Linn Components

Cpdunn99:
Of course a correct point - Linn is one of the best audio companies in the world and recognized that way quite universally in the industry. It is just that here on Audiogon they don't have the same buzz as some other companies. As far as I can tell it is really a small, Audiogon phenomenon more than anything else.

Lugnut:
Wonderful to have your posts on this subject. From what I have been able to hear so far, I think you hit it right on the head pointing to Linn preamps as the source of limited dynamics, and not their power amps or sources. If you know anyone willing to sell a Supratek, let me know. I am very anxious to hear one (if any Supratek owner in Michigan reads this, PLEASE EMAIL ME - I'll happily buy a great lunch or dinner some weekend in Ann Arbor in exchange for an audition).

Mind you, Linn preamps have tremendous strengths of detail and refinement of their own. I had the chance to borrow a Klimax Kontrol for an evening - it is the sonic equivalent of a pane of glass - the music just passed through it purely, like magic. (This is quite out of my price range, unfortunately). On the used market, the Kairn is an incredible value, especially considering the phono stage.

I think you are also right about Linn marketing. I think they have annoyed some people with their approach over the years. Some of the cult-like stories about Ivor and the "only sound" thing do get a bit thick. Thankfully, as a whole, the equipment stands up remarkably well to the hype.

P.S. The etymology of “Lugnut” you posted yesterday is about the funniest and cleverest thing I’ve ever seen posted on this site. Thanks for the smiles!

Ross:
For what it is worth, the people whom I have been most impressed with in the audio business tend to deeply respect Linn, whether or not they sell it. Keep trusting your ears. I suspect like me, as you do you'll keep buying a lot of Linn stuff. It may not be the "only sound," but it is a mighty good one.

Overture Audio!! Tomryan we are in the same neck of the woods. This is my favorite audio shop by far - truly they are exceptional people. I hope to bump into you there some afternoon. I usually stop by at least once a week to get some records cleaned, or if not for that reason, then really any other excuse I can come up with.

Tomryan:
Very nice system from the looks of it. I'd love to get together some time and talk about tube preamps. That is the one area I really would like to explore and know next to nothing about. The only thing I've heard in my system is a Rogue Magnum 99, and it was way too slow and mushy. But people I trust swear by tube preamps, and I know there are many better options.

I have a very low tolerance for messing around with audio gear. In that sense at least, I am far from an audiophile. I just want reliable, easy to use equipment that makes the most involving music possible in my price range. This is one reason I love my Linn gear. At least based on my experience I really have no idea what our friend tomryan is talking about when he suggests the gear is somehow mysterious to use. It is about as simple as it gets. Of course, I really don't have first hand experience with the 20K CD 12, so I can’t speak to that.

"I have owned many different Amps and Pre Amps ,all but one were better than what I now have
and that is a Kairn Pro two LK140 and an Ikemi player.Much of what I had before cost a lot more."

Rossq: I'm not sure exactly what you are saying here, though your general positive sentiments about Linn are clear. You may have said exactly what you wanted or there may be a small error in language (such as I am prone to).

Are you saying: 1) that your Linn stuff sounds better than all but one amp/preamp combination you have owned and costs less, OR 2) (as it reads) that everything you have owned except one previous thing sounded better than the Linn, but that you are impressed with the value of Linn gear nonetheless?

Okay,Pat,you win. I am slow on the uptake, but I am finally getting the message. I'll try more tube preamp auditions and then get back to you.

"My experience is that Linn doesn't have that audiophile sound where you hear every naunce of air and irrelevant detail. Instead the music develops. There is all the detail present without focusing on the exteranious information. The music comes forth."

This is a nice comment and I think there is a lot of truth in it. My Ikemi, for instance, does not provide all the detail I heard in an Esoteric DV-50 I brought home to try. But the extra detail in the Esoteric did not add up to a better, more coherent musical message. Perhaps it was just because I was accustomed to the Ikemi, but I found it more involving and more musical.

I have listened to a fair amount of gear, and am always seeking to hear more. So far, as a whole, Linn is generally the best I have found for the money, and often much better than stuff that is MUCH more expensive.

Well, speakers may be the exception (caveat: I've never tried their stuff active). I will also say, although wonderfully accurate, well paced and neutral, Linn is not as dynamic as some gear - that is a legitimate complaint based on taste.

A lot of the complaints are far less legitimate. I've seen a fair amount criticism because as a company they aren't particularly interested in making heavy, macho equipment (think Krell). They use great sounding switch mode power supplies instead of heavy torriodal monsters, something that seems to baffle a lot of audiophiles who should know better. Linn also doesn't have a particular fetish for heavy, brushed aluminum - spending their time and money on what more directly effects sound. I have particularly heard this line of argument from dealers trying to sell 200+ lb amps against them, never mind nothing they sell sounds remotely as good. Some of these people will have the audacity to complain that Linn’s "build quality" is low, but Linn's quality record (established over 35 years) easily beats that of their brands.

Basically, I have decided a lot of people deriding Linn don’t know what they are talking about; some have agendas, and some have legitimate differences in taste.

A guy I bought a small piece of gear from last year, (a Linn remote, actually) has a story similar to but even more dramatic than those of Rossq and Clmorton. He started out with a Linn system in his youth, and then went all out into the different systems. He spent 70K on one, which he ended up selling in dissatisfaction, and then spent something like 60K on an all YBA system. He recently sold the YBA and bought a Linn system consisting of an Ikemi, a Kairn, and an LK 140 to go with some Sonus Faber Cremona Auditors. Total cost, including the Cremonas, was less than 15 K new. (He also has a maxed out LP 12 worth 10K, but had this with the other systems as well). He is ecstatic with his current system. As he puts it, he has tears in his eyes again when he listens to music - something entirely missing with the other systems.

Now, I do not believe that everyone is going to have this same response to Linn, nor is there anything wrong with your ears if you don't. For instance, if you like tubes, like tomryan, it seems to me you are pretty likely to find the gear unsatisfying. (The "blooming," "liquid" "organic" sound - what ever precisely these last two mean - is just not the Linn scene.) I actually am not sure I will ultimately be satisfied with the limited dynamics of their preamps. But the entry and midrange stuff in their line is really nothing less than remarkable for the money, especially on the used market.