Linn Karik Mk III - viable alternative to Naim CD3/3.5?

Jayd !

Genki didn't impressed me about anything when compared to CD5, if that helps.

I believe that Naim cdp will work much better with your Nait than Linn, but if you will maybe change your amplification and buy something else than Naim, I strongly suggest you a serious dem of both brands of cdp. I agree that Linn is respectable company, but also believe that Linn is much more different from Naim and I wouldn't put them both in a same league.

As I said, listen very carefully, mistakes are very expensive,

Good luck.

Ozren

Karik is a very fine CDP against any measure. The Numerik makes a nice upgrade.

The only minor irritant is that the machine doesn't automatically play when you close the draw with a nudge.

(And if there is a disc loaded it plays it on power up. Great for a hifi alarm clock but not necessarily if you leave your system powered up and there's a power cut at 3am.)

Paul

jayd

Be patient and look for the CD3 or 3.5. The reason that they rarely sold (as second hand) because they are very good for the money. Your Nait3 will match with the CD3 or 3.5 beautifully.

...I know the best approach is to audition the gear myself, and trust my ears. This is an approach I would gladly take if it was available; however, there are only two "audio" shops in town, one of which sells Levinson/Rogue/Magnepan while the other specializes in Musical Fidelity/B&W.

So it's a five-hour drive to the esteemed Hawthorne's of Seattle, where I can demo virtually any Naim gear. Last time I did that, I trusted my ears and bought a Nait 3. Still, they get Linn stuff 2nd-hand and infrequently, so my only shot at hearing Linn gear is purchase-then-demo, via eBay or Audiogon.

Hence, I avail myself of the combined expertise of this board. I've gleaned enough from past threads to suspect a Mimik or Genki isn't the upgrade I'm looking for. Several have hinted at the bargain nature of the Karik III, so I hoped to pursue that a bit.

Thanks for your efforts. For those whose time is wasted by reading this thread, apologies.

Jay

I recently completed a dem of a Linn Genki against a CD5, which is a vaguely similar kind of comparison.

I found the Linn to be much more neutral in it's sound, far less coloured and had oodles of detail. If you like the above, you'll love it.

Unfortunately I also found that the CD5 simply murdered it for outright musicality and for me that was more than enough.

jayd

You contact HiFi FoFum in Toronto Canada as well, sometime Steve will have it. Contact him at 416 421 7552 (in Toronto, Ontario). Steve is a very good Naim dealer here.

Jay--

If the email address listed in your post is correct, you have mail. If not, please email me at the address above.

Bob

Tuan: Thanks for letting me know the alternate source for used Naim gear. I'll contact them pronto, and hope for the best.

Bob: Got your email and sent you a reply. Many thanks for the excellent info.

Geoff: The synergy you mention is something else I'll keep in the back of my mind. I'm not ruling out an all-Linn system in my future, given the opportunity to audition properly. Many things that I hear from Linn owners, I like. I plan to give the Naim approach a lengthy opportunity to completely win my audio heart, but I haven't forgotten there are other fish in the sea.

Thanks to all, and anyone else who might add to this thread.

Jayd,

the naim cd players are out there. Check audiogon and ebay. They turn up all the time and prices are going down.

Markus

The K3 is a very fine cdp and a steal at current s/h prices. The Genki/Mimik doesn't come close. However if you are going Naim you might find that a s/h CDX will soon be in your price range now that CDX2s are available. S/h prices for olive gear are dropping like a stone.

"All systems are perfectly designed to get the results they get."

Jayd,

I own a Karik 3. I did listen to the CD3 and CDI at the time also. Most of the points raised here refer to the Genki which was a replacement for the Mimik, the model below the Karik at about $1600US new. A better comparison in the current Linn Range is the Ikemi.

The Karik 3 works very well with Naim. It has a smoother sound than the Naim CD's. This is an often underrated CD player. There seems to be a bias (understandably) here to go pure Naim. Alternatives do work well in the Naim systems.

If you can pick up a K3 reasonable it will work very well. You can always add a Numeric DAC later although these are much harder to find but can be had for £300-£400UK $450-$600US if you search. Considering the Numeric retailed for the same as the Karik 3 that is very good value and worth the upgrade.

Just make sure it is a 3 as they were a noticable improvement on their predecessors.

Regards

Milan

quote:

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S/h prices for olive gear are dropping like a stone.

---

Looking around me I can't see an awful lot of evidence to support this claim. There has been some softening of prices but 'dropping like a stone' appears to be a gross exageration to me.

Perhaps Jez would like to produce some evidence

David

Maybe a little exaggerated as you suggest - 'recent significant falls' would have been more accurate. A 2 year old CDSII head unit recently failed get a bid higher than £1500 on ebay. Also have a look at www.ex-dem.co.uk where dealers advertise their ex-dem stock - the prices for olives are eye brow raisingly lower than they were a few months ago.

"All systems are perfectly designed to get the results they get."

A viable alternative to the Naim CD3/3.5 is the Roksan Caspian CD player.

I had one for many years and was very happy with the sound, especially through a naim system.

Happy new year,

NB

I was the happy owner of a Karik 3 for a couple of years. A very good player, with a softer more laid back sound than the CDX, but good nonetheless. If you can get hold of a Numerik, the older Karik used as a transport will give you a very competent package, otherwise stick to the Karik 3.
The build quality is really good, the transport is an in-house designed and built item, a lovely piece of work. I sold my ‘3’ to a friend (32.5 / hicap / 110 / Tukans) and when I visit I’m still impressed by the music it makes.

Mr Tibbs

jayd

check this out.
http://www.canuckaudiomart.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/classifieds.cgi?search_and_display_db_button=on&db_id=8788&query=retrieval

or go to www.canuckaudiomart and search for naim

Although I've no direct experience of using a Karik with Naim amps, at the price I'd say give it a go anyway as you shouldn't have too much trouble selling it off for what you paid if it proves not to suit your set-up/taste. I have heard Mykel's Mimik II fronted Naim amps sounding very good to these 3-5/Flat accustomed ears.

ISTR that Linn's in house built mech offered the provision for easy dealer repair although I can't remember if this was just wrt the laser head assembly or the whole mech. Might be worth checking into as this could make a Karik a better long term proposition than the likes of Pierre Lurne/Audiomeca or Roksan assuming that you get on with the K3s performance in your system (and assuming that Linn continue to support it).

I too disagree that CD3/3-5s are as rare as hen's teeth via the usual on-line sites. In fact lately they seem as common as hen's droppings. Either will suit your NAIT very well with the 3-5 offering an upgrade path via Flat or Hi-cap down the road. CD3s on the other hand might be getting a bit long in the tooth and the cost/availability of mech replacement may be an issue. Best to ask Naim/NANA directly before committing to purchase.

Happy hunting,

Craig

I prefered Linn CD to Naim CD at the time, and now have Karik II and Numerik SPS,whihc make fine music with Naim amps.

One advantage of the Karik is the digital outputs, so you can upgrade the DAC or plug into a CDR when needed.

DS