Linn
The Linn Digital streaming solution started life with the flagship DS12 some two years ago. The range now includes players to match each of Linn’s different systems and comprises their flagship Klimax DS (£11,400), Akurate DS (£3900) and Majik DS (1800). Whilst these are all stand alone devices which in effect replace a CD player, now available is the Majik DI-I (£2500) which includes an amplifier with local inputs. All of this technology will then filter down into the Sekrit range of custom installed products which will bring the digital streaming into Linn’s multi-room music offering.
The first of these products will be the Sekrit DS-I which will be an integrated digital streamer and amplifier which can be simply connected to a pair of speakers (similar to the Majik DS-i). It will have a number of local inputs and being an “open source” UPNP device, can be controlled (along with all the Linn DS products) with a number of devices, ranging from a laptop, PC, Philips Pronto, i-Phone or i-Touch, PDA, Web tablet or even Crestron control system.
The sound quality of each DS product we have found better than Linn’s equivalent CD player, and also allows the downloading and playback of “studio master – high resolution” 24 bit 96khz recordings which can sound absolutely stunning and is a big step forward in sound quality. There are a number of web sites which offer these including Linn Records. See right for a list of other web sites offering studio quality recordings.
