cortina wrote: ↑2021-10-11 16:20
Of course, user friendliness is an important aspect (not having heard that many complaining except perhaps those having never built a PC back in the days. But I would guess those not knowing someone who has should be even fewer.)
Haven’t followered the Hakai section lately but severe sound degradation is new to me.
Nevertheless, my main fascination is how every new streamer, version or whatever always gets a verdict like ”Now streaming finally sounds like analogue (except only those old records recorded before digital).”
But when the next thing arrives, it always sounds like the superseded products were never even close..
(Somewhat exaggerated..)
Perhaps the nature of hi-fi reviewing on forums.
Agree. IMHO it's partially due to the fact that it's impossible to quantify "musicality". You can compare two units reliably, but that's it. And if something is "almost as good" as some LP12 you never know how many other devices you can fit into that space in the future. Then there is the complication of certain recordings being different on Vinyl and digital. And then you have the third layer in variations between units and the fact that LP12 can sound bad if not set up correctly, which is super difficult, so it's hard to judge what you hear on an event, and that everything sounds better during the night. It's a bit of a mess, and only time will tell if Källa will be the new reference or not.
But I trust Fredrik enough to throw my money on him when he expresses himself the way he is at the moment!
Last edited by Azazello on 2021-10-11 17:44, edited 2 times in total.
cortina wrote: ↑2021-10-11 16:20
Haven’t followed the Hakai section lately but severe sound degradation is new to me.
I haven't experienced any degradation, in fact one source seems to have mysteriously become more enjoyable.
However, the sound quality of different sources on Hakai can be very different. For example, Airplay (via shairport sync, from AppleTV) can sound pretty poor on mine
Pete
Linn Axis, Kinki, Källa (GS308T+Amplifi HD x 2 + BJC), Boazu, Espeks
@Cortina: I hear what you are saying - the good thing is that all of the dealers of Lejonklou equipment let you try the device at home ... in your environment ... with enough time to evaluate. Thats what I would recommend for all to do - too much money involved and at a certain level of your journey you have to take real care that you are not making a side step or actually making it worst.
I am probably an exception to the rule as I bought all my Lejonklou equipment so far without hearing it first and I am more happy compared to decisions I made in the past with having the ability to compare :).
This might give you an idea how much I trust the collective ears in this forum. But in the case of the Källa I am going to try first before I made my mind up - too big is the difference which I experience now between digital (Akurate DS/3) and my medium level LP12. So the Källa has to impress.
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David Neel wrote: ↑2021-10-11 14:00
My Hakai is ... consistent and reliable, which is what I want for the small minority of my listening which is from digital files. It's just good enough that I sold my ADS/3. I concur with Spannko's assessment of it.
Considering:
- it beat your LP12 & the subsequent minute silence
- you "can envisage buying very little new vinyl..."
- that "Källa is in a different league altogether" [to ADS/3, Hakai, & KDS/1]
Despite:
- 'the small minority of your listening [to] digital'
Are either of you considering ordering a Källa? Just curious :)
Am I considering buying a Källa? The answer to that can only be a yes! Unfortunately, I can’t just plug a Källa into my system (being an Exakt only system) which means I have to sell everything and start again, but I’m working on a roadmap as we speak!
Great question! Like Spannko, the answer can only be yes.
I've since had further listening and made a minor change on the LP12 so that it is bit better than it was on Saturday. It still can't be as musical as Källa from Spotify, but it's better than Källa from the LSNAS. I'm not a fan of streaming services, I wanted a device to play from my own music collection which I control. But Källa is so good that I'm having to rethink my attitude towards streaming services.
I had money set aside for Källa, until I learned that it was focused on streaming services only. That money then got spent on a lovely afghan rug and a brake restoration for my 55 year old car. So it can't happen immediately, although I have cancelled my order for a Radikal/2 upgrade...
Last edited by David Neel on 2021-10-12 09:56, edited 1 time in total.
The search for knowledge is not nourished by certainty, but by a radical distrust in certainty
Spannko wrote: ↑2021-10-11 22:46
.. The answer to that can only be a yes! .. I can’t just plug a Källa into my [Exakt-only] system .. I have to sell everything and start again, but I’m working on a roadmap as we speak!
David Neel wrote: ↑2021-10-11 22:52
.. Like Spannko, the answer can only be yes.
I had money set aside for Källa... That money then got spent... So it can't happen immediately, although I have cancelled my order for a Radikal/2 upgrade...
How's it sounding now David? A bit better with more running time, or pretty much the same? I guess you don't have it much longer.
For anyone doing comparisons using Kalla (and Lejonklou amps), worth reiterating that the gear didn't like being power cycled when David needed to move components between sockets. It sometimes took 20 mins to return to where we were and get all the magic back. Just worth bearing in mind.
yes Charlie I agree with that power cycling and in some cases changing connections (interconnects) as well as what position the devices get on a rack or if they are on equal inputs makes it sometimes difficult to make a fair comparison.
I even have a feeling that temperature differences in the room of about 1 degree makes a difference. That doesnt happen to be an issue for quick a-b tests but would make difference for recordings on one day or another.
Charlie1 wrote: ↑2021-10-12 12:00
How's it sounding now David? A bit better with more running time, or pretty much the same? I guess you don't have it much longer.
Difficult to hear any change over the last 24 hours. But the Entity is now fully warmed up again, so the LP12 sounds a bit better, although my ranking order hasn't changed.
And no, not much longer! It will be collected this evening... :(
The search for knowledge is not nourished by certainty, but by a radical distrust in certainty
Arjen wrote: ↑2021-10-05 22:36
Now that the Kalla is getting delivered and the first impressions at this forum shared, a question.
The charm of vinyl is its relative imperfection unlike the digital performance, does the Kalla bring back that vinyl like thrill? Or is it killing because of another performance quality?
Sorry, but I have never bought the theory that the charm of vinyl is its relative imperfection. Nor do I think the that pops and clicks are part of the charm as idiots in magazines like to claim when talking about records. The attraction of vinyl is that when well produced, well pressed and decently played back it has a musical naturalness, movement and engagement that has so far been missing from digital playback, at least to any where near the same degree. If Källa allows digitally stored files to provide a high degree of that musical naturalness, movement and engagement it will indeed be a breakthrough, even if it doesn't quite match the best albums on the best turntables.
I have to disagree that this would be a breakthrough. I don't have any issues at all with being musically engaged with my Akurate EDSM / Exaktbox Kat nor with KDS/3, nor KSH / Akurate Exaktbox Kat all of which have plenty of engagement. There are plenty of digital devices out there that don't do this, some of them many times more expensive than Linn.
Spannko wrote: ↑2021-10-11 22:46
Am I considering buying a Källa? The answer to that can only be a yes! Unfortunately, I can’t just plug a Källa into my system (being an Exakt only system) which means I have to sell everything and start again, but I’m working on a roadmap as we speak!
sunbeamgls wrote: ↑2021-10-12 15:44
Your Exakt system has an analogue input though.
Without going too much off-topic, but connecting a Källa to the analogue input of an Exakt system is going to be inferior and more expensive than abandoning Exakt.
Exakt primarily makes sense with an Exakt source, otherwise I would strongly advice against it.
sunbeamgls wrote: ↑2021-10-12 15:44
Your Exakt system has an analogue input though.
Without going too much off-topic, but connecting a Källa to the analogue input of an Exakt system is going to be inferior and more expensive than abandoning Exakt.
Exakt primarily makes sense with an Exakt source, otherwise I would strongly advice against it.
Its not a given at all. There are still benefits with an analogue source, if one is of the opinion that there are benefits with Exakt, which spannko may recognise, having invested.
jajo wrote: ↑2021-10-12 15:58
Without going too much off-topic, but connecting a Källa to the analogue input of an Exakt system is going to be inferior
Isn't a similar situation with a Källa being connected to JBL308P or JBL708P?
Spannko wrote: ↑2021-10-11 22:46
Am I considering buying a Källa? The answer to that can only be a yes! Unfortunately, I can’t just plug a Källa into my system (being an Exakt only system) which means I have to sell everything and start again, but I’m working on a roadmap as we speak!
Your Exakt system has an analogue input though.
Does it?
The search for knowledge is not nourished by certainty, but by a radical distrust in certainty
jajo wrote: ↑2021-10-12 15:58
Without going too much off-topic, but connecting a Källa to the analogue input of an Exakt system is going to be inferior
Isn't a similar situation with a Källa being connected to JBL308P or JBL708P?
Perhaps, with the difference that the JBLs are much more musical than any Exakt system I ever heard.
Spannko wrote: ↑2021-10-11 22:46
Am I considering buying a Källa? The answer to that can only be a yes! Unfortunately, I can’t just plug a Källa into my system (being an Exakt only system) which means I have to sell everything and start again, but I’m working on a roadmap as we speak!
Your Exakt system has an analogue input though.
Does it?
No. However, looking on Linn Docs I’ve discovered that I’ve got a KDS/2 (Exakt variant), not a KDS/1.
sunbeamgls wrote: ↑2021-10-12 15:44
Your Exakt system has an analogue input though.
Without going too much off-topic, but connecting a Källa to the analogue input of an Exakt system is going to be inferior and more expensive than abandoning Exakt.
Exakt primarily makes sense with an Exakt source, otherwise I would strongly advice against it.
Its not a given at all. There are still benefits with an analogue source, if one is of the opinion that there are benefits with Exakt, which spannko may recognise, having invested.
Personally, I'd be listening before deciding.
Plugging a Källa into an Exakt system makes no sense at all! I don’t believe Katalyst/Exakt has the finesse to allow the Källa’s output to be amplified without totally skrewing up what it does well. It’ll turn an unbelievably musical presentation into a wall of sound with reasonably tuneful and rhythmical sound effects thrown in for good measure.
Källa has introduced a paradigm shift. It’s re-written the rule book. Forget what you think you knew. It doesn’t apply any more!
Benefits with Exakt? Maybe, although that’s never been a consideration for me. After all, “Exakt” is nothing more than marketing speak for a digital crossover with dsp. It’ll have its disadvantages too.