[size=12pt]Linn Akurate DS[/size]
[size=12pt]Please forgive this short review – I’m a new member and have not posted before.[/size]
[size=12pt]For the last 25 years I have been an avid vinyl junkie. At one time I had over 5000 classical, jazz and pop albums mostly collected from boot sales at ridiculously low prices. But over the last few years I searched for a recording system good enough to allow me to dispense with my vinyl rig and the records which were taking up too much space. My search ended with the purchase of the Linn Akurate DS. I have recorded my favourite records to Flac files onto my computer using the sound card Jul@ v1.23 and the recording programme Audacity. Audacity allowed me to edit the files and remove clicks etc. I listen to them now through the Akurate with a headphone amp and cans.[/size]
[size=12pt]How do they Sound? In a word - Brilliant! [/size]
[size=12pt]I have CDs and High Resolution downloads as well as vinyl transfers on my computer and would you believe it the vinyl sounds the best! The CD reproduction is better than any CD player I have ever heard and I have heard a few very expensive players. The high resolution is just that -very high resolution. But for the life of me I cannot understand why an analogue vinyl album recorded to a digital device could sound as good as, if not better than, the original vinyl. But it does![/size]
[size=12pt]My transcription system was a Kuzma Reference Turntable with a Tri Planer arm and a Benze LP cartridge. The head amp was the Tom Evans Groove head amp and the preamp was Tom Evans the Vibe plus power supply. The tom Evans gear is described on 6moons. [/size]
[size=12pt]6moons also describes the Linn Klimax DS the Akurate’s bigger brother. The reviewer comments how much better the Klimax is to comparable cost CD players given its high resolution ability. The cost of the Klimax is now over $20,000. The Akurate DS retails at about $6000 and gives about 90% of the performance![/size]
[size=12pt]The late [/size][size=medium]Ivor Tiefenbrun of Linn Audio, who designed the legendary linn sondek record deck, said that the source component in any musical system is by a long way the most important. And with this I heartily agree. For my wallet this is the Akurate DS.[/size]
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