Page 1 of 1

A little Linn news

Posted: 2019-11-08 22:58
by ThomasOK
Linn has discontinued the passive Akurate speakers - both the Akudorik and Akubarik. This leaves the Majik 109, Majik 140 and the Klimax 350 as the only passive speakers in the line. They have a limited number available that they will take orders on through November on a first come, first served basis.

Another interesting tidbit is that I just received a new package of 6 LP12 belts from Linn and they appear to have gone back to the old style belts. This batch are thinner and smoother, especially on the rough side, than the belts they have been shipping for about a year. As I found the thicker, rougher belts to be less musical I am glad to see there has been a return to form on them. I'm posting this part on the Linn LP12 Belts thread as well.

Re: A little Linn news

Posted: 2019-11-08 23:27
by Charlie1
Good news about those belts. I sent both mine back and exchanged them for two older ones whilst my dealer still had stock.

I'm surprised about the passive speakers. I'm guessing this is due to slow sales, if past form is anything to go by. But does it really cost them all that much to maintain these two models even if they don't sell that many?

Re: A little Linn news

Posted: 2019-11-08 23:35
by Matteo
The Akudorik passive are the best speakers that I ever heard.

Quite expensive though.

M.

Re: A little Linn news

Posted: 2019-11-08 23:53
by Charlie1
I wonder how many of those 520s/530s they sell. Would rather have seen them bite the dust but I suppose they are Linn's way to target a new breed of customer.

Re: A little Linn news

Posted: 2019-11-09 09:28
by mrco99
I agree with Matteo that passive Akudoriks are pricey but also simply great speakers and a pity to see them being discontinued now.

I think very few dealers had these on demo and thus not many have been sold. Linn advocates strongly on their integrated systems so (analogue) separates are just of diminishing interest.

Passive Akubariks may have been more popular but perhaps not enough as well to keep these in their catalogue.

On their pricelist Linn has also dropped its Klimax/Akurate/Majik sections for all but their LP12 range. I think with the introduction of 5-series, Selekt and now the 3-series it would appear too fragmentated.

Re: A little Linn news

Posted: 2019-11-09 10:11
by anthony
As the akubarik and akudoriks continue in exakt form, consisting of same cabinets and drive units, I cannot really see how keeping them would cost Linn much.

Re: A little Linn news

Posted: 2019-11-09 10:20
by maffe
anthony wrote: 2019-11-09 10:11 As the akubarik and akudoriks continue in exakt form, consisting of same cabinets and drive units, I cannot really see how keeping them would cost Linn much.
Maybe the passive version can (and do) outperform the exakt version with non Linn amps?

@ThomasOK: Good news then about the belts!
Have you had a chance to listen and confirm that the new old once are better?

Re: A little Linn news

Posted: 2019-11-09 13:51
by beck
maffe wrote: 2019-11-09 10:20
anthony wrote: As the akubarik and akudoriks continue in exakt form, consisting of same cabinets and drive units, I cannot really see how keeping them would cost Linn much.
Maybe the passive version can (and do) outperform the exakt version with non Linn amps?
Now, that’s a thought......... :-)

Re: A little Linn news

Posted: 2019-11-09 18:09
by ThomasOK
beck wrote: 2019-11-09 13:51
maffe wrote: 2019-11-09 10:20
anthony wrote: As the akubarik and akudoriks continue in exakt form, consisting of same cabinets and drive units, I cannot really see how keeping them would cost Linn much.
Maybe the passive version can (and do) outperform the exakt version with non Linn amps?
Now, that’s a thought......... :-)
Unlike with the Klimax 350s, where the Exakt electronics or the passive crossover reside on the back, Linn took the approach with the Akubarik and Akudorik of making the cabinets different with the crossover inside. In the case of the passive Akubarik this means you can't bolt on the Exakt/amps module but have to go with multiple external amps and crossovers to go Aktiv. With the Akudorik since the Exakt module is in the stand they did make a special cable and version of the stand with the electronics in it to make it possible to change them to Exakt Aktiv. But the cabinet is still different between the two with the Exakt Akudorik having no crossover and an unusual connection port on the bottom while the passive has the crossover inside and four pair of banana sockets on the back. So it is not quite so easy to make both passive and Exakt versions as it might at first seem.

Interestingly, Linn told us a few years ago that they intended to discontinue these models but apparently held off due to dealer requests. This also could be considered somewhat of a self fulfilling prophecy as Linn has pushed so hard on the Exakt versions. A couple of years ago we had sold our demo Aktiv Akubariks (non-Exakt) and needed to put an Akurate level speaker on the floor. I wanted us to get the passive Akudoriks as we could then get the Exakt stand and use them either way with a bit of modification. Linn was willing to give us a really excellent deal on demo Akudoriks but only if they were the Exakt versions, passive ones we would have to buy at normal demo pricing. I'm sure you can figure out which way that went. I also at one point a year or so before that had expressed a desire to hear the passive Akubariks (as we had only heard the original Aktiv versions and then the Exakt ones). I was told there were no demo passive Akubarik speakers in the US. He didn't even think there were any at dealers. Obviously the Exakt push was effective at overshadowing the passive speakers regardless of relative merit.

With Linn abandoning passive speakers in the middle of their range (and the main reason they keep the Klimax 350 passive around is because it needs 8 Klimax Solos and a couple of Klimax crossovers to go properly Aktiv), plus the understanding that they plan on no further development of passive speakers, it appears that their "open system" approach has become substantially more closed.

Re: A little Linn news

Posted: 2019-11-10 00:59
by tokenbrit
1 step forwarDS; 2 steps Akubarik... :/

It's good that Linn reintroduced the DSs, especially if that leads to new Renews... I really hope they don't even think about considering limiting new LP12s to those with Urika 2, but I am surprised by the decision to drop their passive speakers. It seems like Linn backed themselves into a korner by not coming up with a modular design to minimise the cost of keeping both passive & exakt versions alongside each other in the product lineup... After all, the exaktboxes allow owners to use other brands of amp, and now they're conceding market to other brands of speaker, whereas they could have sold passive speakers that could be taken exaktbox aktiv or 'upgraded' to onboard exakt if they'd planned ahead with a modular approach in mind. Instead, other than the aforementioned sources, it'll now be exakt or another brand, and a self limiting range of speakers that will only appeal to owners with exakt sources, so It's now an even more expensive entry into the world of Linn; more difficult to go from old Linn to new Linn via a new speaker then an EDSM .. or the reverse. Seems like another step away from their traditional customer base, or they're kontent to sell sources & exakt speakers or exaktboxes, with a higher(?) margin / lower costs, such that they can walk away from passive speakers, and take a hit(?) on amp sales that may have accompanied a passive speaker sales? Power amps next to go from the product line?

Re: A little Linn news

Posted: 2019-11-11 06:18
by ARMCOSMO
Ya, this feels like a bit of deja-vue with the DS disappearing and then being re-established into the range, Linn may find the same sales issue happen with Speakers. I just upgraded to an Exact-box 10 , running M140's. These speakers are not my last stop but if I cant buy passives from Linn, then I look at the list of Exact ready speaker supported by Linn. Don't let me stray Linn, you got me, now just hold on.

Re: A little Linn news

Posted: 2019-11-23 21:14
by AlbannachFE

Re: A little Linn news

Posted: 2019-11-23 23:17
by sunbeamgls
Possibly there are some less complex passives on the way from Linn and they're just protecting last stocks of 3K arrays for Exakt integrated buyers?

Selekt DSM allows for 2-way and 3-way passives to be driven Exakt actively. That currently means Majik 109, some older KEF Reference, one PMC, a Manger and the Kudos range (plus others using bespoke filters). There are older Linn options of course, but I can't see that Selekt is aimed at those customers. This means they've developed quite a complex Exakt solution into Selekt for little purpose, unless Linn develop their own new range of 2 and 3 way designs, so perhaps they are on their way?

Re: A little Linn news

Posted: 2019-12-04 23:51
by ThomasOK
maffe wrote: 2019-11-09 10:20
anthony wrote: 2019-11-09 10:11 As the akubarik and akudoriks continue in exakt form, consisting of same cabinets and drive units, I cannot really see how keeping them would cost Linn much.
Maybe the passive version can (and do) outperform the exakt version with non Linn amps?

@ThomasOK: Good news then about the belts!
Have you had a chance to listen and confirm that the new old once are better?
I did not have a chance to do this at the time but did about a week ago. I had a customer bring me an LP12 that I hadn't worked on before and hadn't been seen to in decades. It had been set up properly by another LP12 technician I know so the suspension didn't need much attending to but everything benefited by precision torqueing and improved alignments. He was sure his belt would be worn out but it seemed to be working properly. So I tested and marked the orientation of his belt, then did the same with the last thick belt I had and one of the latest batch that appears like the originals. That done I compared all three. His original belt and the latest one both sounded noticeably better than the thicker, rougher one. His belt and the new one were quite close with the new one a touch better. He decided to go ahead and buy the new one so I told him he should listen to both and decide if he needed to switch them yet or keep the new one as a spare.

So it does appear that the good belts are back.

Re: A little Linn news

Posted: 2019-12-05 22:19
by Defender
thank you I really appreciate your efforts and the time spent - its great news that the good sounding belts are back

Yippee! ?

Posted: 2019-12-06 02:54
by Ron The Mon
Defender wrote: 2019-12-05 22:19 thank you I really appreciate your efforts and the time spent - its great news that the good sounding belts are back.
...at $80 per belt? Hoorah! Yippee!

Boo. Hiss.

Re: A little Linn news

Posted: 2019-12-06 11:12
by Defender
was not talking about the price - however if you have two options

1. thick belt sounding less good - price 80,-USD
2. old/new thin belt good sounding - price 80,-USD

which one would you choose? ;)
I think I know the answer. But I hear your point.

Re: A little Linn news

Posted: 2019-12-06 22:50
by Ozzzy189
Linn are going to be almost unrecognisable from a few decades ago in a few years.
I know they've never been hugely successful with their speakers but it did give people a chance to own a full linn system back in the day and have options. Sadly those options have become fewer and fewer as they back themselves into an exakt shaped corner with a wireless speaker at the end of each wall.
Do you think this is a start of a restructure and a new chapter or the start of worrying times for the Scottish company?