New Linn Dynamik Power Supply

ThomasOK · Post by **ThomasOK** » 2009-10-10 17:18

Although I still haven't been able to do any source of preamp Dynamik comparisons yet we did just recently sell a customer a new Majik 6100 with Dyanmik which we compared to a C6100 without it. Even fresh from the box (with about an hour warmup) there was no question the 6100/Dynamik was more musical. It seemed to lower the noise floor and let nuances of playing come through more clearly compared to the stock 6100 and it did seem to have more punch and control. The increased clarity reminded me of the KK/1 upgrade although not to the same extent. It was surely a very worthwhile upgrade.

A technical note for those interested, I have now had in my hands Dynamik upgrades for the Akurate Kontrol, Majik DS and UniDisk 2.1. I'm sure it comes as no surprise that these are the same exact boards: board number PCAS699. The only differences are the connecting cables supplied and the metalwork that comes with them which is required for the differences in chassis/PS mounting in the different units. I have seen both L3R1 and L3R2 versions but it appears to only be a change in one of the caps.

Post by **lejonklou** » 2009-10-12 09:28

monkeydevil wrote:Have you heard it? :)

Sorry for the delay in replying. Just an awful lot to do at the moment!

This week I will upgrade an AK and a 1.1. And then I will try the new Tor shelf on Harmonihyllan. There are however some orders that have to be taken care of first, so I'm afraid you won't get a report from me until after Linn's Dynamik promotion is over.

Post by **lejonklou** » 2009-10-12 09:31

Music Lover wrote:Have your 2100 improved over time?

Thanks for the need-for-burn-in report. However, I thought the 2100 sounded good straight out of the box. Perhaps a little stiff, but musical and nice.

Post by **lejonklou** » 2009-10-12 09:37

ThomasOK wrote:A technical note for those interested, I have now had in my hands Dynamik upgrades for the Akurate Kontrol, Majik DS and UniDisk 2.1. I'm sure it comes as no surprise that these are the same exact boards: board number PCAS699. The only differences are the connecting cables supplied and the metalwork that comes with them which is required for the differences in chassis/PS mounting in the different units. I have seen both L3R1 and L3R2 versions but it appears to only be a change in one of the caps.

Thomas, I have noted the cap difference as well. It struck me that it might be a detail that is specific for the intended use. Such as; Unidisk=large cap, AK=small cap.

Then again it could be just an improvement that applies to all units. If so, I'll become a bit curious about the difference in performance (knowing that in some cases one single component can make a drastic difference)...

Music Lover · Post by **Music Lover** » 2009-10-12 10:36

lejonklou wrote:
Music Lover wrote:Have your 2100 improved over time?
Thanks for the need-for-burn-in report. However, I thought the 2100 sounded good straight out of the box. Perhaps a little stiff, but musical and nice.

Has the stiffness disappeared now?

Music Lover · Post by **Music Lover** » 2009-10-12 10:50

ThomasOK wrote: A technical note for those interested, I have now had in my hands Dynamik upgrades for the Akurate Kontrol, Majik DS and UniDisk 2.1. I'm sure it comes as no surprise that these are the same exact boards: board number PCAS699. The only differences are the connecting cables supplied and the metalwork that comes with them which is required for the differences in chassis/PS mounting in the different units.

According to Linn (during the visit in Glasgow some weeks ago) it's one low power version, one high power version (chakra amps) with a special unit for KK due to space issues.
If you look inside KK you understand. Tight and the old PSU is small.

What about Dynamik for KDS? Same unit as in KK or a unique? Must be rather tight as well as Linn have to drill in the Alu on old KDS.

Also special for Klimax speakers but what about for 5125/2250?

Had all chakra amps same PSU before Dynamik?

paolo · Post by **paolo** » 2009-10-12 14:37

Music Lover wrote:Has the stiffness disappeared now?

Had all chakra amps same PSU before Dynamik?

My experience with Dynamik upgrade in C2200 is quite similar: very good just out of the box, then a little worse after some days, then good again after a few weeks.

Yes all chakra amps had the same PSU before Dyn.

Paolo

Post by **lejonklou** » 2009-10-12 18:19

Music Lover wrote:Has the stiffness disappeared now?

Yes, it has become more relaxed and easy going. But I quite liked that immediate presentation straight out of the box, it was very impressive. I'm not 100% sure it's better now than it was then.

As I'll install two low power Dynamiks later this week, I will pay attention to how they sound initially compared to later.

Robert Lake · Post by **Robert Lake** » 2009-10-12 19:33

But I quite liked that immediate presentation straight out of the box, it was very impressive. I'm not 100% sure it's better now than it was then.

Opps! Maybe Dynamik isn't such a great upgrade after all. I and my wallet is eagerly waiting further reviews.

Post by **lejonklou** » 2009-10-12 19:56

Why not? It still sounds great. I just replied to Music Lover that I haven't yet heard a Dynamik that sounded "wrong" when it was first switched on.

His impression is that they really need to burn in before they sing. But regardless I think we all agree that the Dynamic power supplies are clearly better than the old ones.

Music Lover · Post by **Music Lover** » 2009-10-12 20:04

lejonklou wrote: His impression is that they really need to burn in before they sing. But regardless I think we all agree that the Dynamic power supplies are clearly better than the old ones.

Yes it is.
Out of the box (cold) a 200w chakra with dynamik is clearly better in all spects than a fully burned-in and warm 100W.
Then it just get better and better :D
An one week old 2200/D was more musical than a Twin.

Charlie1 · Post by **Charlie1** » 2009-10-12 21:23

Music Lover wrote:A one week old 2200/D was more musical than a Twin.

Gosh. Presume this is Charka Twin? How did you find they compare sound wise now?

Music Lover · Post by **Music Lover** » 2009-10-13 10:01

I also like to know this!
My plan is to retest in a few months time when the amp has fully settled down. Keep you posted...

ThomasOK · Post by **ThomasOK** » 2009-10-13 16:35

lejonklou wrote:
ThomasOK wrote:A technical note for those interested, I have now had in my hands Dynamik upgrades for the Akurate Kontrol, Majik DS and UniDisk 2.1. I'm sure it comes as no surprise that these are the same exact boards: board number PCAS699. The only differences are the connecting cables supplied and the metalwork that comes with them which is required for the differences in chassis/PS mounting in the different units. I have seen both L3R1 and L3R2 versions but it appears to only be a change in one of the caps.
Thomas, I have noted the cap difference as well. It struck me that it might be a detail that is specific for the intended use. Such as; Unidisk=large cap, AK=small cap.

Then again it could be just an improvement that applies to all units. If so, I'll become a bit curious about the difference in performance (knowing that in some cases one single component can make a drastic difference)...

I believe it is more likely to apply to all units. For starters, the AK one I have has the smaller (physically) cap and the Majik DS and UniDisk 2.1 have the larger cap. I wouldn't think that the Majik/Akurate DS would need anything more than the Akurate Kontrol. Secondly, the AK Dynamik has been here about a month and the Majik DS and UniDisk upgrades just came in last Friday. And finally, the boards with the larger cap were marked L3R2 with the smaller L3R1 which indicates a running production change. I believe the designation stands for Layout 3 Revision 2 where a change in the L number is a change in the layout of the board whereas a change in the R number indicates a change in one or more of the components on the board. (I'm sure you are aware of this numbering scheme but I felt some on the forum may not be.)

Since you will be doing an AK and a UniDisk 1.1 upgrade this week it will be interesting to see what caps come with those and whether there does seem to be a difference specific to application.

Post by **lejonklou** » 2009-10-13 19:55

Thanks for the info!

Interestingly enough, I have here an L3R2 board for AK and it has three large caps (1000uF) near the output. It's marked on the plastic cover with a label that says "Dynamik/Pre".

For the Unidisk I have an L3R1 board with three smaller caps (820uF) at the same positions. It's marked with a label that says "Dynamic/Disc".

As the large caps are on R2 boards but these are for different units, it looks like you're assumptions might be correct.

For those interested, these low power Dynamic power supplies (called "Slimline II" on the circuit board) are based on a popular switch IC, but the design does not look like anything from the manufacturer's handbook. It's probably Linn's own design that's been carefully tweaked to sound as good as possible.

The power supply in Radikal (called "Miniline") is an entirely different design with a switch I haven't come across before. I have a sneaking feeling there might be a Dynamic upgrade for the Radikal in the future, but Linn won't release it until later. (If they did so now, Radikal owners will be irritated to pay twice. But if they wait long enough, everyone will be happy that Linn have once again made fantastic progress - and there will be a lot of Radikal owners having saved up for a new upgrade of their system).

ThomasOK · Post by **ThomasOK** » 2009-10-13 21:56

A little more info for those interested. We just received our first Dynamik/KK upgrade. In terms of construction it is very similar to the standard low-power Dynamik. In order for it to fit in the KK it is a little shorter - about an inch. To accommodate this the section on the AC input side has been shortened. This was made possible by moving a number of tiny SMC components onto the underside of the board. The rest of the board on the other side of the central heat sink is the same size and basic layout and is almost identical in terms of parts. There are three small parts missing on the KK version. I believe these parts have to do with the section of the PS that runs the digital circuitry in the disc players and the DS units as this is not needed for the KK. With the exception of those three parts (located at the lower left corner of the transformer) the rest of the components and their placement appears to be identical. The part number is PCAS 767/L1R2 and is also uses the 1000uF caps at the output end of the board.

Speaking of caps I noticed that one of the caps on the input side of the board was also different on the PCAS699 boards (Disc, Pre, DS). The L3R1 board had a blue cap right next to the power switch connector whereas the L3R2 had a black cap from the same manufacturer as the larger cap on the other side of the inductor. The blue cap was rather hard to read so I'm not sure if it is a different value or just a different manufacturer.

Post by **lejonklou** » 2009-10-13 22:15

Yes, those are from different manufacturers but have the same value. There are at least two others components that differ in the same way between the L1 and L2 boards I have here.

A change of manufacturer and/or series of a component isn't always related to performance, it can also be due to availability. Problems with this is a serious issue for all electronic manufacturers. I've spent countless hours trying to source specific components that I know works right (sounds good and has proven reliable) that have suddenly been out of stock just when I need them.

Interesting to hear that the KK Dynamik appears to be of the same design as the other low level Dynamiks.

Post by **lejonklou** » 2009-10-13 23:19

Another Dynamik detail... the output cable on these two units are both marked with black in the power supply end and red in the other. Strange, as this is the other way around from the (few) cases where Linn have actually marked directions of internal cables.

But I just noticed this red and black doesn't mean anything: The actual cables beneath the sheath are running in opposite directions, one with text going away from the Dynamik, the other with text going towards it.

So, just like with the cables going out of the Radikal (to motor and Urika), Linn doesn't pay attention to this detail. The flip side of having one in each direction is that it will be easy to check which one is better sounding.

Music Lover · Post by **Music Lover** » 2009-10-14 13:51

lejonklou wrote: The flip side of having one in each direction is that it will be easy to check which one is better sounding.

When have you tested?
You seems having both...

ThomasOK · Post by **ThomasOK** » 2009-10-14 16:38

lejonklou wrote:Another Dynamik detail... the output cable on these two units are both marked with black in the power supply end and red in the other. Strange, as this is the other way around from the (few) cases where Linn have actually marked directions of internal cables.

But I just noticed this red and black doesn't mean anything: The actual cables beneath the sheath are running in opposite directions, one with text going away from the Dynamik, the other with text going towards it.

So, just like with the cables going out of the Radikal (to motor and Urika), Linn doesn't pay attention to this detail. The flip side of having one in each direction is that it will be easy to check which one is better sounding.

The big downside being that on the AK Dynamik there is a different size connector on one side of the ps cable than there is on the other making reversing the cable quite difficult!

Also, I didn't mention it in my last post as I didn't want to seem to be picking on Linn but I also noticed that the cap I mentioned by the power switch connector was installed in different directions on the two boards I have here that use the same cap. Since the direction of the fuse is audible I would expect the direction of the components themselves should be too. This could certainly be a reason for the slight variability in musical quality from one Linn component to the next.

ThomasOK · Post by **ThomasOK** » 2009-10-18 00:29

monkeydevil wrote:ThomasOK,
have you had the chance to listen to the Akurate Kontrol with Dynamik yet? I am really curious as to how it performs!
Since the Akurate DS/D gets very close to the KDS without Dynamik, one starts hoping the Akurate Kontrol would be close to the Klimax Kontrol.... :P

I was finally able to install my customer's Dynamik upgrade in his Akurate Kontrol yesterday evening. I wasn't able to do a lot of comparison but I dis listen to the AK without Dynamik a bit first and then did an A/A with it, then installed the Dynamik and did a B of the same track. I have to say that the improvement was quite substantial. The only power amp comparison I did was a few weeks ago of a new from the box AK2200/Dyanmik vs. a demo unit without Dyanmik. While the power amp comparison was impressive, being more musical, cleaner and more powerful, I really felt the change to the AK seemed greater to me.

What I find the Dynamik doing in all cases is improving the audibility of low level musical information such as nuances of playing, harmonic structure of notes played, vibrations of instrument bodies, etc. that make the music sound more real, more present. Is seems as if it has banished some low level noise and distortion that I wasn't aware of until I heard it removed. In this way it is very similar to the upgrades created by the KK/1 upgrade and the Radikal - although not as big a change as those, especially the Radikal. The Dynamik also lives up to its name as it makes the music sound more dynamic than before. This is most likely due to the lower noise and distortion, but it also seems like the Dynamik allows the item it is in to respond to dynamic level changes in a more powerful yet also more natural way. This could be due to greater current delivery and stability and to greater speed.

Getting back to the AK, I also compared the newly Dynamiked AK to a demo original KK. I have to say the AK came surprisingly close. The delivery of low level detail and overall musicality seemed to be pretty much in the same league. I won't say that the AK/D was the equal of the KK, the KK still had a flow and smoothness to it that made the music sound that bit more real, but the performance of the two were close enough that the AK/D certainly has nothing to be ashamed of - especially at the price. A very worthwhile upgrade indeed!

Music Lover · Post by **Music Lover** » 2009-10-21 10:42

ok after installing dynamik in my 4200s 2weeks ago and yesterday in my KK, no doubt the pre is more important.
So this mimics my previous experience comparing at different linn dealers.

The amp upgrade sound more impressive, but the REAL performance (both sound and music) is bigger upgrading the pre.
If I try to explain - With the pre upgrade you hear new instruments, with the amp upgrade you hear them better and in a more impressive way.
The amp upgrade is like a magnifier, whereas the pre upgrade is like cleaning it.
Hope you spot the difference

Post by **lejonklou** » 2009-10-21 13:59

Sounds good, Thomas and ML.

That the hierarchy is valid even in this case (after all, it's two completely different power supplies in the pre and power amps) is reassuring. Makes navigation in the HiFi jungle a lot easier!

I'm just drowning in things to take care of, so I haven't installed any of the Dynamiks yet. And I haven't put the new Tor shelf on Harmonihyllan either. Before this week ends, I just got to find time for it...

Post by **lejonklou** » 2009-10-24 13:24

Installed Dynamik into a Unidisk 1.1 yesterday. Nice!

It doesn't remove the "digital stiffness" that this unit has in comparison with the DS-players, but Dynamik does boost the performance quite a bit. Initially, the sound was a bit strange (thin and harsh) but musically it was an improvement right away: Solid basslines and a very convincing momentum in the music.

Cost wise it seems things have drifted quite far during the last decade. For the price of a Dynamik, one could almost get a complete entry level product in the 90's. But now, in comparison with the cost of the KK/1 upgrade, Radikal, Urika etcetera, I suddenly feel that this single small circuit board upgrade is quite reasonably priced. I lift my hat to the marketing guys at Linn.

The main question is whether upgrading a Unidisk with Dynamik is a good idea or not. Well, I think it depends on how much you use it and if you intend to keep it. If the answers are "a lot" and "yes", this upgrade certainly makes sense. But whether you're contemplating moving on to another product or format, I doubt you'll get the investment back when selling it.

Music Lover · Post by **Music Lover** » 2009-10-24 14:17

lejonklou wrote: Initially, the sound was a bit strange (thin and harsh) but musically it was an improvement right away.

Based on my experience, Dynamik performance during the first week is like a rollercoaster. Higher/deeper peaks compared to other products.
When bad, it's really weird sounding.

Other with same experience?