The Linn DS / DSM thread

[CnoEvil]

I picked up my new MDSM yesterday. I want to demo new speakers and need a short list to source. I have a budget of about £1k and don't have any preferences between floorsstanders and stand mounts. I want speakers with exceptional soundstage and imaging. Thanks

I'm with Greg. Kef R Series and Tannoy are a good shout (imo). Linn's own speakers are worth trying, as well as Spendor and the new Sonus Faber Venere range.

Let us know how it goes.

 

[linleyw]

hello, new to the forum....

just ordered two Majik DS, replacing a series of (5) Arcam Solo Neos (wanted two) that were.......nossogood.

plan to run them as source through a Rotel RA-1312 (couldn't find a 1412) and RA-913, to ELAC 310 Jet CEs. Possibly a bit underspeakered, but as bookshelvers they're v.v. good.

Also bidding on a Rotel (Class AB) RA-2030, 'cos it looks fun.

Anyone else using a Linn DS on top of 70's vintage amps?

ETA - what's the output voltage on the Majik DS as a line out source? - shopping for interconnects and checking if i need attenuated cables. The Rotels' input sensitivity is 800mV and 1000mV for the 913 and 1312 respectively...

 

[CnoEvil]

hello, new to the forum....

just ordered two Majik DS, replacing a series of (5) Arcam Solo Neos (wanted two) that were.......nossogood.

plan to run them as source through a Rotel RA-1312 (couldn't find a 1412) and RA-913, to ELAC 310 Jet CEs. Possibly a bit underspeakered, but as bookshelvers they're v.v. good.

Also bidding on a Rotel (Class AB) RA-2030, 'cos it looks fun.

Anyone else using a Linn DS on top of 70's vintage amps?

Welcome to the forum..........and welcome to the Linn DS thread.

Please keep us abreast of your story and how it unfolds.

Cno

 

[linleyw]

Thanks CnoE

will do.... should be interesting, hopefully more satisfying than the Arcam fiasco...

 

[acalex]

Hello,

anybody knows how to install a previous versio of firmware? Cannot back easy intructions on Linn forum...

Thanks

 

[CnoEvil]

Hello,

anybody knows how to install a previous versio of firmware? Cannot back easy intructions on Linn forum...

Thanks

Do you prefer a previous version?

Is it access to the particular version, or is it the installation of it?...........maybe the dealer can help.

 

[acalex]

Hello,

anybody knows how to install a previous versio of firmware? Cannot back easy intructions on Linn forum...

Thanks

Do you prefer a previous version?

Is it access to the particular version, or is it the installation of it?...........maybe the dealer can help.

I just upgraded to 4.11.5 and it does not sound quite right...preffered the 4.9 I had before at a first quick listen

 

[CnoEvil]

Hello,

anybody knows how to install a previous versio of firmware? Cannot back easy intructions on Linn forum...

Thanks

Do you prefer a previous version?

Is it access to the particular version, or is it the installation of it?...........maybe the dealer can help.

I just upgraded to 4.11.5 and it does not sound quite right...preffered the 4.9 I had before at a first quick listen

I'm not good with this stuff, but does this help: http://products.linn.co.uk/VersionInfo/Downloads/Releases/

Linn claim upgrades don't change the sound, but I'm not so sure.....which is why I'm still on Cara.

 

[acalex]

Hello,

anybody knows how to install a previous versio of firmware? Cannot back easy intructions on Linn forum...

Thanks

Do you prefer a previous version?

Is it access to the particular version, or is it the installation of it?...........maybe the dealer can help.

I just upgraded to 4.11.5 and it does not sound quite right...preffered the 4.9 I had before at a first quick listen

I'm not good with this stuff, but does this help: http://products.linn.co.uk/VersionInfo/Downloads/Releases/

Linn claim upgrades don't change the sound, but I'm not so sure.....which is why I'm still on Cara.

Easier than I thought 🙂

Which version of Cara do you have please?

I put BR under my amp now... 🙂

 

[CnoEvil]

Easier than I thought 🙂

Which version of Cara do you have please?

I put BR under my amp now... 🙂

I use Cara 9, which I don't think can be installed if the DS originally came with Davaar.......you also lose some useful features (don't ask me to list them).

TBF I haven't compared it to Davaar, as I like the way it sounds.

What effect is BR having and have you tried it under the DS?.......it is usually recommended that you start at the Source and work forward from there.

 

[acalex]

Easier than I thought 🙂

Which version of Cara do you have please?

I put BR under my amp now... 🙂

I use Cara 9, which I don't think can be installed if the DS originally came with Davaar.......you also lose some useful features (don't ask me to list them).

TBF I haven't compared it to Davaar, as I like the way it sounds.

What effect is BR having and have you tried it under the DS?.......it is usually recommended that you start at the Source and work forward from there.

Nope as they did not send to me the big pad but only the Big Feet which are way too high for the DS...bit disappointing this distributor

btw, can you check in Konfig what's the version number of Cara you are using?

 

[CnoEvil]

Nope as they did not send to me the big pad but only the Big Feet which are way too high for the DS...bit disappointing this distributor

btw, can you check in Konfig what's the version number of Cara you are using?

Have you limited headroom, as I had Bigfeet under the chassis of my MDS?

I don't see the version of Cara 9 in Konfig.........probably me being inept.

Edit. Version is 3.9.1

 

[acalex]

Nope as they did not send to me the big pad but only the Big Feet which are way too high for the DS...bit disappointing this distributor

btw, can you check in Konfig what's the version number of Cara you are using?

Have you limited headroom, as I had Bigfeet under the chassis of my MDS?

I don't see the version of Cara 9 in Konfig.........probably me being inept.

Edit. Version is 3.9.1

🙂

Yes, i don't have enough headroom and don't like the visual effect...I will anyway try after I have assessed the amp like it takes a lot of time to position the pads under the Jadis (has ventilaiton holes at the bottom and a very unbalanced weight)

 

[CnoEvil]

🙂

Yes, i don't have enough headroom and don't like the visual effect...I will anyway try after I have assessed the amp like it takes a lot of time to position the pads under the Jadis (has ventilaiton holes at the bottom and a very unbalanced weight)

Is it helping the sound of the Jadis, or robbing it of impact............or having no effect at all.

 

[linleyw]

Evening gents

sorry to cut across the tech. query., but just to say my two Majik DSs arrive tomorrow - sort of excited but perturbed by the.......tech queries.

all bearing in mind I bounced back two Arcam Solo Neos prior to the Majik purchase because of, mainly, shocking quality compared to other Arcam stuff I have plus connectivity and "logic" (software bugs) issues.

Otherwise, I've encountered a different issue, unrelated to the Majiks, but related in the sense the issue is part of the bigger system picture....

specifically, I have become an accidental collector of 70's ROTEL amps and my latest acquisitions have suddenly exposed my speakers limitations.

I've got two ROTEL RA-913 integ. amps (rated 60W/channel but that's conservative) which for years have paired well with Naim N-SATs and ELAC 310 JET CE's (the latter is the better speaker of that choice)

In the last week I've acquired (and boy did I have to pay a ransom) a ROTEL RA-1312 (google is our friend) AND a (no ransom required ) ROTEL RA-2030, rated 80 and 100/channel respectively.

I've only tested the 1312 so far - using my old Linn Classik as a CD source, pending delivery of the Majik DSs - and my ELAC bass drivers can't cope at anything beyond moderate volume, that's 50 of 70 odd on the Classik and 50% volume on the ROTEL.

Bringing it back to the Majiks, any advice on a compact high end speaker (compact <30cm cube) that can handle bass from 40HZ or less AND 150W/channel nominal? Those ROTELs def. punch much harder than their official ratings..... Having invested in the Majiks, I'd like to fully enjoy the benefit.

I do have some ELAC floorstanders too (FS189) in a different room but there they will stay, so I am an ELAC fan, but the 330CE model I think MIGHT fit the brief come in at £3000 a pair!

Any tips?

 

[CnoEvil]

Evening gents

sorry to cut across the tech. query., but just to say my two Majik DSs arrive tomorrow - sort of excited but perturbed by the.......tech queries.

all bearing in mind I bounced back two Arcam Solo Neos prior to the Majik purchase because of, mainly, shocking quality compared to other Arcam stuff I have plus connectivity and "logic" (software bugs) issues.

Otherwise, I've encountered a different issue, unrelated to the Majiks, but related in the sense the issue is part of the bigger system picture....

specifically, I have become an accidental collector of 70's ROTEL amps and my latest acquisitions have suddenly exposed my speakers limitations.

I've got two ROTEL RA-913 integ. amps (rated 60W/channel but that's conservative) which for years have paired well with Naim N-SATs and ELAC 310 JET CE's (the latter is the better speaker of that choice)

In the last week I've acquired (and boy did I have to pay a ransom) a ROTEL RA-1312 (google is our friend) AND a (no ransom required ) ROTEL RA-2030, rated 80 and 100/channel respectively.

I've only tested the 1312 so far - using my old Linn Classik as a CD source, pending delivery of the Majik DSs - and my ELAC bass drivers can't cope at anything beyond moderate volume, that's 50 of 70 odd on the Classik and 50% volume on the ROTEL.

Bringing it back to the Majiks, any advice on a compact high end speaker (compact <30cm cube) that can handle bass from 40HZ or less AND 150W/channel nominal? Those ROTELs def. punch much harder than their official ratings..... Having invested in the Majiks, I'd like to fully enjoy the benefit.

I do have some ELAC floorstanders too (FS189) in a different room but there they will stay, so I am an ELAC fan, but the 330CE model I think MIGHT fit the brief come in at £3000 a pair!

Any tips?

What about Dynaudio S 1.4......not sure if it fits the bill.

 

[linleyw]

Thanks Cno

A good call on that brief.....

ELAC have recently taken their UK distribution in house, to which end there may be unsold stock about at the (former) main dealers.

The FS189s had a RRP of £2k but i paid £720 for them brand new, sealed box- if i can pick up the 330CEs for £1k i'll be happy, but as a (relatively) high end item, not sure if anyone held stock....

Otherwise, scratching my head, because both the amp and source deserve a good speaker

 

[linleyw]

well, the pair of MAjik DSs are here.

when will "plug n play" actually come to mean "plug n play?" - i've been hearing that promise for about 15yrs and it's never come good to date.

The problems I'm having - even with dealer remote access to my PC are....

1) wireless connectivity only - despite everything being Cat6 cabled, ethernet over powerline through Devolo 500s and a (wired) system speed confirmed capability of 1Gbps

2) internal volume off setting and default Majik volume of 50 means even my 60W Rotel amps (albeit worth a bit more than the conservative rating) are ready to shred my speaker bass drivers by 10:30 on the volume clock.

Incidentally, using the Majik internal volume control has a BIG impact on quality, verging on massive impact.

3) Something on my PC is block UpnP connectivity - neither myself nor the Linn dealer (having gone through McAfee etc) can't think what.

My Synology DS412+ 4TB NAS drive comes back at some expense from Russ Andrews on friday. Bearing in mind I can't even access a playlist from my PC at this stage, I forsee yet more frustration ahead.

My "big" amps are off for a service - as it stands I'll be lucky to run the Majiks through them past 8 o clock on the Rotel vol pots.......

On the upside, net radio res/playback is awesome - as long as the Majik internal vol control is off...

Had to buy some ProAc D2s today, those big amps were ready to rip the Elac 310CEs apart.....

Anyone else been through this and found their way to the other side?

 

[CnoEvil]

Anyone else been through this and found their way to the other side?

I have a friend in IT who sorted my network, and then my dealer installed it for me.........otherwise I would probably have suffered a similar fate.

 

[linleyw]

lol - thanks Cno - i feel ever so much better for that! :help:

 

[CnoEvil]

lol - thanks Cno - i feel ever so much better for that! :help:

Always happy to help. :shifty:

 

[Neuphonix]

well, the pair of MAjik DSs are here.

when will "plug n play" actually come to mean "plug n play?" - i've been hearing that promise for about 15yrs and it's never come good to date.

The problems I'm having - even with dealer remote access to my PC are....

1) wireless connectivity only - despite everything being Cat6 cabled, ethernet over powerline through Devolo 500s and a (wired) system speed confirmed capability of 1Gbps

2) internal volume off setting and default Majik volume of 50 means even my 60W Rotel amps (albeit worth a bit more than the conservative rating) are ready to shred my speaker bass drivers by 10:30 on the volume clock.

Incidentally, using the Majik internal volume control has a BIG impact on quality, verging on massive impact.

3) Something on my PC is block UpnP connectivity - neither myself nor the Linn dealer (having gone through McAfee etc) can't think what.

My Synology DS412+ 4TB NAS drive comes back at some expense from Russ Andrews on friday. Bearing in mind I can't even access a playlist from my PC at this stage, I forsee yet more frustration ahead.

My "big" amps are off for a service - as it stands I'll be lucky to run the Majiks through them past 8 o clock on the Rotel vol pots.......

On the upside, net radio res/playback is awesome - as long as the Majik internal vol control is off...

Had to buy some ProAc D2s today, those big amps were ready to rip the Elac 310CEs apart.....

Anyone else been through this and found their way to the other side?

For me it was pretty much plug'n'play, sorry to hear it hasn't been a smooth introduction for you.

I'm sure that you've probably already checked it out, but you'll probably find much more help over on the Linn forum than here. The trouble shooting section is full of helpful tricks and advice, I have found them to be fairly responsive when ever I've had any questions.

1) The DS likes to be on its own sub-net. So if you haven't already done so, run a second switch/router off your primary one & plug the DS into that.

2) What uPNP device are you using? iPad? With Twonky or Minimserve?

3) I used to have the internal vol control disabled when I first started using my DS. But having it on gave me more flexibility when using my iPad. I def did NOT notice any SQ degredation after re-enabling it. This is not right, sounds like a firmware issue, or perhaps a faulty unit?

4) I have heard of some people having less than satisfactory experiences when using their DS wirelessly. Obviously Linn have given this feature and yes it should work, but they do recommend a hard wired connection where possible. I'm wondering if your ethernet over power might be causing issues?

5) I take it that you haven't been using your NAS drive up until this point?

 

[linleyw]

Thanks Neuphonix - you raise some interesting points.

In reverse order - my NAS drive is on its way back from Russ Andrews ripping service (600CDs!) - chose Synology DS412+ for (touted) ease of integration.

At the moment both Majiks are only operating wirelessly, although before the dealer got involved with remote setup, I had radio through ethernet over powerline.

Windows (printers and devices) can see the Majiks, but Konfig and/or the install CD cannot.

Choosing "play through Linn..." from Windows returns "unknown device error"

The Majiks (via Kinsky on iPhone & iPad) can see my Windows music library but will not play it, with the Majik display just sticking on uPNP - although bizarrely FLAC files on my desktop DO play!

I will look into a sub net and indeed check the Linn.co.uk forums

Appreciate your input...

 

[Neuphonix]

I use a Mac, so not hugely PC friendly.

What uPNP server are you using on the PC? Twonky? Or have you installed songcast?

CD ripping service? Was that expensive? I'm just over halfway through my collection at the moment.

 

[linleyw]

Songcast.....

Russ Andrews charged me £50 collect and return for 600CDs and 60p a CD. They also configured the 4TB Synology DS412+ NAS drive for me (including changing a bad seagate HDD at cost - £60) that I'd bought on Amazon, so - for the sake of getting it done properly - I didn't think that overly expensive.

Lol, of course, once we'd got chatting, they levered (let me think) about £1000 out of me for Kimber 8VS cable (2 x 2.5m pairs and 2 x 4.5m pairs), another £160 for 4 x springclip adapter pairs and £500 odd for 2 pairs of Kimber silver streak interconnects.

Oooooo I hadn't tallied it up til spelling it out herein - best not think about it too hard 😱

On top of that, fit of madness, I've acquired a Rotel RA-1312 monster integrated amp, plus a Rotel RA-2030 Class AB, early LED indicator rather than VU meter integrated amp, rated at 85 and 100WPC respectively (though they punch MUCH harder than that) to go under my pair of Rotel RA-913s. The "new" amps are keen to rip the guts out of my ELAC 310CE bookshelfs, so ProAc D2s on their way.

Still, I've got my Classik Musik (which the Majik DSs are replacing) - what a wonderful trouble-free box that was (no irony), a pair of Naim N-SATS (what a dull pair of speakers THEY were), the ELACs will have to go too - 2 pairs of 310Jets (one with the late Crystal Edition drivers), all on the Bay.

Sitting on a mint and original Technics SL1100 turntable (SL1200s antecedent) as well as a SL1200 MkII - but the 1100 has to be a keeper - v rare in this condition.

Some progress today - Kinsky is working on iPad and Iphone, so I've access to rips as well as radio now, albeit without Kinsky functionality on my PC - still working on it.

The NAS drive arrives tomorrow........we'll see.

Have to say, running through the vintage kit, sounds great - clarity and accuracy of the modern source through the depth and soul of the 70s amps.

I'll be biamping the speakers next, the 60WPC Rotels sitting on top of the 85/100WPC ones - will look frankly ridiculous but will hopefully sound wonderful. Can't leave it all sat in a cupboard.

My exercise has managed to clarify one point for anyone else considering combining Sneaky/Majik/Akurate/Klimax with old transistor amps - Line Out on the Linn is 80 Gain, so it IS necessary to use the Linn internal volume control, or suffer very limited volume control (meaning a choice of Loud/Extra Loud/Uncomfortably loud/Blown speakers in about 20dB increments)

can "one" post pics on this forum?