LINN aktiv vs passive biamping

Believe it or not, active cards take some time to burn in. My dealer installed mine in my two well-broken-in LK-140s, which drive Keilidhs. Though I did not track the change, it took a good couple of months for the cards alone to break in and begin to sound tuneful. It's such a gradual process that you probably won't notice it day to day; I remember listening one day and thinking "the dealer was right; these really have broken in." Plus, if your LK-85s are brand new, then you've got to make sure they're well broken in also. So, give it a little time, they'll come around! It's a very good excuse to listen to lots of music and crank the volume.

Also, you should notice that speaker placement becomes less of an issue with properly burnt-in cards and amps. However, you may want to double check, if possible, to make sure that your cards are installed properly and that your connection is correct in back of your Ninkas.

And finally, remember that you do have a treble level adjustment at the back of one amp now; it's a simple adjustment, easily achievable by ear. Be sure to check that your tweeters are not set to -2 or -1 db!

Have you adjusted the treble level on back of one of the LK-85s? If so, and they still sound flat, perhaps you oughtta call Linn in Jacksonville and ask them about card compatibility. If the Keilidhs formerly driven had the old tweeter, there may be a mismatch. You might want to open up the chassis and get the cards' S/Ns before you call. Just a thought!

The cards are exactly the same for Ninkas and Keilidhs; I have a pair of Keilidhs with new Ninka activ cards, in fact. I'm dissapointed to hear of your continued sound problems! I would begin to consider at this point the possibility that you may have a problem with the used cards. Perhaps you could even spring for a new pair of Ninka cards to solve the issue. The positive difference in sound between active and passive in my system was tremendous, one of the most dramatic improvements I've made. And speaker placement should not be that critical; yes, they can be farther from the wall, but you should actually have more flexibility in many ways. Don't settle 'til you get it right!