace the 140's temporarily. I started off with the B&W 685 s2's and had been really looking forward to hearing them. I had them on with my selected playlist for about 30 minutes and loved them (in the context of where they sit on the hierarchy).

I was then revisiting in my head, in that 'kid in a candy shop' kinda way I do when I am in a hifi shop, whether I should just bite the bullet and buy them or the CM8's. However, before I left I asked if I coulfd listen to a couple of the others mentioned.

Enter the Monitor Audio Silver 1's.

And I LOVED them. They had everything the 685's had and more. More mid range more treble and removed that slight 'veil' that the 685's had. Bass may be sacrificed a little but it is only a little if anything at all. I pumped them up and they utterly amazed me at their sound from such tiny cabinets.

I was sold. Absolutely sold.

However. Then I saw their floorstanders - Silver 8's and cheekily asked if I could have a listen and when I did I was absolutely in awe. Funnily I didn't actually feel that they were as hard hitting bass wise as the Silver 1's but they were almost the complete speaker to me. In addition to the sound their build was far and away nicer than the B&W's.

So it was decision time and in the end I plumped for the 8's. Whilst I am delighted I am still wondering whether I should have bought the silver 1's as well such was the deal they offered me but I figured I can't be bothered with the faff of swapping them over when I fancy a change. That may change after a night's sleep however as I really did like them.

So - Majik 140's are on their way albeit with a heavy heart to some extent. I wanted them to be everything but they are not (at least to my ears). The solace I am taking is now I don't have to invest in another 4 channels of amp to make them Aktiv.

Get the Silver 8's next week and can't wait. Just need to figure out whether I buy the 1's and the heavily discounted Marantz CD6005/PM6005/NA6000 and stick it in the loft for a year as well....

Decisions.

Funny how things turn out. The guy in the shop says that they absolutely rave about MA stuff and that they really rate them. Guess I'll see now.

 

[CnoEvil]

I'm glad you're finding the right sound for you. Good job.

 

[Paulq]

I'm glad you're finding the right sound for you. Good job.

Thanks. I have deliberately taken my time but got there in the end. I'd advise anyone looking for something similar to give them a listen.

In the meantime i am still cogitating over the Silver 1's...*biggrin*

 

[nopiano]

We really need your write ups as a sticky, Paulq, to show others how vital it is to "go and listen for yourself'! So glad you found what you really love.

Many years ago I worked part-time in a hifi shop, and it wasn't uncommon for people to ask whether they really needed to listen to the speakers. I used to say: Well you wouldn't choose wallpaper over the phone, so why would you buy hifi without hearing it?!

 

[Paulq]

We really need your write ups as a sticky, Paulq, to show others how vital it is to "go and listen for yourself'! So glad you found what you really love.

Many years ago I worked part-time in a hifi shop, and it wasn't uncommon for people to ask whether they really needed to listen to the speakers. I used to say: Well you wouldn't choose wallpaper over the phone, so why would you buy hifi without hearing it?!

Well thank you. I don't post much on here but when I do I try to give and take in equal measure.

What you say is true. You have to choose with your ears not other people's and I have learned over many years that the only way to find out what is right for you is to experiment and choose carefully based upon what YOU like. This process has been quite a long, at times frustrating one but the moment today when I found what I was looking for was rewarding. Not least for the very patient guys in the shop!

I guess I am lucky in some ways as I just 'know' what sound I want and I won't stop until I find it. If I don't find it I keep looking. Forums like this are invaluable for psople to make suggestions or give you signposts but, in the end, it's down to you.

Now, those Silver 1's.....*biggrin*