|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
Model: | Akurate DS |
Category: | DAC Processors |
Suggested Retail Price: | $7800 |
Description: | Digital Stream Music Server |
Manufacturer URL: | Linn |
Model Picture: | View |
Review by juddl on February 04, 2009 at 11:07:52 IP Address: 24.18.87.23 | Add Your Review for the Akurate DS |
I was initially auditioning for new speakers however once I put this into my system it was very apparent that the problem was the source not the speakers. No other audio product has produced such a huge overall improvement in the enjoyment of music.
The Akurate produces a holistic improvement in everything that makes sound music. The most striking features are the low level detail extraction. I never realized how much low level detail is lost in what appears to be the noise floor. The Akurate lowers the noise floor to imperceptible levels. The blacks really are black regardless of the type of music you are listening to. A stunning example is listening to a solo by saxophonist Yuri Honing on his first track One Note Out from the CD Seven. You can hear the space around him in all directions and the intonation of his breath as produces different notes.
The imaging is beyond anything I have heard. It is truly holographic in scale. On small scale jazz with vocalists such as from Shirley Horn on "I Remember Miles", the song I Got Plenty O'Nuttin, she is out front with the drums and bass behind her. This was true for almost all recordings of small groups. The vocalists and instruments were well placed giving the illusion of being at a small club.
Other recordings from different genres produced similar types of results. Noise post punk band Unwound on their song Corpse Pose, filled the soundstage with gritty electric guitars, drums, bass and vocals like what would be expected being close to the stage in a small bar.
On larger symphonic works such as Bax:The Symphonies it reproduced it in all of its glory. Previously I found this set to be intolerable to listen to because of "digitis" associated with the violins. No longer is this the case.
The bass is outstanding. On Ray Brown's Super bass series, you can hear the reverberation of the plucked strings into the bass itself.
the timing and tempo are perfect.
It will play audio formats up to 24/192, so it is fairly future proof.
Now the bad parts.
There are a lot of hidden expenses in this product.
1)NAS with preferable Twonky Media installed otherwise you have to purchase twonky media
2)hard drives for the NAS, preferably 2 or more for RAID 1 or 5
3)A computer to set everything up with ripping software and a software tagging program to edit errors from the ripping. For higher resolution files such as DVD-A or DAD you will need a DVD ripper, some DVD-A you will not be able to rip although DAD's are fairly straight forward.
4)Ethernet home networking, preferable both wired and wireless. You can use your electric lines for the ethernet line to the Akurate.
5)Either another computer, iTouch/iPod, or Ipaq PDA to access and play your music
More bad parts
1) You should feel fairly comfortable with computers and networking even if your dealer is pretty good with it. This product is very different than most of what they sell and late at night if your system crashes you are not going to call your dealer. Also setting up the NAS and RAID will require some fiddling.
2) Linn's GUI and config software, this is clearly the weakest link. I would have expected this to be much more polished given the level of excellence of their DS player. Also if you decide to use iPod/iTouch you have to purchase Songbook to get it to work with the DS
Strengths
Linn's forums are very good and most problems have already been worked through.
There are times when I have purchased inexpensive gear and have buyers remorse. This is the first product that I have purchased that has made such a huge difference and elevated the level of musical enjoyment that I would not look back in a minute.
One thing I refuse to do is listen to the Klimax DS.......
Product Weakness: | hidden costs, flaky interface, difficult to set up |
Product Strengths: | low level detail retrieval, imperceptible noise floor, soundstaging, imaging, bass and realism |
Amplifier: | ayre v5xe |
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): | ayre k5xe, p5xe |
Sources (CDP/Turntable): | rega P9, dynvavector te katora rua |
Speakers: | martin logan SL3, vandersteen 2Wq sub |
Cables/Interconnects: | audioquest |
Music Used (Genre/Selections): | pretty much everything except country |
Type of Audition/Review: | Product Owner |
To me it looks like the new player has less jitter than previous digital playback chains. Also, the characteristics you describe seem to be the norm of computer/harddisk playback systems (with different degrees of quality).
My modded Squeezebox playing digitally through a Panasonic sa-bx500 digital amplifier receiver seems amazingly transparent to me.
> > The most striking features are the low level detail extraction. I never realized how much low level detail is lost in what appears to be the noise floor. The Akurate lowers the noise floor to imperceptible levels. < <
IMO, most audiophiles don't understand how and why digital noise-floor characteristics negatively effect sound quality, how it routinely masks inner details while limiting overall dimensionality. It's something you really need to experience/hear first-hand within a truly low-noise system to really understand and/or appreciate.
Class leading transparency, IMO at least, has been Linn digitals biggest advantage/attribute for many years. As an example, one of the first Linn digital players I heard was the old Linn Genki some 10 years ago, and it amazed me how vanishingly low its noise floor was in direct comparison to some ultra-expensive digital products at that time (and even today). Unlike most players then (again, even today), details didn't get swallowed up by some weird background fog typical with many players, they're were allowed to linger & slowely disappear in a much more natural, dimensional fashion - even during peak moments.
Like the DS, the current Linn Majik CDP contends as one of the most transparent / clean digital players (regardless of format) I've ever heard, irregardless of price.
I've auditioned the Akurate DS a few times and was very impressed. To be honest, I'm still trying to decifer its overall sound quality compared to the better traditional transport based players. The DS series adds a very light'sh transparent touch to the music, one that I've not really heard before. Perhaps, at times, I think the music becomes too light in nature, too see-thru, yet it still manages to retain true instrumental impact with layers of dimensionality.
Therefore, I can certainly understand your enthusiasm for the DS, congrats.
BTW, speaking of low noise-floor musical products, I noticed that you use Ayre electronics. In my opinion, they're a perfect match with Linn players, (& Ayre players) simply because Ayre's biggest advantage, to my ears anyway, is again - above average transparency with truly superb noise floor characteristics.
TB1
"The DS series adds a very light'sh transparent touch to the music, one that I've not really heard before. Perhaps, at times, I think the music becomes too light in nature, too see-thru, yet it still manages to retain true instrumental impact with layers of dimensionality. "
I can read the words fine, but my brain refuses to cooperate...am drawing a blank.
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors: