I have had my Kinki EX-M1 for a little over a year and love it. I am using it with the LUMIN D2 streamer w Tidal, a Yamaha CD-S2100 SACD player, PSB Imagine T3 speakers, Oyaide Black Mamba power cords and Morrow level 6 interconnects and speaker cables throughout. These components are complimentary and play as well together as any I have ever had in a system. I thank Nonoise, maritime52 and all others who called out the EX-M1. It is an absolutely fantastic integrated. I am listening to Mickey Hart’s Planet Drum as I type and cannot get over how good this sounds, and how much I am hearing that I just have not caught with other amplifiers. Thank you again everyone for bringing this integrated to everyone’s attention.
Kinki EX M1 user comments
I’m really happy with the sound of my EX M1, and I’d like to encourage folks to post their comments as they join the user base. I started using mine around August 24, and though I was skeptical about just how good the sound would be, or that it would improve over time, I was wrong on both counts.
Also, I hope folks will note engineering or other changes as they occur. So far, there is a gain switch and a ground jumper, and silver rather than black remotes versus the original.
Let’s start hearing from new users!
Also, I hope folks will note engineering or other changes as they occur. So far, there is a gain switch and a ground jumper, and silver rather than black remotes versus the original.
Let’s start hearing from new users!
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I'll be auditioning the Kinki next weekend. I've got JBL 4365's with Audio Note Kits Mentor preamp and locally made Hypex NC500 Class D mono blocks. While the Class D does a lot i like (bags of power, fantastic bass and midrange), I don't like the top end. It's thin and bright. So what this does is make average recordings unlistenable. I'm also having twins and want to simply my system as i won't have a lot of time to listen critically for a while to come. I also have a Kuzma Stabi Reference 2 turntable, RCM Sensor 2 phono stage and Audio Note Kits DAC 5.1. @d2girls, how does it sound with your JBL 4367's? |
Currently using the following: Zu Audio Soul Superfly mk. 1B Basis 1400 turntable w/ ortofon 2m bronze Jolida JD9 phono pre w/ upgraded clarity caps, op amps, and NOS tubes Cambridge Audio CXN streamer/DAC my cd collection is FLAC ripped lossless onto a NAS and I use TIDAL as well All cabling(power, ic, speaker) is zu audio mission |
In May, I got rid of some twenty year old gear and bought a Rotel rc/rb 1590 preamp/amp combo and rcd 1572 CD player thinking I was done. Sadly, I read Nonoise’s Kinki review and wondered.... Several months later, with and without a switch between the amps, using all the Rotel gear, a Nuprime dac10, a nuprime cdt 8 pro, and KEF R 900 speakers, my subjective conclusions are: 1. The Kinki just sounds better or smoother, though not greatly so, and I can listen to the Kinki for hours without fatigue, since the Rotel gear seems to have a slightly sharp edge; 2. The little Schitt Loki (with the Kinki) works wonders for problematic source or room conditions; 3. Both brands have wonderful, wide soundstage but the Rotel combo has somewhat superior 3d placement; and, 4. The Kinki’s detail, under identical conditions, with identical sources, is much more noticeable. So, I’ve made my decision. The Kinki will be my primary system, and Rotel secondary. Some will be surprised at my very subjective conclusions in that I merely “prefer” the Kinki, but these things are hard to quantify. I thought the matter in equipoise until I realized the Kinki is pleasing for hours on end. Sum: thanks a lot, Nonoise, as you cost She Who Must Be Obeyed a nicer Christmas. 🙀 |
Thanks @benlzy and @nonoise - very helpful. My room is certainly not ideal. I'll play with moving the speakers around. I've liked the detail with my current silver cables, so I'll demo some as an upgrade. With two weak links (dac and cables, well maybe 3 including the room), finding the ideal upgrade path is challenging for me. |
@veroguy, that must have been an older post as I use silver for my speaker cabling and have for quite some time. Right now I'm using Cabledyne Silver Synergy SCs and they work really well. They are 12 GA stranded silver with a copper woven shield and terminated with gold BFA bananas. Before that I used Tempo Electric SCs which are solid silver with oversized Teflon sleeving and bare ends. As much as I liked the Tempo Electric, the Cabledyne had better focus and tighter images, which sounds counter intuitive, but it is what it is. I have no brightness or aggressiveness but the images are stark and revealing with great extension, which is how I like it. I could always use a more romantic presentation but it always ends up at the expense of detail, air, separation, timbre, etc. All the best, Nonoise |
@veroguy I don’t think the glare is coming from the cables. I’m personally using a Kinki dac and ex-m1, and I have 3 silver power cords in my system from Cabledyne (Virtuoso & Synergy). Interconnects are silver ribbons from MG Audio Design and speakers are the Spatial M4TMs. If anything, I could do with an even brighter sound. Good quality silver cables don’t necessary add brightness. The Neutral Cable USB Reference is a solid core 7n silver usb cable, and it’s among the smoothest and most musical USB cables I’ve ever tried. A glare could be due to the room accentuating certain frequencies, and shifting your speakers around may help with it. Try that first before spending on cables. |
Hmm, I think they are plated copper. The cable is well known and regarded. I think it comes raw from Denmark. Look up granny, he can answer all your questions. He is a standup guy. He uses other cables, too, and may have a suggestion. If anything, the Rotel is likely not shrill. I have an rcd 1572, and had the legendary 990. |
Hey Kinki owners. I'm at 200+ hours on my EX-M1 and loving it. Was wondering which of you are using silver vs copper speaker cables. I'm currently using Audio Magic Xstream speaker cables. These are a silver-over-copper conducter cable - a budget Audio Magic cable that I purchased about 16 years ago. I think I paid about $250 for them. I want to upgrade the speaker cables. Was pretty set on auditioning the Signal Cable Silver Resolution Reference (silver), but then I noticed Nonoise' comments about getting better results with copper. I have a bit of glare in the highs - worse on some recordings, less on others. I'm using a Schiit Modi multibit dac, and I assumed this was it. 'Busted out an old Rotel HDCD player (PCM63 - a good budget player) to A/B, and there was pretty much little difference in the glare. Maybe both the schiit and rotel cd both have this signature, but it makes me lean towards the cables as the potential cause. Maybe copper will help smooth that out. For what it's worth, a dac upgrade is planned soon as well. I'll audition some copper cables too, but just wondering what you're using with your kinki today, and if you tried both copper and silver and what the results were. My speakers: Bryston Mini T's - 4ohms, 85db. Much appreciated if you can share your speaker cable setup/experiences with the Kinki. Maybe there's a trend there. VeroGuy |
That about sums it up. The reviewer felt the British gear had the edge with a bit more authoritative base. That can all change with a different set of speakers or cabling. I say that because my old Clear Wave Duet 6 monitors don't sound as good in the base with the Kinki when I use silver speaker cables, but is great with the copper cabling that I have. And, this all goes contrary to how it used to sound with my Marantz (good with copper but even better with silver). There are too many variables that aren't considered when the reviewer uses only one set up. All the best, Nonoise |
I wanted the review to be not so great because this unit is tempting me and I have just purchased another. Its funny though, I am a read between the lines kind of person and although I was reading the review really late last night, I came away thinking the reviewer considered the Kinki outstanding with just a little thinner bass than his reference. Mind telling me what made you think otherwise? |
Sometimes things don't translate perfectly. I think that's why some may think at times it sounded like the reviewer had a complaint. But he didn't as he bought the Kinki without a second thought. All he did was to view it comparatively against the British gear, which naturally did a couple of things better, or equaled. Thanks for the link, Mike. All the best, Nonoise |
Haven’t had a moment yet to really write up my thoughts on the kinky, busy with family matters and setting up things for the Jbl. I have been listening to the amp for quite a bit. But I got the JBL coming so now we got a whole new can of worms to open. Speaking of which, Christmas came early for me: https://imgur.com/a/1xpIG42 Huge congratulations! I love mine and I know you'll love yours. Enjoy! |
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