November 25, 2011
You are here on the map
Let's first get some perspective and understand where a fully active ("Aktiv") Akurate system falls in the pantheon of Linn components and systems
Akurate represents the component range immediately below Linn's top Klimax line. It's sound quality is well beyond the Majik line despite the fact that the Majik line is as good or better than many will ever own. You can get a basic Akurate system and be very happy, but then you can step the system up by adding amplifiers to bi-amp, tri-amp, quad-amp and quint-amp the speakers. A complete Akurate Aktiv system includes the Akurate DS digital streamer/DAC, Akurate Kontrol preamplifier, two Akurate 4200 4-channel amps (4 channels for upper and lower bass, and 4 channels for midrange and treble), one Akurate 2200 2-channel amp (for the super tweeter), and the Akurate 242 five-way bass reflex floor standing speakers. Also included are the special modules needed to change the crossover characteristics of the amps, as well as all of the cables needed to connect all of those components together.
Now this is a lot of stuff - not to mention a lot of technology - to assemble, so Linn's U.S. distributor, TC Group Americas, also sent Darrin Kavanagh, who is their VP of residential sales. No, Darrin did not come in the box. Darrin said that it would take a few hours to get everything assembled, so he was scheduled to arrive at my home about 10:00am so he could get it all done in time to leave for his return flight out of O'Hare by mid-afternoon. Of course, nothing can be that easy, and my suburb suffered a power outage the day before Darrin's scheduled arrival. I assumed power would be restored within a few hours, but of course I was wrong, and Darrin had to assemble the entire system using a flashlight and the dim light that came into the room. He completed the assembly without the benefit of being able to test the system out before leaving for the airport. If it were me, I would have been a wreck, but Darrin kept up his good humor all day while he patiently assembled the system in the semi-dark and answered my questions about Linn's history and philosophy.
What Linn believes
Let's talk a bit about that history and philosophy. Linn began as an offshoot of Castle Precision Engineering (Glasgow) Ltd., and many of the methods and processes of that company form the philosophy behind the production of Linn's audio components. It was founded in 1973 by Ivor Tiefenbrun, who designed and produced the famous Sondek LP12 turntable. In 1975, Linn patented its isobaric loading principle, and launched the Isobarik loudspeaker. Linn's first CD player, the Karik, was released in 1993 – 11 years after the CD first became available, and Linn claimed that it waited that long to sell a CD player that offered performance worthy of the Linn name. The Klimax DS was introduced in 2007, with the Akurate DS following in 2008.
Throughout this time Linn has championed the position that the most important component in the musical chain is the source, since the signals produced by the source determine the ultimate quality of the rest of the reproduction chain. This was true with the Sondek as well as currently with its DS digital front ends.
Linn believes in open standards, basing its digital systems on UPnP standards so developers can create new apps and services to work with Linn systems . As Linn says on its website, you can "use a traditional remote control, or the latest handheld gadget. Stick to our Kinsky software or download an app. You can use any combination of controllers or apps you like, we don’t mind." As a result, I used several different iPad apps to control the system, as well as Linn's own Kinski software from my main server
Let's look at the individual components
I'm not going into all the details of all of the individual components. That would take several pages by itself, and I've already got a ton to tell you about. Instead, I suggest that you go to Linn's website, which has very comprehensive technical information about its products. I also strongly recommend that you refer to my June 2011 article in Dagogo on the Akurate DS and Kontrol to see the myriad of features they each offer. Suffice it at this momemt to say, a) the DS will play pretty much anything that is playable through a computer, b) the Kontrol is similar to traditional high-end preamps and is designed to pass a signal without altering it, and c) the 4200 amp is a 4-channel amp based on Linn's patented Chakra technology. All of the components are modest in size and stylishly designed. The one specific thing I will point out here is that the DS does not sport any spdif, AES/EBU, toslink or bnc input. This is because Linn stopped making CD players after it became clear that streaming music from a network sounds better than spinning a disc. Linn believes, and I totally agree, that CD players suffer from read errors and the moving parts interfere with the sound quality. The DS has no moving parts and no reliance on discs. As a side note, for those of you concerned about a digital input, check out the newly-introduced Linn DSM series of components, which include inputs for virtually anything you can imagine and incorporate volume control. I've been looking for that type of component for the last year!
Since I was already familiar with the Akurate DS, Kontrol and non-modified 4200 amp, I was the most interested in seeing how the "standard" Linn amps and speakers were transformed into a fully active, or as Linn would say, "Aktiv", system. This is accomplished by installing modules which cause the amps to only output the frequencies appropriate for the particular tweeters/midrange/woofers being fed the signal. The process also involves defeating the jumpers on the 242 five-way speakers so that each of the five cones receives only the appropriate signal. Since each speaker can operate being driven by up to five channels of amplification, you can start with a pair of 242s driven by a 4200 amp (or may be even just a 2200? I don't know since I didn't try that) and then work your way up to a complete quint-amped system. Nifty.
An interesting aspect of going Aktiv is the significant increase in bass extension. I have been biamping my speakers for quite some time, and I've definitely obtained improvements in definition, slam, speed and musical ease by doing so. However, I've never gained deeper bass. Nonetheless, with the Linn 242 speakers you gain 9Hz of extension, going from a bottom end of 49Hz in a passive system to 40Hz in Aktiv mode. That's a big difference. When you look at the specifications of the 242 you can see what occurs when you go Aktiv. In passive mode, the speaker's impedance is 8 ohms, but when in Aktiv mode the impedance for the bass woofers goes to 16 ohms. Moreover, the mid stays at 8 ohms, but the tweeter goes to 6 ohms and the super tweeter goes to 4 ohms.
Another interesting aspect of the Linn Akurate Aktiv system is that it comes complete with interconnects and speaker cables. You may need longer lengths if you plan to separate your components, but when you buy a Linn system, everything is included. That doesn't mean that you may not want to try other cables - I tried several - it's just that you don't need to feel compelled to do so to get good sound. The Linn cables all appeared well-made and sounded good, and that's a nice bonus for any audiophile buyer. In my case, I needed one longer, three-meter run of interconnects to get from the preamp to the amps, and we used a longer length of Aural Symphonics Chrono.
Linn also suggests that you not use power conditioning devices. This is very hard for me to accept, because I've installed a ridiculous number of power conditioning devices in my system, and I've gotten great results. However, in deference to Linn's suggestion, I started with all of my conditioning devices in play, but later spent part of the review time without conditioners in the circuits. I won't belabor the point - I still got improvements by using my Lessloss conditioners, but the Linn system sounded much cleaner without conditioning than most other systems I've tried.
A word about speaker placement
I want to mention speaker placement primarily because my room setup forced the 242s to be well away from the rear walls - over four feet. With many speakers this is good. It wasn't bad with the 242s, but it clearly put them at just a bit of a disadvantage since their bass output is more pronounced when closer to a rear wall. This clearly had an effect on how I tweaked the gain on the bass amps when tweaking the system settings. Linn suggests that the 242s be placed no closer than 9 inches from the wall, and my sense is that a placement of 18-24 inches from the back wall would have been ideal. Nonetheless, as you'll see, the Linn's bass was quite good despite this handicap. In fact, for most households placement closer to the wall is more practical and aesthetically pleasing, not to mention much higher on the SAF (Spouse Approval Factor) scale.
The Interface
I have been spoiled by the fabulous interface of my modified Qsonix music server. Qsonix is one of the companies that took the approach that is opposite from the one taken by Linn. Qsonix first focused on creating a device that would allow the user to easily rip or download music and have all the metadata loaded automatically so that the advanced features of the Qsonix would provide unparalleled search capabilities. The more recent Q205, which incorporates a Wadia-designed spdif digital output and ditches the average internal DACs of the older Q105, is all about the simplicity of a dedicated music server. As discussed above, Linn's approach of designing to the open UPnP standard is different.
You can pick any interface you want. You can use Linn's software, known as Kinski, or third party control software such as Chorus HD, Songbook, or PlugPlayer. These are all available as apps that allow you to use various wireless handheld devices such as an iPhone or iPad. In my case, Darrin left me an iPad that had several different apps to try out. All of them worked just fine, and my preferences for one or the other were not strong. The freedom provided by the ability to control the system from anywhere in or around the house is great and definitely the future. Linn provides extensive support to help you in the process of selecting, installing and configuring all the software you will need to control your entire system. More importantly, your Linn dealer will do virtually all of the work, and once it's done you can forget about it and just enjoy music.
Listening
When Darrin completed the assembly of the Aktiv system, we still didn't have power, so he left without confirming that the assembled system actually worked. Similarly, I went on to other things, hoping that power would be restored soon. My wish was finally fulfilled the next day, but work called and it was not until the next evening that I was finally able to have my first listen. I had left the system to play all day, so about 10 hours of break-in had taken place by that time.
The first and most obvious thing was the absolutely crystal-clear presentation. As you will see below, this impression was confirmed during all my listening sessions. As my listening session went on I also became aware of some of the best performer separation I've heard in any system, with each performer's aura distinct from the others in a way that mimicked live performances. I also discovered that I could easily discern the performance venue, and the sonics cues created a virtual sonic replica of the room involved. This was very consistent with my prior experience with the DS and Kontrol.
Needless to say, systems with see-through clarity tend to also have top notch pace, rhythm and timing, and the Linn Akurate Aktiv system was no exception. There was never an instance in which things felt sluggish; and music that was meant to be fast-paced created some real toe-tapping moments.
All of these qualities continued to manifest themselves during the entire time that the Linn Akurate Aktiv system remained in my listening room. As time went on, I focused on other audiophiles characteristics, such as bass quality, naturalness of the midrange and grain-free treble extension. Let's take these one at a time, starting with bass.
I'm kind of a fanatic for good bass. Not just good bass, but realistic bass that sounds like it does in a live performance. This means that the bass has to have extension, definition, nimbleness, nuance, power and body. It is not easy to get all of these in one package. Moreover, getting the lower bass, upper bass and lower midrange to "mesh without mush" (how do you like that expression?) is near impossible, and only the best full-range floor standers seem to get this right. The lower bass needs plenty of oomph and definition so you can hear the actual notes but still feel their power while preserving the pace of the music. The upper bass and lower midrange need a dose of warmth and body or the music can sound clinical - but not too much warmth or the pace will drag.
After two days of listening I felt that the lower bass was spot-on correct, but that the upper bass was too polite and reticent. To compensate for this I first played with the rear-panel controls on each amplifier that allow you to adjust the output of each amplifier channel. Making small adjustments over the course of three days, I eventually settled on boosting the two upper bass channels by about 1.5 dB. That was more to my taste, and I gave it two additional days of listening before any more tweaking. I then experimented with some additional boost to the midrange, and eventually settled on adding one-half dB. This got me close to what I thought was the right balance, but I was still not fully satisfied, so after another two days I switched some of the interconnects. Specifically, I removed the pair of the Linn interconnects that connected the DS to the Akurate and substituted the Aural Symphonics Chrono. That did the trick for me, and I made no further adjustments to the sound of the bass or midrange throughout the review.
The only one of these adjustments that was significant was the boost to the upper bass in order to adapt to my personal preference. All of the rest were very minor tweaks. Somewhat to my surprise, I never needed to make any adjustments to the super tweeter. I guess I have never really focused on the purpose of a super tweeter. A super tweeter is designed to reproduce ultrasonic above the range of human hearing to instill the airiness that can be heard in most live performances. In any event, the only treble adjustments I made were to the tweeter, where I toned down the gain about .5 dB. The treble was never edgy or shrill, but the small adjustment let me dial it in to my exact personal taste.
Once I made these small adjustments I was in sonic bliss for several weeks, and guests commented on how good the system sounded. The ability to make these small adjustments to the drivers of the 242 speakers made me think of all the times that I've added and removed cables, power cords, fuses, conditioners and other things to dial in the sound. Though I had assumed that an active system would add a lot more complications, the ability to adjust the amp output for each driver was actually a less complicated way to get to the sonic goal than trying to do so with other components. I'm not saying that it's a snap to set up, but in many ways it's no more complicated than endless component swapping.
So what did I like?
A few years ago, I put a very high end digital component up for sale after I purchased what I considered an upgrade. An interested acquaintance came over to listen to it and decided to purchase. He then asked why I was selling it. I told him that I had upgraded to a new component and he asked if he could listen to it while he was there. That was no problem for me since I had planned to reinstall it after he had left with the component I was selling. I had already broken it in, so I figured he'd be able to readily hear the difference. I set the system up and played music for thirty minutes until he finally said that it was very nice, among the best he'd heard, but he liked the system better with the piece I had just sold him!
This illustrates one of the tough issues in the high end - when is it better, and when do I just like it more? That's why accurately expressing an opinion in a review can be so tough. Almost everything I review these days is quite good. Some of it is better than equipment I praised mightily five years ago. Sometimes the differences are very nuanced, and you have to stretch to identify exactly how the component is different. Sometimes the differences are very obvious, but nonetheless you can't say that one component is "better" than the other because the difference is mostly a matter of different "house" sounds, each of which excels on different types of music, e.g., classical vs. rock. The best we can do is accurately describe the differences so that the reader can understand the sound the component produces.
So where does the Linn Akurate Aktiv system fit in? Again, you should read my earlier review of the Akurate DS, Kontrol and 4200 standing alone; that will give you a handle on the immensely detailed yet natural sound of those components; extreme detail can often sound unnatural, in my opinion. In addition, as I have mentioned previously, the Linn Akurate system is very lively, and never allowed the music to drag, something that several high end systems I've heard inexplicably get wrong. However, beyond those qualities, the Linn Akurate system produces the cleanest and most uncolored musical presentation I've heard in my home, and is among the two or three most neutral-sounding systems I've heard anywhere. Note that I did not use "clinical" or "dry" or any other word that implies any negative quality to the sound. If I had meant that I would have used those words. I admit that "neutral" is used by some to suggest a lifeless sound, but that is not the case here. In fact, I'm one of those people who have felt that some systems billed as neutral did in fact sound lifeless, and I was prepared for that possibility. However, the Linn Akurate Aktiv system is one of those systems that confounds my expectations.
In general, I have opted for systems that err on the side of solidity, richness and slam. For a while this had me focused on tubes, but I got tired of the work tubes sometimes take, so for several years I labored to assemble a solid -state system which has the richness of tubes. Yes, there were times where I would marvel at the sound of ultra "transparent" systems, but in the end preferred the "solid" sounding systems. However, in the case of the Linn Akurate Aktiv system, the transparent, neutral and uncolored sound is coupled with detail and nuance that conveys the timbre of the instruments, the dimensions of the venue, the nuances of the vocalists' voice, and a myriad of other audiophile ideals without any apparent negative effects. Though my prior experience with just the Akurate DS, Kontrol and 4200 leads me to believe that much of this is due to the superior qualities of the DS, the complete Akurate Aktiv system preserves these qualities through the entire reproduction chain, resulting in the detailed, nuanced and uncolored sound that emerges from the 242.
The only aspects of the system that I thought were "only" good were the soundstaging and the sense of power of the system. As to the first, the soundstage was not quite as sweeping or expansive as my own system. As to the second, few systems match the B&W 800D biamped with Electrocompaniet Nemo and Nada mono blocks, and it would not be realistic to expect otherwise. Nonetheless, many who came to listen to the Akurate Aktiv system, commented on the soundstaging and realism of the system. It is only in the context of other high end systems did these two things become apparent. Of course, the B&W 800D is the top of the B&W food chain, while the 242 is in the middle of Linn's speaker lineup. I suspect that I would have a very different experience if I were listening to the 350, whose specifications bests the 242 by a significant margin, and whose woofers move a lot more air than the 242.
The only aspects of the system that I thought were "only" good were the soundstaging and the sense of power of the system. As to the first, the soundstage was not quite as sweeping or expansive as my own system. As to the second, few systems match the B&W 800D biamped with Electrocompaniet Nemo and Nada mono blocks, and it would not be realistic to expect otherwise. Nonetheless, many who came to listen to the Akurate Aktiv system, commented on the soundstaging and realism of the system. It is only in the context of other high end systems did these two things become apparent. Of course, the B&W 800D is the top of the B&W food chain, while the 242 is in the middle of Linn's speaker lineup. I suspect that I would have a very different experience if I were listening to the 350, whose specifications bests the 242 by a significant margin, and whose woofers move a lot more air than the 242.
In terms of musical genres, the Linn Akurate system was exceptional when it came to classical music of all types, be it symphonic, chamber music, choral or any other sub genre you can think of. Jazz was nearly as compelling, with brass instruments sounding very extended and also very natural, with pace, rhythm and timing second to none. Even when playing rock, the Akurate Aktiv system was great at conveying the raw feeling of the performance. I played George Thorogood's Bad To The Bone to see how that rawness would be handled by the Linn system, and the Linn's ability to convey nuance allowed the grit of the George Thorogood's voice and guitar to come through in spades. As I stated above, the one thing that I missed with the 242 speakers was my B&W 800D's ability to provide the THUMP that lets you feel the kick drum in your chest.
A note about Songcast
Linn has created software that facilitates networking your system, centrally controlling your components, and controlling your music. One of the more recent features available after the introduction of Linn's Davaar 1 software is Songcast. Linn certainly can't be accused of thinking small. As it states on its website:
"Install our Songcaster app on any computer and you can send anything you’re listening to straight to your Linn.
You can use Songcast to listen to any audio in any room. Any Linn DS player can tune in to another Linn DS and play the same music. You can also use Songcast to stream audio from anything you connect to your Linn: Blu-ray, DVD, digital or satellite TV, games consoles. Create your own multiroom system — step by step and room by room — and listen to your favourite music or content anywhere in your home."
The website goes on to envision a home system with many DS units, actually distinguishing between "small scale" systems of six or fewer DS units or "large scale" systems with more than six DS units! I don't know exactly who can afford more than six DS units in their home, but that's a home I'd like to check out. If those DS units are Akurate or Klimax DS units it would provide the basis for sending fabulous music to every room, not just the main listening room. Be still my beating heart...
Conclusion
I drew several conclusions from my time with the Linn Akurate Aktiv system. First, this is a very well-conceived overall system with excellent individual components that exhibit excellent audiophiles qualities. True, it takes some tweaking to get it to sound its very best, but that's actually typical when you're setting up a high-end system. Second, there is no longer any doubt in my mind that driving speakers with multiple amps and electronic crossovers is the way to go - provided the execution of the concept is good. Not only does it make sense from a technical/performance standpoint, but with a system like the Linn you can begin with a lower cost passive system and then ramp up as you have the money to implement "Aktiv" improvements. Third, my original impression when I reviewed just the Linn Akurate DS, Kontrol and 4200 amp was absolutely correct - all of the components are very good, but the DS is an absolute jewel, and the other components are designed to let the music created by the DS flow through unimpeded and pristine.
If you are an audiophile who loves tube-infused richness and have read this review thinking that there is no way this system could be satisfying, you should nonetheless have a listen. The highly transparent and clean detail and nuance of the Akurate Aktiv system turned my usual expectations on their head, providing a very natural-sounding presentation that all of the visitors who came to listen enjoyed immensely. If you are a fan of a highly transparent and nuanced musical presentation, the Linn Akurate Aktiv is one system you should audition before buying. If you are the current owner of Linn equipment, the Linn Akurate Aktiv system will show you the way to the next level. Finally, if you haven't yet experienced how good computer-sourced digital music can be, head on over to the local Linn Dealer and listen to how it sounds on a cutting-edge system like the Linn Akurate Aktiv.
Definetely Reccomended!
++Manufacturer Comments:++
I would like to thank Ed and Dagogo for such a professional, thorough and clear review of the Linn Akurate Aktiv System. We're committed to allowing all of our systems to go Aktiv for the listening benefits described in the review. It's hardly surprising, though, because in a passive crossover there is audible leakage from treble to bass and vice versa.
To hear this for yourself, simply disconnect the input to the treble section of a passive crossover, and disconnect the bass drive unit. If there's only bass signal going in to the passive crossover, and no Bass drive unit, there should be silence, right...? Wrong! In fact, you will still clearly hear the bass signal playing through the treble drive units.
What this tells us is that (a) there is an enormous amount of waste / inefficiency in passive loudspeaker systems and (b) out of band signal combines with and distorts the in-band signal in passive loudspeaker systems. In other words, Aktiv systems are more efficient and sound better!
We also appreciate how much you see the benefits of the Linn approach in particular to the Linn DS streaming source. We have been working hard on the DS platform since 2004, resulting in a range of DS players at different price points and functionality, and have consistently made it simpler to use and more powerful in what it does to the benefit of all Linn DS owners. We have just recently introduced the latest addition to the DS family, a whole new range of DSM Systems that let anything you listen to at home sound better, including music, movies, TV, computer, mobile and internet content.
Jennifer Kavanagh
Marketing Manager
TC Group Americas
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