I am a fanatic music lover and have been a Linne for 25 years. We're very happy with our primary two channel system and do not upgrade very often. We generally buy good stuff, really take care of it and enjoy it for many years. No desire to chase the holy grail of audio and spend gobs of money doing so.
We listen to jazz (lots of trio music but other formats as well), classic rock, new age, classical, electronic, some new folk / rock, the crooners, soundtracks and a little opera on occasion.
I believe in only keeping music that you will listen to in the future. There's too much great music available to waste time listening to material that doesn't move you in some way.
My wife designed the custom cabinet to feature the equipment and hide as many cables as possible. We also wanted the system to fit in with our home decor and avoid the stereo shop look.
No upgrades planned at this time. We'll wait for the winner of Blu-Ray vs. HD DVD to shake out before jumping into the category.
All questions / comments are welcomed.
Music is what it's all about. A great system further enhances the emotional experience.
I've never owned any of the Linn electronics but a couple of years ago I had the Linn Helix LS150's and they were completely awesome. Unfortunately, the built in stands were of a very idiosyncratic nature and I thought made them sound worse than a simple 12" stand. In the end, one of the rods that threaded into the bottom of the speaker to act as a pillar and part of the speaker stand became stripped and you could not remove it from the stand. So I ended up selling them because I thought the speaker was so much better without the stands...
This is a remarkable system in sound and visual appeal. Linn speakers may be a nice match with your electronics as 'all Linn' does have a nice sound. I see you are using the Quad tuner left over from your Quad system. Are you considering a Linn tuner to compliment your Linn system?
Hey Linnie, Great looking room and cabinet! Kudos to your wife for designing such a great looking cabinet. Was very close to buying a Linn Axis many years ago but got a Rega instead. I did own a Quad FM4 a few years back and enjoyed it very much....part of my shoe-box-sized-gear- experiment with Onix OA-21s int amp and AA DDS3 cd player. My nak cassette is still running strong after the usual BX belt repair after 12 yrs. Actually looking to pick up an entertainment center so I can house everything in the same place as you have done and hope to curb my addictive tv habits. Like your comments on only keeping the music that you'll actually listen to as I have been the recipient of lots of lps over the years and many I'm sure I'll never listen to...if I ever get into having a higher powered amp, would definitely consider a used pr of Thiel CS-2's on my short list of possibilities. Wonder how they compare to Vandersteen 1B's and how much power do they need?
Yes, I run the Wadia through the Cambridge Azur 840C built in DAC and can tell no difference from the CD player. So there is a big difference in details heard using the DAC.
I am assuming the iPod/Wadia is only limited by the quality of the rest of your system/DAC.
I've been a Linnie for years too, but sold mine for financial reasons. I had the Majik, Klout, Karik III, LK100. I alway say I'm going to return when I have the means, but always have a reason to put it off. If I do return I'd almost duplicate what you have exactly, except for a Linn tuner (or Wakonda w/tuner) and Linn speakers. Have you ever tried Linn cabling. I find it makes a difference to my ears. I still have 2 pairs or Black interconnect and K-20 cable (though I'd step up to the K-400) for the day I return. They may go to the grave w/ me.
Thanks for your comments. We enjoy the room all the time. I see you have a Wadia transport....with a DAC I assume. Does the combo make a huge difference in the sound of your iPod?
I like your room/system and the way your system is integrated into it. I agree that I would want my system where the music can be shared with and enjoyed by family and guest. Music is about sharing from the artist to us who enjoy listening with family and friends.
Jaxwired, thanks for your kind words. We really enjoy our setup for simultaneous music listening and living.
I totally agree. Many of my friends have large collections but only listen to about 1/3 of their music given their individual preferences. It's more about bragging rights - how many songs / CD's they have - it's so ridiculuous! Why warehouse music you never listen to? Makes no sense to me.
iTunes has been cherry-picking a new way of life for purchasing music. I buy only the tunes I like with no waste. It's wonderful!!! I have't bought more than 1 or 2 CD's in years and years. My ipods play all day and night (mostly in shuffle mode) and I never hear a tune I don't really like. It is the only way to go today, unless of course, bragging about how many this or that you have.
First of all, great system. Superb setup, I know it sounds great. Secondly, your comment about only keeping music that moves you really hit home with me. I'm a bit of a minimalist nut and I pretty much cull my collection on a regular basis keeping only the gems. I just don't get people that want to own 5000 CDs most of which they never play and wouldn't want to. I listen to CDs all the way through, so they have to be very good. :)
Verry nicely done Linnie. I have always had some linn stuff somewhere in my listening domain (have a movie classic in the bedroom, and surround system is linn) They look great to me, never break and do what they are supposed to. Did you try alot of interconnects with your system? I have never found Linn to be too fussy when it comes to that.
Very nice! We share the same philosophy as to keeping the system in the "living" room. And your wife did a great job on designing the cabinet, looks real good.
What I like about your setup is that you have added a great system to a room that you are keeping as a family room. In special "listening rooms" with shelves and shelves of components and delicately placed interconnects, it just feels like you need to be careful. You've created a living space where the music can enhance the living that goes on in the room!
I like how clean your system is and the fact that you didn't go the multi-channel route. When I was re-entering my audio hobby back in '99 I made the mistake of buying a multi-channel A/V reciever ignorantly believing that was the future of audio. I now have a beastly system and my wife who loves movies and TV insists on listening to them in two channels. She says it sounds better and the dialogue is clearer. I reluctantly concur. Doh!
