linn streamers/products

[Andrewjvt]

Confusing product ranges?
Vague specs differences between the ranges?
Overpriced?
Ive recieved emails from peter tyson advertising linn and i find it all confusing - the way linn market themselves.
Anyone else feel like that?

linn streamers look good.

 

[Frank Harvey]

Dunno about the Linn range, but you know my stance - there is no need for high end streamers any more because of products like the Innuos Zenith.

 

[muljao]

Would it make more sense to buy a cheaper functional streamer that does many formats and has a digital out and put the money into a separate DAC (Linn or something else)?

Just wondering as this would seem to me to guarantee good sound quality also

 

[Frank Harvey]

Would it make more sense to buy a cheaper functional streamer that does many formats and has a digital out and put the money into a separate DAC (Linn or something else)?

Just wondering as this would seem to me to guarantee good sound quality also

Zenith. USB to DAC. Control Zenith directly via app.

 

[Al ears]

Confusing product ranges? Vague specs differences between the ranges? Overpriced? Ive recieved emails from peter tyson advertising linn and i find it all confusing - the way linn market themselves. Anyone else feel like that?

linn streamers look good.

Yes.

Linn seem to have lost their way considering other lower priced items available now. Overpriced? Definetly.

 

[paulkebab]

Would it make more sense to buy a cheaper functional streamer that does many formats and has a digital out and put the money into a separate DAC (Linn or something else)?

Just wondering as this would seem to me to guarantee good sound quality also

+1

 

[Andrewjvt]

The confusing way in which Linn are marketing the different products.

Some are expensive then others are very very expensive but what is different in the design that justifies the cost difference.

Ive seen nothing in the marketing to explain why?

 

[nopiano]

I think Linn still rely heavily on the dealer demonstration. They always did, at least since the days in the mid-70s where they successfully rubbished the heavyweight Japanese designs - and we are talking turntables here - and teamed up with Naim and other mostly British cottage industries to create PRAT.

The current designs are pricy, but they do seem very dependable and the Klimax range is amazing. (I heard a system of these about three years ago at some length and it was pretty spectacular). You do need deep pockets, and rather than reduce their prices they've gone to ever great heights and pricing.

A few hours on Linn's forum will give you a better insight. If you buy into their approach it's pretty irresistible, but it isn't so obvious a choice to integrate with a regular hifi system, once you get beyond the Sneaky and Majik ranges

 

[Pedro]

I must check out that Innuos device. Never heard of that company and my country (Portugal) isn't really known for hi-fi products...

 

[lindsayt]

I think Linn still rely heavily on the dealer demonstration. They always did, at least since the days in the mid-70s where they successfully rubbished the heavyweight Japanese designs - and we are talking turntables here - and teamed up with Naim and other mostly British cottage industries to create PRAT.

The current designs are pricy, but they do seem very dependable and the Klimax range is amazing. (I heard a system of these about three years ago at some length and it was pretty spectacular). You do need deep pockets, and rather than reduce their prices they've gone to ever great heights and pricing.

A few hours on Linn's forum will give you a better insight. If you buy into their approach it's pretty irresistible, but it isn't so obvious a choice to integrate with a regular hifi system, once you get beyond the Sneaky and Majik ranges

But they didn't rubbish the heavyweight Japanese turntables via dealer dems.

I am not aware of any UK Linn dealers that demo'd Japanese statement turntables. It was divide and conquer.

If they had provided non-knobbled demos of such kit, it's the LP12 that would have been rubbished.

It was the hi-fi press of the time, getting on the Linn bandwagon that hyped-up Linn and talked down higher end Japanese kit.

 

[Andrewjvt]

Like to know more ahout the insides also.

 

[lindsayt]

Surface mount technology. The machuned from solid case will add significantly to the manufacturing cost. It's debatable how much, if anything, the case adds to the sound quality.

 

[Andrewjvt]

But what makes one about £2000 and the other £20000?

Looks like a miniture car battery in that one lol

I wonder

 

[Paulq]

As a long time Linn owner I must admit I am biased but also not blind enough to agree with some of the sentiment surrounding overpricing and confusion around product offerings. That said, I've also listened to a lot of stuff over the years and have yet to hear anything, at ots price point, as analogue sounding as the Akurate DSM I have right now. It's not to everyone's taste though, clearly.

Here's a genuine question though - had I plumped for something like a Cambridge Audio CXN and used a digital out into my separate DAC then analogue out into my power amp - would there be an argument that this would give me equally good SQ?

I did actually consider that kind of set up before buying the Linn but never got around to demoing a cheaper setup. I am genuinely interested in whether the higher priced stuff is actually worth it. Many say it's the name you pay for - Im not sure either way.

 

[Kubs]

Hi David, is there much of a difference between the mini Zen and the SSD appart from storage space .... I'm interested from a sound quality point of view ?

 

[Frank Harvey]

Hi David, is there much of a difference between the mini Zen and the SSD appart from storage space .... I'm interested from a sound quality point of view ?

There is, but I'd say it depends on the system as to whether it is fully worthwhile going for the Zenith, although, many might say it is worth it purely for the difference heard at an Innuos event last year. Through a relatively high end system, it was clear that the Zenith was superior with regards to just how clean and smooth it sounded. It lost the "edge" that was apparent in the Zen - but I don't mean that in any negative way towards the Zen, because it is bloody good on its own, and worth the outlay over the Zen Mini in any decent separates system. You could very easily listen to it for hours on end with zero fatigue.

Through my own system, it's the best I've ever heard, and a pretty big step up from the Zen Mini it replaced. I don't know what sort of cost you'd put on the DAC section of the Classé Sigma SSP pre-amp, but whatever that cost would be, add it to the £3,299 of the Zenith and you have something that, in my opinion, is easily competing with high end CD players, and I'm talking players of five figures. Just my opinion.

Then there's the speed as well., due to its SSD drives. With a good control app, like Moon's Mind app, music choice is lightning fast, almost unbelievable how it keeps up with however fast you'd like to go.

I think for many, as it was for me, it's as good as you could ever rip and store CDs and digital files, with the aid of silent SSD drives and the triple linear power supply. Low noise floor. Low noise USB connection into a DAC of your choice, and where do you go from there? I'd be interested to hear the Chord Dave in place of my Sigma to see just how good the Zenith can ultimately sound. Then again, I'd rather not!

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Interesting to read that there isn't a need for high end streamers any more but on the other hand there is a need for high end cables *biggrin*

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Kubs]

Thanks David - appreciate your view.

So the innuos would replace my Squeezebox and NAS drive? But I'll still need a stand alone DAC?

Does my system warrant a Zen mini or zenith?

Sorry for all the questions ... The range does intrigue me .....

 

[manicm]

Confusing product ranges? Vague specs differences between the ranges? Overpriced? Ive recieved emails from peter tyson advertising linn and i find it all confusing - the way linn market themselves. Anyone else feel like that?

linn streamers look good.

It's not confusing at all if you follow it for a while. And anyway Linn products are no more expensive or confusing than Naim products.

 

[Andrewjvt]

Confusing product ranges? Vague specs differences between the ranges? Overpriced? Ive recieved emails from peter tyson advertising linn and i find it all confusing - the way linn market themselves. Anyone else feel like that?

linn streamers look good.

It's not confusing at all if you follow it for a while. And anyway Linn products are no more expensive or confusing than Naim products.

 

 

Whats goes in the insides of the top model that makes it about 10 times more expensive that the cheap one?

 

[manicm]

I never claimed to know the innards, but I'm sure the Linn engineers would answer your question at Linn site.

The Akurate and Klimax streamers used to share the same DAC, but that may have changed with the new Katalyst upgraded Klimax that WHF has just reviewed.

Klimax being top of range.

 

[Frank Harvey]

Interesting to read that there isn't a need for high end streamers any more but on the other hand there is a need for high end cables *biggrin*

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

Just quality cables, suitable for the system in question.

And as for high end streamers, no, there's no need if your DAC has a USB input.

 

[manicm]

Davidf, by USB input you're implying playback from PC, correct?

 

[Andrewjvt]

Davidf, by USB input you're implying playback from PC, correct?

A dedicated music server like the zenith.

 

[Frank Harvey]

Davidf, by USB input you're implying playback from PC, correct?

As well as streaming over the network or wirelessly in the conventional way, there are apps you can use to control the Zenith directly, and use it more as a "local" player. As the Zenith is fully digital, connect via USB into a USB equipped DAC and away you go. Think of it as almost like CD transport but for digital files.