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Linn's Ninka speaker: Anyone heard it??

Linn Sondek makes a line of speakers which usually don't get much press. Has anyone heard the "Ninka" which is about $1600 retail?? How does it compare to other speakers in the $1500-$2000 range??
sunnyjim

Showing 1 response by azg

azg
1 posts
 
I know this is an old thread, but I’m sharing my experience for those who might be interested in Ninkas down the road. This is my current setup:

  • Naim NAC32.5 Preamp with Ryan Sound Lab internals
  • Ryan Sound Lab Active Crossover
  • Naim NAP250 power amp for the high frequencies
  • Naim NAP135 monoblock amps for the low frequencies
My previous speakers are B&W CDM 7NT which have tremendous transparency, wide and deep soundstage and detailed imaging. Each instrument seems to have its own place in "space" and nothing gets lost. All of that detail can become fatiguing over the course of a long listening session at high volume.

I was curious about the Ninkas so I bought a set when they came up for sale locally. Initially, I set them up WITHOUT the active crossover, just running them with the NAP135 monoblocks and they sounded awful - lifeless and muddy. I reconfigured the "cards" on the back of the speaker to put them into bi-amp active mode and ran them with my active crossover and all 3 amps. It made a HUGE difference. The detail in the high frequency range was still no where near as prominent as with my B&Ws, so I ordered a set of Hiquphon OW1 tweeters. These tweeters were a great upgrade and the difference in detail and life was immediate!

Here are my overall impressions of the Ninka:

Pros:
  • Very accurate and tight bass response (no soft/boomy bass, but you can still "feel" the low notes)
  • Great PRaT
  • Easy to listen to even for extended sessions, very low fatigue
  • Very neutral - no coloration added!
Cons:
  • Limited soundstage/imaging - this might be a speaker placement issue, but I have not been able to get these to give the same wide/deep soundstage I get from the B&Ws. Instruments are very easily traced back to either speaker.
  • Stock tweeters leave much to be desired. Mine came with the 038/2 tweeters and the Hiquphon OW1 was a very worthwhile $250 upgrade.
  • Lackluster in passive mode - these things sound completely different when they are run actively!



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