Tda,
What kind of speakers are they? do you have other linn gear as well? do you plan to take the speakers activ, or bi/tri amp'ed? ive heard both the solos and the chakra twin on akurate 212 with klimax kontrol, magic cd. the twin is the best 2 channel amp ive heard...the solos are great, and are indeed better...i think the twin is underrated perhaps...the solos get a lot more press becasue when activ and using solos..if someone can afford activ klimax amps...then why not go for the solos vs the twin...heck whats another 30K!!! either amp is amazing..the solo is just SO strong...but yet effortless... i think your source and other gear as well as your upgrade plans (if any) will determine which way to go. good luck |
This is a very timely issue for me. I bought a Chakra Twin last November and really loved it. The only concern was that I have a pretty big room and I really wanted more kick at the low end. So I found a relatively good deal on a pair of used Solos a few weeks ago. It does offer that extra kick, but I must say that the Chakra otherwise sounded just as good at half the price. I sometimes wonder if I should unload the Solos and save a few grand! |
I do not know how true it is, I read a couple of times from a Japenese audio Magazine---Stereo Sound---that the Chakra Twin has the reputation in Japan that it sounds better than the Solos. It does make sense though, as you have pointed out, the Twin benifited from the new Chakra technolodgy.
I have been using a Chakra Twin along with a Kontrol for about a year, I love them. My reason for getting the Twin was mostly finacial, I have not tried the Solos myself. |
Hi
Its strickly 2 channel
and no active card with the wonderfull voiced cremonas.
speakers are Sonus fabers Cremona floorstander
I have heard the cremonas with the chakra 5 channel amp in a 2 channel setup with the linn undisk sc
the amp where 100 watt to each speaker.
The sound where so profoundly musical and amazing that i sat with open mouth and goosspots allover.
My source is the slimdevics Transporter wich have been moddified to the nighth degree.
Its very musical and it is as good as the cd12 to my ears is t better in every way.
I have actually not heard enything remotly close to its preformands but it took some work to get it there
It also has volume control so i dont need a preamp.
So the setup Will Transporter into poweramp/amps into cremonas
I have another amp the tact millennium wich i will never parden with and will use in anothet setup.
But when it was away for upgrades i hooked the Transporter up with a littel icepower power amp and used the volume conrol on the transporter just as i would with the klimax amps.
And it just sounded amazing.
regards |
Money is also a factor but the solos can be bourgt now for a reasonble amounth of money.
My speaker are not very power hungry and the room is small 17sqm .
Why diddent linn upgrade the solos with chakra power like the klimax twin ?
Im the kind who likes to know that the product is have is the best in the companys line for my aplication that is
And the solos are 8 years old .
The are many other fine swichmode amps out there for much lesss mony with the latest parts and so on.
The klimax chakra twin still is still a new version amp and on the secondhand marked i could buy it for the same money as say the Nuforce ref 9 se or the kharmas matrix mp150
regards |
I have the chakra twin, klimax kontrol, unidisk 1.1 and magico minis. I have pondered the same thing but did not want to buy an 8 year old amp. My system sounds awesome and is very wife friendly, so I have stopped looking and spent my money buying more CDs. My dealer told me that aside from more power, that the difference would be subtle changing to the solos. Further, he told me Linn has no plans to update the solos or the klimax line for a while--except for a cd-12 replacement of which they are very tight lipped about. |
Its kind of hard to find out the truth since i dont have the priveledge to test them side by side.
One guy here in denmark have the solos and the Linn Akurate 242
He keeps saying that the solos are better then the chakra hands down.
Reason he says is that the amps are just better made then the chakra twin .
But he is kind of a linn relegion fundamentalists and dossnt mind enyone calling him that
so i dont trust his words completly.
Maybe the Akurate 242 likes alot off juice and there for the solos are better sounding.
I dont know but if im buying the klimax amp it will be secondhand the retail price of the klimax amps is simply way over what i will ever pay for them even if it was 8 years ago so i do not have the chance to demo them at home before buying.
regards |
Thanks for the replays it sounds like for my application the klimax chakra twin sounds like the way to go.
Would still like to hear from people that have heard them side by side.
Enyway the chakra amps
have enyone compared them to the klimax twin chakra or the solos.
The chakra c2200 is the 200 watt mono amp.
I have infact heard the klimax chakra twin with unidisk 1.1 and unknown preamp and linn speakers.
i was no way nere as impressed as i was with the chakra amp and the unidisk sc and the cremonas as described above.
I know it was a different room diffrent speakers and so one
i also know now that 60% of the magic i heard was the cremonas thats why the are in my room know.
Should have the chakra 2200c on my list if soundkvality is more important then money ?
regards |
In my 2 cents, your Cremonas are already sweet sounding speakers, matching them with the Chakra Twin would give you even more sweetness and musicality, on the other hand, with the solos you would get extra speed, weight, and control. By direct comparison, the advantage of the solos would be more apparent, but it may not necessarily be the better choice.
In case you want more opinion, you may seek them on a Linn's forum: http://lists.topica.com/lists/linn/read |
Wenrhuang
Thanks for the link i have allready moved the questian over there.
The sound i heard with the cremonas and the chakra c2200 was not sweet as it many times is with other amps and the cremonas.
What i heard was somthing i have never heard before
very neutral and light at first .
What blew me away with that combo was that songs i have heard plenty of thimes started out soundig a littel as i recalled them but more emotinal and then out of nowhere when the music swiched in to Another gear (klimax) a massiv explosion of beatiful music and sounds came out at me in a way that left me speechless.
Many amps out there have a tendesi i think so sound dynamic all the time and even more tend to be bass heavy all the time thats a good thing when you listend to trash metal
But the chakra to my ears in that setup with the cremonas was xtremly neutral and light feeted when the music was but as describd above it pulls you in and blosoms when the music peaks .
Have enyone else had that experince wihe linn amps ?
regards |
Tda 2200,
I feel the same way as you do about Linn's amps, they are more about refinement than brute power, but when required, they provide the goods too. My Chakra Twin gives better control, and sounds more powerful than my previous amp of which rated at double the Twin's power on paper.
It would be interesting to see what you end up getting. Let us know if you will. |
Wenrhuang
I will diffently report back with my findings.
Only thing that puzzels me, are there eny other of the newer swichmode amps that will sound like the klimax chakra? or is what i heard that day only possible with linn chakra power.
The nuforce REF SE amps and icepower amps i have heard diddent sound like the linn at all .
But it was in unknown setups with much different speakers. |
just one other thing to consider...are you certain your going to keep you speakers for a long long time and not want to upgrade....not that they great speakers, but im sure you may be a bit like the rest of us and get crazy upgrade bug...so if you move up, will the twin still do it for you? id love to have a pr of solos running sf anniversairy speakers....thats got to be heaven!! |
Hi jaf
Actually the Amati anniversario is the spekaer i will upgrade to.
Right know my room can barly work with the cremonas and the anniversarios have a much more full and deep sound.
but in a couple of years or less i will have a bigger room and by then the anniverasrios can be bourgt secondhad at a fair price.
The cremonas are heaveen for me really only the annies seemed better and still musical as the cremonas are.
I can see that the solos would be better if i get the annies in the future but from a finansial point of view getting the chakra twin now and then just waith a couple of years seems like the best way.
what still borthers me with the solos is the are 8 years old
I cant imagin it be long before Linn dos somthing to there klimax series or make somthing new and better causing the solos price to drop even further just saw that there is a pair of solos for under 10 k
The klimax chakra twin just seems like a no brainer for now
unless linn offers a upgrade to the solos soon.
thanks |
Uhhh, I could be wrong about this, so check with a Linn engineer to be sure...
The Chakra design was to Enhance AND PROTECT the fragile and vulnerable Mosfets that are in the Klimax Twin.
The Klimax Solos have ONLY bipolars. It would be silly to augment Bipolar transistors with MORE Bipolar transistors.
|
Hi Dfarmer
Just to make sure i understand you right
So basicly The twin have a different layout then the solos ?
And there for even if the twin now is the chakra twin the solos are better made still.
am i getting it right?
regards |
i just wanted this thread to know that i getting the solos
Found a pair from 2002 at a fair price
i will post my findings when the are here.
i heard the klimax chakra the other day with majik frontend and i was so releafed because now i know that the linn klimax are right up my ally i simplt loved it
it sounded like if it wassent there
only the music was heard and it boggies to
A littel lean but based on my experinces with top notch frontends i know that the leannes disapears when a amp gets its signal from my frontend.
I also know now why the linn amps sound more then fantastic with the cremonas .
regards |
Tda,
Congrats!! youve made a wise choice. Ive also read that the later model solos are better than early..so a 2002 model should be great!!! love to hear your feedback |
Hi jaf
Now i got contacted by a norwegin delaer (inside EU) and he has a pair for sale the are 2000 models the cost the same price but here in dont have to worry by danish customs an will save me alot of trouble and maby alot of money.
I asked the same qustian and here is what he came up with (he is a certified dealer )
Standby time (i.e. the time it takes for the Klimax to go into standby
if left idle) changed from 10 minutes to 20 minutes.
Jul 1999 1223
Changes to Power Supply circuitry to increase stability of supplies
at power-up.
Nov 1999 1675
Interconnect leads upgraded from standard (black) leads to new
High-performance (silver) interconnect leads (CONN 476)
Jan 2000 1816 (/NTK)
he stated that the amps i idendical to the 2006 models
What have you heard about the preformans contra age of the klimax solos ?
regards |
sorry for the delay...was out of town....Linn even states that they are always seeking to optimize performance in their products, even throughout product lifecycle...but not states as "upgrades". even linn Klout amplifier, their previous flagship amp, the later ones were better than earlier ones... just how much are you standing to save on a 2000 set vs 2002? you can also get the serial# and give it to Linn for a history of the unit |
Hi jaf
There is actually not much of a price differenc problem is the 2002 pair is located in usa.
And the country i liv in (denmark) dossent support free trade so if the get hold of the packets the will proberly let me pay 25% of the amount the cost.
I talked to linn i first talked to them about the solos age vs the chakra twin the said that the solos have been reffient throug the years so is really not a 8 year old amp enymore.
Then a week later i called them up and told them that i had a demo pair on hands that where from 1999/2000 at a fair price then he said buy them ther issent much of a difference mostly in the reliebility only.
I also talked to a frence hifi reviewer wich have heard the solos on several location throug the years he diddent think that the sound had change .
Its vey hard to get a clear answer on this subject
Im just afaid that if i get the 1999 pair a couple of month later there is a 2005 pair for sale.
And that here from a person that have had different age pair side by side conclouds that there is a major sonic differeces between them. |
let me see if there are any on linns ex-dem list...these all have Linns warranty, and are always in great shape...a friend of mine has access to it, and he is in the UK. ive already sent him an email asking if there are any solos available. ill let you know. |
Thanks jaf
inside EU it will nor be a problem.
best regards |
he checked and there is only one solo, a 2006 model, on the ex dem unit. |
Hi jaf
Thanks for trying i appriciat it
I have desided to get the 1999/2000 pair
first of the pair is offerd to me by a certified linn dealer so i will have garanti and no problems at all with customs
other then that the are a demo pair so the havent been used all the time and the are en perfect condition.
Even if there is a sligt improvments in the newer models it really seems that based upom what i have heard through none biased people and i have spoken at 4 people now that have experinces with the solos through the years and the difference is minimal if eny.
I will get linns best amplifires at a very good price with no worris of being cheated .
The dealer is very respected and a no bs type he has tested every klimax solo amplifire before the customer picks them up and he says that he never heard a improvment with the newer ones.
I told him dead seriously that i would think about buying a new pair if the difference was big but his oppinion diddent change on bit.
Also i dont think that linn will make intirely new amps in the futur i think that the will keep the klimax amps but offer a upgrade like the Chakra twin.
I will have them within 3 weeks and i cant waith i think the will be perfect with my SF cremonas
thanks |
tda,
as they say on your side of the river CHEERS!!!
the solos are unreal! i have an all linn system, activ with 200w chakras, and akurate 212s, the bookshelf standmounted ones...i had a chance to hear the 212s with a pr of solos and it was nothing short of wonderful!! and that was at a dealer, which we all know dealer demos are very difficult, and i actually Never make a decison based on one..i either go with my gut, and if it doesnt work out, sell it, or demo at home. what preamp do you have? where r u located? please please post your findings once installed |
Hi jaf
Lets put it this way when i heard the klimax twin with a unidisk sc as frontend and semicroe speakers it was like all my effort through the years of searching for a system that could give me the pure emotion of music was finaly found.
Nothing i have heard before sounded this RIGHT and musical
I had to concentrade my mind alot to take noticed of the standard audiophil values as detajl size of soundstage and so on but when i listend for those things the where all there at least as good as the best out there but man do the klimax make you soul happy and let you enjoy MUSIC .
IF the solos are even better im in for a mighty treat also i will have my favorit speakers the sonus faber cremonas.
I use a aberdeen components moddfied slimdevices transporter hardisk music player and it sounds unreal it also have preamp function so it will send the signal stright to the solos like the sc keeping the signal as short as possible enhancing the dynamics and eleminating harshness brightness wich is somthimes picked up by lesser preamps
Il put it against eny thing out there only upgrade on that front is the new linn sondek cd12 wich will also use hardisk playback tech
Il put it against eny thing out there only upgrade on that front is the new linn sondek cd12 wich will also use hardisk playback tech |
And yes i will let this treat know when the arrive
I will proberly also make a system profil on this site
il be back
regards |
look forward to it!!! now stop looking out your window for the fedex truck! haha |
|
Congratulations on the purchase of Solos!
Since you have already heard the Charkra Twin in your system, when you receive your Solos, you will have a good reference to compare with. I would be really interested to find out your take of the difference and improvement. Please let us know!
|
I will diffently get back with my findings
I did not hear the chakra twin in my own system but have heard it 3 times now at a dealer with 2 different speakers and from each time i whent there i got more and more pulled into the music the last time i was there i sad in the chair for 4 hours until the store closed.
I have only heard the chakra amps with cremonas on time and it was at another dealers place that experince pretty much started my journey into audio.
Eny way its going to be very interresting when the get here because i will maybe have new speakers when the solos arrive the new sonus faber cremona M.
Also i have not heard the klimax amplifires with my moddified transporter
but that SD transporter greatly outpreformed a audio aero capiol player running straigt into nuforce V2 se amps
so much infact that the dealer ordered 3 moddified TP the next day
il be back
regards |
Tda,
not sure you stated, if you did i forgot, but what is your preamp? of all my linn gear that i own, and of all ive heard, the Klimax Kontrol is by far the best piece Linn makes..youll find that not only Linn fans, but just about everyone finds this pre to be reference level/quality. of course a perfect mate for the solos.. |
Hi jaf
Sorry for the misunderstandig
the slimdevices transporter has varible ouputs so you can connect it straigt into poweramps.
This is all done in the digital domain so its really like a invisible preamp and it sure sounds fantastic.
Even with a old homemade icepower amp i borrowed im abel to get fantastic results .
IHowever if i should ever desideed to get a preamp the kontrol is The one.
But imagin if the sindek cd 12 had preamp function so it was connected straigt to the solos eleinating the use of a preamp making signal path even shorter .
This ofcause will only work if you only use one source .
I was a tact gut and one of the great things about tact amplifires is you only use a transport straigt into the amp because the amp itself is the DAC only this dac has power and volume control.
The transporter is like the unidisk sc and this rout is a litte the same as the tact only now the player and preamp is one wich signal gets amplifired by the amps.
I hope and pray that when linn comes with there new replacment for the cd12 (wich infact also uses the same hardisk playback tech as the transporter) the will add souch function as the unidisk sc.
regards |
Tda,
well....its been a few weeks....any update...did you receive the amps yet? anxious to hear your feedback |
Hi jaf
Nope not yet long story but the willl ship proberly in the beginning of next week.
Good news im getting a pair that have been upgraded with the powersuplly that dossent run warm.
also orderd the silver interconnects with xlr connectors seemd like the right cable to get
What are you experince with the silver interconnects ?
regards |
Silver is a MUST, especially for Klimax Amps. very nice improvement over linn black. new they are 400usd i think, but second hand you can get a pr for half that, at most. look forward to your update |
Hi jaf
With Cables my experices is that its balance you wandt
getting ultra expensiv cables made very littel difference in my system over solid cobber wires from tara labs in fact i truly liked the cheap cobber ones more.
So that is insuring to know that the are a must now that i have them in the box also.
Now the pair im getting have neutrik connectors for the speaker cables
How do this work do i need to get special cables ?
regards |
Tda,
the neutrik connection is at the amp..speaker end of the cable is whatever you need it to be |
Okay so eny speaker cable would work ?
regards |
TDA2200,
My experience with cables was different from yours. When getting my Linn Kontrol and Charkra Twin, a Linn dealer recommended me to use another brand of interconnects, at the time, I thought he was trying to sell me extra cables and disregarded it, I chose to use Linns silver interconnects that came with the amps, and I noticed a sound that was typical Linn's, natural with little color, and a bit on the lean side. Later on, after a few months of initial purchase of Linns, I thought about upgrade and decided to try different brand of interconnects, I went through Nordost Valhalla, Argento Serenity Reference, and eventually, settled on Vitus' Andromeda cables. I noticed very large difference in each change. In my current set up, with Vitus interconnects from source to Linn Kontrol, and in between Kontrol and Twin, I regard the difference is like night and day comparing to using the Linns silver. Of course, change does not necessarily mean improvement, but in my case, I felt the Vitus cables provide my system with a much fuller, much more dynamic, and more resolute sound without losing any speed or naturalness.
I know the above comments sound like it is from a cable salesman, but it was my personal experience with my system.
Still looking forward to hear from you after you get the solos! |
the worst thing about this hoppy is cables.
I at one time bourgt some very expensic Vertex aq from UK both balanced digital cables and speaker cables that where suppose to be the best cables in the world for tact/lyngdorf digital amps wich i was using at the time.
When i installed them i thourgt wow what a difference bigger soundstage better bass and so on and where happy with the upgrade.
Then one day i thougt i would try my old solid core taralabs cables wich cost 50 usd or somting new .
Wow more solid soundstage better highs more smooth sound more musical
I admitialy sold all the vertex aq cables
Thats why the moderat prices linn sliver interconnects seems like a no brainer.
Loooooong story but i will actualy first buy the solos within a week or so so in the between time i have to decide wheter to buy the silvers or not.
Maybe i shoud get some off the better tara labs ic´s instead
regards |
Re your experiece with cables, it looks to me that although not at first, but you eventually found that the tara labs worked better for your existing system. For your new Solos, you may also need to try different brands to find out what works.
I think getting the Linn's Silver is still a good idea, after all, it was designed by Linn for use on its gears, it should be a better match with Linn amps than most others. My suggestion is to use the Silver as a starting point with the Solos, and then you can try other cables in the future to see if they work any better.
By the way, you may check into if your Solos come with Silver interconnects.
|
Hi Wenrhuang
It was not that i diddent beleive you and diddent agree with you that cable could make an improvment only that one have to be carefull to not get caught in the more ultra expensiv cables the better trap.
The silver interconnects are not included but the are offerd to me at a fair price by the dealer when buying the solos .
Im also getting sonus faber cremona speakers wich add that fullness and warmth that the linns may lack so a precise and well design cables as the silvers seems like a good place to start just as you stated.
regards |
Hi wenrhuang
I decides not to get the silvers but i have ordered the solos today finaly.
It seems that almost every day i find another higeend company thats from denmark like vitus audio today,
I called them up and actually talked to vitus himself i think that i will try the andromedas out
sounds very prommissing since it was one off the cable gurus from argento that was hired for the job.
How much did you pay ?
regards |
Although not at one time, I ended up brought altogether 4 Andromeda's power cords, 2 pairs of interconnects, and 1 pair of digital interconnects. My Local Los Angeles dealer gave me a good discount off retail, I could send you my paying price over a private email.
I met Vitus in the last CES show, he and Anders--the cable designer---are so very nice. Actually, I discussed with them about my problem in using the Andromeda power cord, which is there is a hood on top of the back panel of Linn Klimax Kontrol that restricted the access space, and prvented the Andromeda power cord---or any cord using wattgate type of IEC connector---to be plugged into it; Anders told me he could find a good quality slim IEC and make a power cord for use on the Linn Kontrol. I appreciate his help, although I have not taken up on his offer yet.
Congratulations on the purchase! I wish you are local to me, I would really like to be able to compare a pair of Solos to my Twin first hand.
Robert |
