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In Reply to: RE: yep ... posted by TBone on March 17, 2015 at 06:53:28
there certainly something to be said about a strong company that keeps going and look after their legacy products.
I thought they were stopped servicing Ikemi and CD12 but perhaps that was when they lost the US distributors and in a state of flux ( before it went to Tannoy Canada and now it seems they are dealing direct )
I thought of replacing my Krell, too but I looked around and nothing really could replace it. ( except the Naim CD555 which I find voiced very similar to my 'Naimed' LP12 )
Krell still service the kps25s after all these years, too!
The trend is now on a separate DAC ( we came a full circle from the 90s :/ ) but I am still not fully convinced that file based system is the way to go. They sound different than better than my CD players.
I could see using it to stream high res. vinyl rips to conserve a cartridge life, tho.
Follow Ups:
Kuma, I'd just like to add my 0 cents (Canadian) ...> > I am still not fully convinced that file based system is the way to go. < <
Well, despite what I've heard (still a bit limited in scope) ... my intent, my next venture into digital, will be computer/DAC driven. The convenience factor(s) alone, I consider worth the effort.I plan on a dedicated notebook running a very lean Linux OS. The DAC, I have no real working knowledge at this point, although the Ayre quickly comes to mind. The thing is, I'm no longer willing to spend an arm and a leg on any digital format (reserving my future/largest expenditures 4analog).
Granted, the Ikemi wasn't cheap, but it was over-overwhelmingly the second best player I'd heard, plus the "precision" proprietary built Linn transport/pulse based power supply, w/BB HDCD DACs, fully balanced design, SMD motherboard ... so at the time ... compared to the competition, I considered it's co$t/build quality/performance ratio justifiable.
Still do today, BUT ... now I think the DAC should represent the majority of the total cost. It should be an interesting, perhaps fun (sigh) comparison, comparing a computer/dac directly against a well designed, proven one-box player ...
tb1
Edits: 03/17/15
Most of their other products sound really dry and sterile to me...except the turntable which sounds a bit too sloppy...perhaps that goes well together but not my way of system matching.
Oh, I did also kind of like the Linn Kelidh speaker at one time...but I heard it again some years later and it did not hold up to further scrutiny.
Thanks! for sharing- morricab.
T-bone --
Yeah, the engineer in me has always loved the quality engineering and manufacturing that went into the Ikemi. The whisper-quiet metal CD drawer is the outer indicator of the quality inside.
The audiophile in me fell in love with the sound. (In fact, Dvorak Symphony #9 plays in the background as I type... :))
Having both an Ikemi and an Ayre DAC in my system, I can tell you that they both sound superb. Both get daily use here. I'm sure there are other DACs out there that can compete as well. Enjoy the hunt!
Cerebrate!
> > Having both an Ikemi and an Ayre DAC in my system < <
Nice!
Some time ago, I demo'd an Ayre CDP and was very impressed. The Ayre had a very transparent liquid type nature which instantly reminded me of the Linn CD12, and I can honestly say that's one of the best compliments I can throw at any player. In fact, it sounded more like the CD12 than the Ikemi did in that particular aspect, although the Ikemi held it's own advantages in direct comparison (esp w/HDCD).
Ever since that demo, I've had Ayre on my short list ... although I also very much like the sound of SIM digital also ...
Q's ...
Have you used the Ikemi as a transport for the Ayre DAC?
Is the Ayre DAC fed by computer?
regards,
tb1
> > Have you used the Ikemi as a transport for the Ayre DAC? < <
Silly question considering the Ayre is a USB dac (at least to my knowledge).
re: Ikemi as transport
Nope, not used that way. The Ayre DAC is USB-only, fed from a Mac Mini, with Pure Music as the player.
Cerebrate!
for your reply, as seen above, I realized my mistake not long after posting.
I asked because I always anticipated the possibility that I might use the Ikemi as a quality transport for a future DAC ...
tb1
I understand completely. When I purchased the Ayre, I had the same concern. At the time (some 5-6 years ago now?), I was trying to build the best sounding music server I could manage with my limited skills and time. The Mac Mini plus Ayre DAC gave me a nice turnkey solution. I like appliances. :)
If I was doing it over today, I would enjoy the auditioning process, and perhaps make different choices. But for the moment, that part of my system is stable. Enjoy the hunt for your DAC!
Cerebrate!
Which model was the best spinner for Linn?
daily.
Cerebrate!
Looking over your profile, you own a nice system. I, too, am a CJ fan.
Good question, but don't ask me... :)
I have heard good things about the CD12, and other Linn spinners, but the Ikemi is the only one I have heard in my system.
Cerebrate!
Are you still using the IKemi?
Like an analogue playback, everything matters from the very beginning to the end of the file playing/streaming. In some sense, I found it's daunting in terms of variables.
But a good DAC should get you going.
I've done a very limited comparison a few years ago but would be nice to try it again.
A true test for me is to play a vinyl rip from my turntable to see how close a digital playback comes to the real thing.
Good luck and have fun.
Hi Kuma ...
When other audiophiles visit, I tend to always get the same reactions towards the Linn. It's too small to be good, too old to be viable, and certainly no longer competitive to be equal to today's options; generally they spout off prose concerning some "superior" flavour-of-the-month product they too insist (go figure) is the "best" they've ever heard. I then play em an uncompressed HDCD, sit back and watch there reactions; which are usually bound in disbelief & silence. The vast majority of audiophiles have never heard Linn digital - outside a Linn system.
> > I thought of replacing my Krell, too but I looked around and nothing really could replace it. ( except the Naim CD555 which I find voiced very similar to my 'Naimed' LP12 )Krell still service the kps25s after all these years, too! < <
Kudo's to Krell. Actually, I auditioned the Krell Standard, had it on my short list along with Naim, Ayre & SIM players. I never considered replacing the Ikemi with separates ...
> > The trend is now on a separate DAC ( we came a full circle from the 90s :/ ) but I am still not fully convinced that file based system is the way to go. They sound different than better than my CD players. < <
They certainly do sound different.
Funny, I purchased the Ikemi at a time when separates were being pushed as the superior sounding digital alternatives. I stayed in the minority, because the vast majority of separates I'd auditioned never sounded all that enticing to me, even tho separates were considered much more "hi-end". Linn actually dropped their transport/DAC line in place of one-box players during a time when separates were becoming very popular.
As a side note, based on my title; check out the link below ...
tb1
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