...I really couldn't say, Pacman. The Unidisk 1.1 is all that I've experienced in that particular Linn line, though I know that model pretty well. It's quite a special player, and represents a level of audio design and engineering that I admire very highly. (Pictured above is the Unidisk 2.1.)
As to your characterization of Jeff Parks' comments on the 2.1 and SACD: I went back and refreshed my memory, since I didn't remember his review in this two-man project as being a "pan" of SACD playback on that unit. Having done so (see the PFO link to the article in Issue 20 below), I'd have to disagree with you. Jeff Parks said that he wasn't too impressed with his SACDs on the 2.1 (with some exceptions like *Dark Side of the Moon* and a Nickel Creek SACD) compared with Red Book, thinking that in many cases the CD sounded as good as, etc. (An observation like that is always hard for me to put into perspective, since my extensive experience with DSD and SACD compared with CD on some very fine equipment leads me to a very different conclusion in most cases. There are, of course, some SACDs which manifest execrable audio production values/mastering/manufacturing; unfortunately, there's only so much that one can do with a turd.) He goes on to highly compliment the Unidisk 2.1's playback on DVD-A's, which a person who prefers PCM playback might do.
In other words, I parse Parks' commentary as being more about comparative formats on the disks that he had on hand...SACD vs. CD...than it was about the Unidisk 2.1's SACD playback.
All the best,
david
