Hi!
Some great systems shown here. As a father of twins (age 2) this works fine and is child proof but (as always) upgrades are thought of.
My setup:
• Linn Classic T
• Speakers Linn Ninka with KU-stone (child proof since they are very rigid), split K400.
• Lejonklou Kinki version 1 (I believe)
• Rega Planar 3 on Rega wall shelf (child proof) with Linn Adikt
• Cambrigde DACmagic to which:
1. An Airport Express streams music wirelessly using optical, I use my MacBookPro with Airfoil to stream e.g. Spotify
2. SONY LCD is connected using optical. (I have a PS3 connected to the TV with HDMI, for DVD, BluRay and games)
3. An old MacMini is connected using USB. Used for some ripped albums but primarily to show movies stored on the hard drive to my kids.
Because of the simple interface and convenience I primarily, for the moment, use Spotify Premium for listening to music. Too seldom I listen to LP, and every now and then I listen to a ripped CD (to AIFF). Almost never I put in a CD in the Classik, same goes for its radio.
I would like to have it a bit simpler and possibly also changing the speakers. For speakers I’d like to have something primarily designed for passive configuration. Having speakers designed for active configuration makes me wonder how active will sound like, active would require a lot of amplification (money) and I also understand some good tuning to sound fine. Also with the small kids around large floor standing speakers like the Ninkas seems a bit over the top since you seldom have the possibility to play very loud (we do not have the biggest living room neither).
I am hesitant when it comes to DS. Easy of use is top-priority, wi-fi also preferred, I am using Mac and when googling Mac and DS the Linn attitude towards Apple and also the DS integration with Mac leaves, at least me, with doubts.
So upgrade suggestions are highly appreciated, thoughts I have are:
New smaller speakers. I have listened to the B&W CM1, best looking speakers around, especially in white. More direct and in your face than my Linn Ninka, but still tuneful I experience them.
New digital source/amplification: Best would be to have something where it is all integrated, at least one component like the RIAA or the DAC, but preferably both. Majik-I seems nice. Also new DACs released all the time as well from e.g. Rega and Arcam- I'd like to try them out.
My system, any advice?
Moderator: Staff
Hi trumpeten,
There's a lot going on there :) Well, it's seems a lot to me as I don't really understand much of the digital side.
Funny enough, I was speaking to someone yesterday who happened to mention Ninkas were designed for passive and the aktiv worked out afterwards. Later speakers like the 242s were designed aktiv and then the passive crossover done afterwards.
Ninkas are nicely child proof as you say. I briefly downgraded to passive (same amp) and quite liked them, being pleasently surprised. Quality of signal being fed them is no doubt a factor though. If you keep upgrading the rest of your system they will come along very nicely.
Surely smaller speakers on stands is more of a hazard, or will you wall-mount them? Are you unhappy with the Ninkas sound?
Can't comment on the source question, so leave that to others.
There's a lot going on there :) Well, it's seems a lot to me as I don't really understand much of the digital side.
Funny enough, I was speaking to someone yesterday who happened to mention Ninkas were designed for passive and the aktiv worked out afterwards. Later speakers like the 242s were designed aktiv and then the passive crossover done afterwards.
Ninkas are nicely child proof as you say. I briefly downgraded to passive (same amp) and quite liked them, being pleasently surprised. Quality of signal being fed them is no doubt a factor though. If you keep upgrading the rest of your system they will come along very nicely.
Surely smaller speakers on stands is more of a hazard, or will you wall-mount them? Are you unhappy with the Ninkas sound?
Can't comment on the source question, so leave that to others.
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rowlandhills
- Very active member
- Posts: 582
- Joined: 2008-01-27 19:25
- Location: York, UK
If it wouldn't break the budget completely for you, I'd take a good look at the Majik DS-I. It has a built in preamp including multi-input DAC, so you could keep using your current sources for now (you could keep the Kinki but the DS-I has a phono input) and move over to using the built in DS whenever you felt that the software was ready (I'm hearing very good things about the Chorus DS software for the Mac, which links in to iTunes etc.) although the DS would provide you with Radio streaming over the internet immediately.
The DSI includes a power amp equivalent to a Majik 2100 which would be a big step up on your current classik. You could run the Ninkas direct from that and they would sound a lot better than they do now. You could also add a 2100 or 4100 and move to aktiv if you wanted to do so later.
The DSI includes a power amp equivalent to a Majik 2100 which would be a big step up on your current classik. You could run the Ninkas direct from that and they would sound a lot better than they do now. You could also add a 2100 or 4100 and move to aktiv if you wanted to do so later.
KRDSM, Tundra to 242s
Silvers, K400, Hutter rack
Silvers, K400, Hutter rack
Interesting system. While it sounds like your main goal might be to reduce the number of boxes it also seems like you are unduly concerned about the Ninkas. While they certainly sound more musical in Aktiv mode (as all well designed speakers do) they are still quite musical passive. Unless you really find something you like better at the price I would probably stick with them.
I understand your concerns about the DS units with a Mac based setup and I thoroughly agree that Linn (and others) have put far less energy than they should have into making the DS play well with Macs. I do feel that a good portion of the fault also lies with Apple who could make integration of iTunes with high quality devices like the DS very simple if they would just do three things: support UPnP streaming directly within iTunes, support FLAC (as it is the standard for distributing high-res digital music) and update Core Audio so that it streams music files at their native resolutions. If Apple made these changes those who wish to could use iTunes and Apple Remote to send music to their DS.
That all being said I really think that your best bet for both simplification and musical improvement would be to get a Majik DS-I. Even if you aren't ready to us DS technology now the DS-1 still makes a lot of sense as it does have a lot of what you need in one box. First, you have an internal phono stage which, while it isn't as good as a Kinki 3, should be fairly close to a Kinki 1. (The Kinki 1 was better than the non-Dynamik Majik I but the Dynamik may have reversed that, I haven't heard that comparison.) Second, you have six digital inputs (3 optical and 3 coax) which would allow you to plug your digital sources directly in and use the internal DAC. I have not compared this directly to any of the DACs you mention but I would be surprised if it was not at least competitive with the DACmagic, Arcam and Rega if not actually better. Perhaps someone else has done the comparisons and can comment. Third, if you ever did want to go Aktiv you could use the internal amps, which are the same circuit as a Majik 2100, so all you would need is a Majik 2100 and Aktiv cards (a perfect candidate for a Linn Aktiv promotion).
Just used this way you could connect the Airport Express, Mac Mini, Sony LCD and Rega and have a much simpler setup. But you also will be all set to go the DS route when you are ready. There is no question that the DS will give you much more musical reproduction than running through the Airport Express or the Mac Mini so it is the way you will eventually want to go. While the Mac support is not all I would like it to be, you can run it right now using a Mac as a server (I am doing it at home and we have several customers doing it) and it will only get better and simpler over time. Once the server is set up, controlling the DS is really quite simple using ChorusDS (my favorite) or Songbook (also good) on an iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad. I haven't played with Spotify so I can't comment on that too much. I know that the DS units don't support it directly currently but there appear to be ways of getting it working on the Linn forums. If there is enough interest we might see support for it in a future software update.
If you do end up wanting to upgrade your vinyl playback over time you can always go to an LP12 and the internal phono stage will still serve you well. Or you could upgrade further with a Kinki 3 as well as an LP12.
Whatever you end up doing with your sources, the additional $1200US for the DS-I over the Majik I gets you a quite nice internal DAC for your various digital sources and the DS capability when you are ready. This while giving you the reduction in number of boxes you are looking for and substantially more musical performance than the Classik as the power supply, preamp and poweramp stages are all quite a bit better than those in the Classik. With this setup I am sure you will find your Ninkas singing like never before, and the step to Aktiv would be more modest if you find yourself wanting even more performance. Just be aware that Aktiv speakers can spoil you!
I understand your concerns about the DS units with a Mac based setup and I thoroughly agree that Linn (and others) have put far less energy than they should have into making the DS play well with Macs. I do feel that a good portion of the fault also lies with Apple who could make integration of iTunes with high quality devices like the DS very simple if they would just do three things: support UPnP streaming directly within iTunes, support FLAC (as it is the standard for distributing high-res digital music) and update Core Audio so that it streams music files at their native resolutions. If Apple made these changes those who wish to could use iTunes and Apple Remote to send music to their DS.
That all being said I really think that your best bet for both simplification and musical improvement would be to get a Majik DS-I. Even if you aren't ready to us DS technology now the DS-1 still makes a lot of sense as it does have a lot of what you need in one box. First, you have an internal phono stage which, while it isn't as good as a Kinki 3, should be fairly close to a Kinki 1. (The Kinki 1 was better than the non-Dynamik Majik I but the Dynamik may have reversed that, I haven't heard that comparison.) Second, you have six digital inputs (3 optical and 3 coax) which would allow you to plug your digital sources directly in and use the internal DAC. I have not compared this directly to any of the DACs you mention but I would be surprised if it was not at least competitive with the DACmagic, Arcam and Rega if not actually better. Perhaps someone else has done the comparisons and can comment. Third, if you ever did want to go Aktiv you could use the internal amps, which are the same circuit as a Majik 2100, so all you would need is a Majik 2100 and Aktiv cards (a perfect candidate for a Linn Aktiv promotion).
Just used this way you could connect the Airport Express, Mac Mini, Sony LCD and Rega and have a much simpler setup. But you also will be all set to go the DS route when you are ready. There is no question that the DS will give you much more musical reproduction than running through the Airport Express or the Mac Mini so it is the way you will eventually want to go. While the Mac support is not all I would like it to be, you can run it right now using a Mac as a server (I am doing it at home and we have several customers doing it) and it will only get better and simpler over time. Once the server is set up, controlling the DS is really quite simple using ChorusDS (my favorite) or Songbook (also good) on an iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad. I haven't played with Spotify so I can't comment on that too much. I know that the DS units don't support it directly currently but there appear to be ways of getting it working on the Linn forums. If there is enough interest we might see support for it in a future software update.
If you do end up wanting to upgrade your vinyl playback over time you can always go to an LP12 and the internal phono stage will still serve you well. Or you could upgrade further with a Kinki 3 as well as an LP12.
Whatever you end up doing with your sources, the additional $1200US for the DS-I over the Majik I gets you a quite nice internal DAC for your various digital sources and the DS capability when you are ready. This while giving you the reduction in number of boxes you are looking for and substantially more musical performance than the Classik as the power supply, preamp and poweramp stages are all quite a bit better than those in the Classik. With this setup I am sure you will find your Ninkas singing like never before, and the step to Aktiv would be more modest if you find yourself wanting even more performance. Just be aware that Aktiv speakers can spoil you!
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rowlandhills
- Very active member
- Posts: 582
- Joined: 2008-01-27 19:25
- Location: York, UK
What a great forum! Thanks for all the input.
I believe changing to smaller speakers would be a cosmetic change, soundwise it would be different, not bad or worse tune dem wise, more of a side step. Cost-wise it would be more or less the same. But as you say, speakers on stands and small children is a problem as well as more to gain by upgrading electronics so, as you suggest, sticking to the Ninkas is probably a wise idea after all.
The Majik DS-I seems to be a very nice piece. I'd like to see the DS concept developed a bit more, especially for Mac before purchasing one. Also a bit over my budget at least for now, but who knows...
...one solution to sell of everything except the speakers, Rega/Adikt/Kikkin as well, get a DS-I and later go back to LP after a few years when kids are older. And then a LP12 or a better Rega than the Planar 3 (understand that some big improvements especially in motor on newer models).
I believe changing to smaller speakers would be a cosmetic change, soundwise it would be different, not bad or worse tune dem wise, more of a side step. Cost-wise it would be more or less the same. But as you say, speakers on stands and small children is a problem as well as more to gain by upgrading electronics so, as you suggest, sticking to the Ninkas is probably a wise idea after all.
The Majik DS-I seems to be a very nice piece. I'd like to see the DS concept developed a bit more, especially for Mac before purchasing one. Also a bit over my budget at least for now, but who knows...
...one solution to sell of everything except the speakers, Rega/Adikt/Kikkin as well, get a DS-I and later go back to LP after a few years when kids are older. And then a LP12 or a better Rega than the Planar 3 (understand that some big improvements especially in motor on newer models).