Linn Majik Isobariks

A friend of mine has a pair, Randy, that he uses with a Linn amp. Based on his experience and enthusiasm for them , I wouldn't rule out a pair for a dem at your home. He likes them passive.

Chris

I heard these in a 282 250 system at me dealers. Very nice speakers, we liked them a lot. Not heard them in a home environment though. 

I think they are well worth trying in a Naim system. I've had a pair of the Majik Isobariks for four and a half years which are now powered passively by NAC252/Supercap DR with NAP300DR and in my experience I haven't heard anything else yet which sounds as impressive but with a real natural body and balance, even during Naim high end demos. I have found them to be very flexible over room positioning too, mine are only approx 150mm from the rear wall with no boom or overhang in the bass, which by the way, is deep and powerful and not at all overwhelming.

They look like quite a lot of speaker for a Supernait, though I may be mistaken. Even if they work, they look decidedly odd with that tweeter partially over the big hole, which looks perfect for filling with Lego bricks and bits of toast....

By the way, I can tell you that the Majik Isobariks were able to demonstrate the improvements when upgrading the amplifier section of my system with great ease. Even when I moved from the original NAP300 to the new DR version, the difference was certainly more obvious than when hearing the comparison during the demos by Naim at Acoustica last year, where they were using Focal Sopra 2 speakers.

Hungryhalibut posted:

Even if they work, they look decidedly odd with that tweeter partially over the big hole, which looks perfect for filling with Lego bricks and bits of toast....

There's a reason why it's positioned 3ft above the floor!

Don't forget that at two years old, a child is half of their eventual full height. I remember when our VHS player was filled with the contents of the Sorting Suitcase. 

Yeah, VHS machines could collect an amazing amount of stuff! Worst thing for me was when my oldest discovered how to open the cupboard housing the hifi (supposedly childproof as well as sound deadening): the arm, surprisingly, survived, but a delicate moving coil cartridge is another matter. Expensive lesson in how quickly they learn how to access interesting things!

Derek, on looks alone i'd take the Isobarik over the Sopra 2. I'd also not be surprised if i vastly preferred its sound too.

If it's big'n'blingy versus odd, I'd also take odd. 

Hi Gary, yes and I can't understand  why they haven't acquired a greater following because they really are a great all round speaker and seem, to me at least, completely at home within a Naim system. They are great value too (£3500.00) when you compare them with other alternatives, usually costing more (sometimes a lot, lot more). I found that most speakers may excel in one area or another which just leads you to play certain tracks to exploit that fact and can become challenging to listen to over a period of time but the Majik Isobariks lead you to play and just totally enjoy a whole series of albums in one session without fatigue.

Derek,

Thanks for your encouragement. I decided to visit the dealer and now have the Majik Isobariks (Misos) in my listening room for a week-long demo. Large, heavy (34 kg each) but very handsome speakers. I have the cherry finish.

Christopher_M posted:

A friend of mine has a pair, Randy, that he uses with a Linn amp. Based on his experience and enthusiasm for them , I wouldn't rule out a pair for a dem at your home. He likes them passive.

Chris,

Ha, I think we have the same friend. He's also encouraged me to try the Misos and will be mentoring me through room placement these next few days.

Any other thoughts welcomed.

Will be interesting to hear how the Majik Briks work with a Supernait 2.

There was a time not hugely long ago where most thought you could't go far wrong matching Linn speakers with Naim. Back in the 90s it was fairly typical that if a Naim customer was not thrilled with Naim speakers that they often ended up with a pair of Tukans, Keilidhs or Kabers. 

Hi Joe, yes they certainly are heavy and I remember quite vividly the struggle in carrying the speakers from the car to indoors on my own and they weigh even more with the packaging of course! Unpacking and setting up was a lot easier though due to the carpeted floor in my home. I ordered the walnut finish, which was my personal preference and I agree with you, despite their size, they do look handsome without being imposing in my approx 21ft x 12ft living room.

Adding further to my comments over comparison demos and also including a presentation of the Statement amps driving Focal Utopia speakers being fed by an NDS powered by two 555PS's at Acoustica's hifi show last year. I have returned home after each occasion and have been delighted in confirming just how good and 'right' my system sounds particularly when playing the same music which I had heard earlier in the day but from CD on my 'humble' digital front end, the CD5XS with nDAC, which really says something about CD player as well as the speakers! I must say (and most probably controversially) that I am still yet to be convinced that there are any sound quality virtues to be gained by changing to the digital streaming route.

Anyway Joe, hope all goes well with your home trial and you reach a happy conclusion whatever the outcome. 

Yes FEELING_ZEN, I happily owned and listened to Linn Keilidh's  with Naim NAC32.5/Hi Cap/2 x NAP140's (passively bi-amped) for about 16 years!  

Derek C posted:

Yes FEELING_ZEN, I happily owned and listened to Linn Keilidh's  with Naim NAC32.5/Hi Cap/2 x NAP140's (passively bi-amped) for about 16 years!  

I loved my Keilidhs too. 

Something I just thought I needed to add for anybody who may be interested, because of the lack of any real coverage in the media or forums such as this, is that the Linn Majik Isobariks really are supremely musical prompting not only feet tapping but finger and thumb tapping and also teeth tapping into the bargain, you just can't help moving, while also being impressively detailed but not in a clinical or purely analytical way. They just flow and image pretty well too, it is very rare that the sound appears to be emanating from the speakers themselves and depending on the type of music, of course, can become a very emotional experience. In contrast to that, if I put on some electronic dance/big beat music (e.g. Chemical Brothers, Eat Static, Leftfield, Underworld etc. I do have a very eclectic collection of music) in either CD or vinyl format, it becomes very difficult to resist the temptation to start 'throwing' myself around the room in time to the music in fear of damaging myself or something else.

All these comments and observations are made in the context of my system and in my listening environment which is, as mentioned in an earlier posting, approx 21ft x 12ft with the speakers firing across the width of the room with no toe-in, so obviously they are positioned well away from any corners.

I attempted to attach a photo on this occasion but whatever I try doesn't seem to  work. 

Joerand,

Looking forward to your report!

Charlie

I've been repositioning the speakers throughout the day trying to get the best bass. Right now they are 20 inches from the front wall and about 4.5 feet apart. My initial thoughts on the Misos are that the bass is deep, tight, and controlled. The mids are exceptionally clear though relatively recessed. The highs are quite polished. It's a big adjustment for me from the aggressive sound of the Totem Sttafs. One thing is for certain, and I can't agree more with Derek's post above, the Misos are "supremely musical". The toe tapping is involuntary. I don't think I've felt this engaged with my music for 30 years. They get to the the beat and soul of the music like nothing else I've heard in a long time. 

Right now the downside for me is that the bass may be a bit much for my 15'x12' room. I have a corner bass trap to the left rear. The ceiling is vaulted and two of the walls do not extend up to the ceiling. There are two large entrances to the room. So the room is not a confined box, just on the small side. Unfortunately I'm feeling some fatigue from the bass pressure in the room, regardless of speaker positioning. I wonder if a bass trap on the wall directly behind each speaker would help. I'm hoping I can make these work as it's pretty special to come across such an engaging speaker. I think they look nice in the room as well. I should add that they sound incredibly full at low volume.

Sounds like Linn's space optimasation warrants a trial...

That's exactly what my friend (and Chris') is suggesting. He was a 30 year Naim user that recently went to an all-Linn system including misos due in large part to some changes in hearing. I feel as though I've gone through some hearing changes as well the past few years. Add to that my chronic tinnitus and SO could make sense, especially as age-related changes in hearing progress.

OTOH, a couple bass traps might be a more immediate solution.

Randy, Can you try them wider apart, say, 5.5 to 6 feet? I'd do that before anything else.

C.

Chris,

Thanks. I've had them there. Placement as shown seems to have best bass control and the soundstage/imaging/disappearance is wonderful. Moved the listening chair farther and closer as well. I had a third level on my LP storage and removed that with improvement to the soundstage depth. My next logical move ought to be to haul out the entire LP rack. I also plan to talk with my dealer on Monday and see if he can offer any bass traps for temporary use.

Hi again Joe, mine are positioned about 6 to 6.5ft apart and I have shelving and drawer storage units in both corners on the opposite side of the room from the speakers filled with vinyl records, CD's, books & magazines which seem to act as very efficient bass traps. Wish I could work out how to attach a few photos to illustrate.