LINN preamps any good?
Posted by: Hans 67 on 31 December 2002
Are the LINN preamps good? I am especially interested in the cheaper new ones. But information about older and/or more expensive ones are also welcome.
Greetings, Hans
Greetings, Hans
Posted on: 06 January 2003 by Andrew Randle
Enigma,
Care to explain why? Rather than giving us this emotionally charged spiele, tell us your findings on the 2250 vs Klout.
Which batch of the 2250 was it? I ask this as Linn improved the design on the initial batch sent to dealers.
The first time I listened to a 2250 vs Klout I would have agreed with you. However, since then, the latest 2250 has stomped all over the Klout. The bass from the 2250 is less lumpy, maintaining power down to the lowest frequencies. The 2250 also has improved interplay timing, and tunes are more separated and easier to follow.
Whether a NAC252/NAP250 beats a Kairn/2250 or not, I don't know - I haven't conducted the comparison. Then again it's not a simple matter of "product A beats product B" because different people have different priorities and different products have different strengths.
Andrew
Andrew Randle
Linn Binn Sinner
Care to explain why? Rather than giving us this emotionally charged spiele, tell us your findings on the 2250 vs Klout.
Which batch of the 2250 was it? I ask this as Linn improved the design on the initial batch sent to dealers.
The first time I listened to a 2250 vs Klout I would have agreed with you. However, since then, the latest 2250 has stomped all over the Klout. The bass from the 2250 is less lumpy, maintaining power down to the lowest frequencies. The 2250 also has improved interplay timing, and tunes are more separated and easier to follow.
Whether a NAC252/NAP250 beats a Kairn/2250 or not, I don't know - I haven't conducted the comparison. Then again it's not a simple matter of "product A beats product B" because different people have different priorities and different products have different strengths.
Andrew
Andrew Randle
Linn Binn Sinner
Posted on: 06 January 2003 by DUPREE
I think it is you who are sad and confused. Unfortunatly you seem to have fallen into the Flat Earth Luddite trap. The predominant symptom of this is a living in the past mentality. It is the same group that believes that progress in speaker engineering and manufacture stopped after the Kan, or that the last respectable integrated amp was the Nait-2. While all these products were fine in their time, better components, better techniques and knowledge learned have made the products of both Naim and Linn progress with the times. Neither of them could have stayed in business resting on their laurals.
The 2250 is in every way a better amp than the Klout. It measures better, has better linearity, is more powerful and I felt in the listening tests I heard sounds head and shoulders above the Klout. It also is all around a more friendly amp to use. It has the Brilliant SMPS power technology so it does not suffer the transformer hum that many Klouts were prone to under suboptimal power conditions. It supports balanced and unbalanced inputs. It has built-in signal sensing circuitry instead of the outboard power trigger the Klout needed for going in to sleep or standby.
One of the changes that linn has made to the 2250 is to the Balanced unbalanced switch. It is a higher quality unit from a different vendor. If this switch was in the wrong position, while the unit would operate, the perfomance will suffer. Possibly your dealer had it set up wrong, because you would have to be deaf not to tell the improvement over the klout...
D
[QUOTE]Originally posted by EnigmaUK: Dupree,
What a sad confused individual you are.
Regardless of what you may think of the differences between Naim and Linn, if you think a 2250 is a better amp than the Klout then your ears are clearly not on your head!
[QUOTE]
The 2250 is in every way a better amp than the Klout. It measures better, has better linearity, is more powerful and I felt in the listening tests I heard sounds head and shoulders above the Klout. It also is all around a more friendly amp to use. It has the Brilliant SMPS power technology so it does not suffer the transformer hum that many Klouts were prone to under suboptimal power conditions. It supports balanced and unbalanced inputs. It has built-in signal sensing circuitry instead of the outboard power trigger the Klout needed for going in to sleep or standby.
One of the changes that linn has made to the 2250 is to the Balanced unbalanced switch. It is a higher quality unit from a different vendor. If this switch was in the wrong position, while the unit would operate, the perfomance will suffer. Possibly your dealer had it set up wrong, because you would have to be deaf not to tell the improvement over the klout...
D
[QUOTE]Originally posted by EnigmaUK: Dupree,
What a sad confused individual you are.
Regardless of what you may think of the differences between Naim and Linn, if you think a 2250 is a better amp than the Klout then your ears are clearly not on your head!
[QUOTE]
Posted on: 06 January 2003 by Andrew Randle
quote:
Sounds like dealer bullshit/excuses to me.
Ergo, unless consistency is also something Linn are incapable of, first batch can sound no different to second batch.
Those were pre-production demo units, which several dealers got Linn to replace (the samething happened with the 5125). For Linn to iron out any wrinkles before full-blown production is a good thing isn't it?
quote:
IE still crap in comparison to Klout (or would you like to retract your opening statement?).
Nope, my initial statement was "The first time I listened to a 2250 vs Klout I would have agreed with you". I also don't think you read my post properly, otherwise you would have realised that your statement (above) is out-of-date.
Andrew
Andrew Randle
Linn Binn Sinner
Posted on: 07 January 2003 by Rockingdoc
"what about the CDSII - Isn't that a true source...."
This is exactly the type of blasphemy that must be stamped out. You'll be asking for an MP3 player next.
I forget what must happen to you now, something about your ears being torn off at the roots....
malcolm
This is exactly the type of blasphemy that must be stamped out. You'll be asking for an MP3 player next.
I forget what must happen to you now, something about your ears being torn off at the roots....
malcolm
Posted on: 07 January 2003 by DUPREE
Oh, that hurts.... The tearing on my ears..
Are you sure that the CDS-II & III still are blasphemous.... They sounded pretty good last I heard... What about the CD-12.. Or is it all like the Hear no Evil poster and it is still a work of the devil?
Are you sure that the CDS-II & III still are blasphemous.... They sounded pretty good last I heard... What about the CD-12.. Or is it all like the Hear no Evil poster and it is still a work of the devil?
Posted on: 07 January 2003 by Bob Edwards
Paolo and Dupree--
I'd agree that using the 52 tilted the results towards the 500, but trying the same experiment with the Kontrol wasn't possible as it was not out yet. Also tried it with the CD12 into a tube preamp (can't remember the brand) and the 500 still won rather dramatically.
What I suspect this means is simply personal preference--I prefer how the 500 does things and you prefer how the Klimax does things. Life would be boring indeed if we all like the same things!
I hope to try the same dem with both the Kontrol and a 552--THAT ought to be interesting!
Best,
Bo
I'd agree that using the 52 tilted the results towards the 500, but trying the same experiment with the Kontrol wasn't possible as it was not out yet. Also tried it with the CD12 into a tube preamp (can't remember the brand) and the 500 still won rather dramatically.
What I suspect this means is simply personal preference--I prefer how the 500 does things and you prefer how the Klimax does things. Life would be boring indeed if we all like the same things!
I hope to try the same dem with both the Kontrol and a 552--THAT ought to be interesting!
Best,
Bo
Posted on: 07 January 2003 by Andrew Randle
quote:
Originally posted by EnigmaUK:
If you need to justify your purchase by clinging to dealer stories i feel sorry for you.
No need to worry, I make my decisions through listening to the kit.
Perhaps you could explain to me how the Sound Organisation returned their initial sample of a 2250 to receive a DIFFERENT AND BETTER SOUNDING 2250. The same thing occured with Billy Vee and their 5125 demo unit (who also received an initial disappointing sample of the 2250).
Linn may not have changed the 2250 itself, but changed the production of the 2250.
Andrew
Andrew Randle
Linn Binn Sinner