linn streamers/products

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Pedro2

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Nov 29, 2010
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I've just looked at the Innuos website and their products look very good. However, am I right in thinking that the Zenith Mk.II STD streamer also requires an external DAC? If so, then it comes in at a price that's not too far off the 'cheaper' Linn streamers (with their on-board DACs).

I got into streamed music some years ago now and replaced an Arcam CD player with a Squeezebox Duet player. This in turn was replaced by a Squeezebox Touch + external DAC before the first Linn arrived; a newly produced Majik DSM with its multiple inputs (including HDMI pass through for TV, DVD etc) as well as Airplay. It also had its own built-in power amp. It sounded great and was only let down (IMO) by the quality of the power amp (which was why I continued to use a Roksan Caspian power amp).

The Linn was compared to Naim streamers in the shop with both my wife and I preferring the house sound of Linn (you either prefer one or the other - they have different flavours!)

Then, more recently, I bought a Linn Akurate DSM on Fleabay for a reasonable price and the Majik was sold. I am not, however, a fully paid up member of the Linn appreciation society! Their amps are not to everyone's taste (including mine) and I'm also not convinced by some of their speakers (although I haven't heard too many of these and over the years, there have been lots). They also appear to be going down an intricate active route (or aktiv in Linn speak). Finally, many of their products are expensive and there are cheaper (or much cheaper) alternatives.

So why bother with Linn? Their streamers do sound good and as you rise through the food chain, very good and with the latest incarnation of the Linn Klimax, outstanding (if you read the recent reviews). Are they worth the money? This depends on how much you have to spend and how much you listen to music etc etc. I would say buying a decent Linn streamer second hand is definitely worth considering.

Would I consider buying from another manufacturer? At a push, probably; especially if it had Spotify Connect built in (Linn streamers currently only support Tidal and Qubuz - very annoying). It would, however, have to be supremely musical and have no listener fatigue whatsoever. I can honestly state that the Linn Akurate meets this criteria and I can only begin to imagine what the Klimax can do. They are great machines and those that get them, usually stay with Linn.
 

Frank Harvey

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Jun 27, 2008
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Pedro2 said:
I've just looked at the Innuos website and their products look very good. However, am I right in thinking that the Zenith Mk.II STD streamer also requires an external DAC? If so, then it comes in at a price that's not too far off the 'cheaper' Linn streamers (with their on-board DACs).
Yes, the current Innuos products, including the solid state based Zenith, are purely digital, so would need an external DAC. My thinking is coming from the angle that the user already has a high quality DAC (or integrated/pre-amp with integral DAC), or maybe wants to leave themselves open to changing their DAC as and when they need/want to. This also gives the buyer a choice of the DAC they use too.
 
davidf said:
MUSICRAFT said:
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.

Quality cables good enough for high end are available from local pro shop, electrical store and the market for not much money. And in a way you get on with life rather then have to wait for a running in. Plug, play and forget.

I guess there is a need for high end DAC's as it looks like that way is being paved *biggrin*
 

manicm

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davidf said:
Linn's £15,800 streamer doesn't do DSD?! *scratch_one-s_head*

A Zenith and a Chord Dave would be an interesting comparison...
Linn are committed to 'open source' i.e. no proprietary formats. I'm just stating their blurb. A Linn marketing official over at their forum has caused a zealous anti MQA tirade among members/owners.
 

Frank Harvey

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Jun 27, 2008
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manicm said:
davidf said:
Linn's £15,800 streamer doesn't do DSD?! *scratch_one-s_head*

A Zenith and a Chord Dave would be an interesting comparison...
Linn are committed to 'open source' i.e. no proprietary formats. I'm just stating their blurb. A Linn marketing official over at their forum has caused a zealous anti MQA tirade among members/owners.
Yeah, I didn't see Linn's name on the MQA partners list...
 

celsius

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Oct 21, 2008
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I looked at the innuos at the indulgence show last year and I am of the opinion that it is a very expensive vortexbox clone and offers nothing hardware wise that so many other servers have ie cocktail audio,melco the only difference between them all is the custom software .I bought an auralic aries mini for £449 although it doesn't rip cd's it has a dac,upto 2tb storage plays all files except mqa has an excellent software app for ios
 

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