New LP12 Urika II phonostage and Lingo 4

[ThomasOK]

So far we have sold one of the Urika II units. However, it was on an LP12 with an Ittok LVII, Akiva and Kore so I was unable to do any kind of real A/B as our main demo LP12 is Klimax (Keel, Ekos SE/1 and Kandid). It sounded fairly clean but I can't really say much more about it.

For us it has a somewhat limited customer appeal as you would pretty much need a pretty fully loaded LP12 to use it along with a Klimax DS with Katalyst (or new Akurate DS with Katalyst) for it to make sense. We really don't have many Klimax LP12 customers who also have Katalyst DS units. Many of our Klimax LP12 customers don't have streamers at all because they are mainly analog guys and a lot don't have other Linn components besides their turntable system. That means that they would have to add a $23,380 KDS along with the $3570 Urika 2 in order to make it work!

Also those who do have full Klimax LP12s usually also have a Urika 1 so they would have to feel there was a compelling reason for the upgrade. So far I have only heard of Urika 1 vs. Urika 2 comparisons through Exakt systems or possibly using a KDSM into analog power amps and speakers. Since either of these scenarios require that the LP12 signal is digitized, it would be expected that the Urika 2, which has a superior ADC setup, should do a better job of digitizing the signal and improve the sound. But the big question for all the analog guys is what would a Klimax LP12 with Urika 1 sound like compared to the an identical LP12 with Urika 2/KDS Katalyst going analog out into a top quality analog preamp/amp setup (either KK/1, 2 or Sagatun Monos as that is what most of these people have). So far I have not heard of this being done anywhere and I haven't had the opportunity to do it here.

[David Neel]

That would be the necessary demo! I've got ADS/3 and Urika 1. The only thing that stops me getting the demo set up, and taking along my Lejonklou boxes for a complete replica of my system, is that there should be another top quality MC phono stage available in a few months, so it makes sense to wait....

[matss]

For us it has a somewhat limited customer appeal as you would pretty much need a pretty fully loaded LP12 to use it along with a Klimax DS with Katalyst (or new Akurate DS with Katalyst) for it to make sense.

I completely agree with that comment and believe this might be one reason for the seemingly lack of comparitive reports on Urika II vs Urika I. My only encounter with Urika II vs I (through a KEDSM) left me satisfied with my current Urika I KK/KDS solution at home. Sure, the U2 made fantastic music. But so did the UI too, even though the signal was digitised through the KEDSM AD converter. On the other hand, a friend of mine whos judgement I trust and already on the Exact route, is very satisfied with his U2.

The Lingo4 was another story. Clearly on a level far above any previous Lingo incarnations.

BR, mats

[mrco99]

It would be interesting to find out whether a Klimax Renew DS2 - so the one with Exakt ports - would do justice to those upgrading from U1 to U2 when coming from an all analogue (Lejonklou) system.

I happen to have a KRDS2 but still firmly Adikted to MM - so therefore no U2 or MC in sight just yet.

[ThomasOK]

Considering the solid thrashing an Akurate DS I just upgraded last week to Katalyst gave to our demo KDS/1 (the store owner said it was interesting to hear the ADS Katalyst compared to our apparently broken KDS/1), I would expect that you really would want a Katalyst unit to get the best out of the Urika 2.

[matss]

I would expect that you really would want a Katalyst unit to get the best out of the Urika 2.

Just a clarifying note to my previous posting. The U2/U1 comparison was made using KEDSM and Katalysed Klimax 350s.

/mats

[HansW]

Thanks for all the replys. Your reasoning is very convincing and seems to imply that the market for the Urika2 is very limited.
I have heard it but have hesitated to comment as my experience is far big enough to form a reliable conclusion on. For what it is worth I can say that when I heard at a dealer through a Klimax 350 system and it sounded very good but on the first two occasions I couldn’t compare it with anything else. I couldn’t attend a demo-evening but was able to listen to one track played on identical Klimax decks the day after; one with U1 and one with U2, both through the same Klimax 350 system. The difference was huge with the U2 being much cleaner and dynamic, and most significantly, more realistic as instruments and voices gained ‘body’. Funnily, I thought the U2 set-up sounded much more like my own home set up (LP12/Radikal/Keel/Aro/Shiraz/Naim Superline).

As mentioned above, the real test would be how it performs into my analog amps and speakers (I haven’t warmed to the active Klimax 350 speakers).

Best regards
Hans

[FangfossFlyer]

Hans,

Interesting your comment “Funnily, I thought the U2 set-up sounded much more like my own home set up (LP12/Radikal/Keel/Aro/Shiraz/Naim Superline” as I throught that the U2 was better than the U1 as it sounded more like my Superline which to me is a good thing.

Richard

[HansW]

It is a good thing. The U2 did seem to add something to the system that it was missing compared to my own system. Howerver, it was a very limited audition and how the U2 would stack up to my Superline in a side-by-side comparison is an open question.

Best regards

Hans