Linn LP12 turntable packages

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Linn have brought their LP12 into line with the streamer, amplifier, and speaker ranges

by offering combined packages in Majik, Akurate, and Klimax performance levels.

 Majik level is £ 2900. Akurate is £ 6090 and Klimax is £ 14835,

 All these parts were already available, however the possible combinations were too many and mind-blowingly intricate to explain!

By grouping these parts into 3 levels you have a simpler choice and can still customise outside this, if necessary.

Majik level has been around for a while. Take the great Linn engineering at it's simplest level and use a Project tonearm to keep the package under £3k .

Akurate level sounds much clearer, with increase dynamics . Although the plinth, motor and platters are identical everything else is improved to eliminate noise and vibration.

This allows more of the delicate details to leap out of the records and into your system. The Kore subchassis and Akito tonearm are far more rigid for reduced vibration. The Lingo power supply makes a massive difference to both speed stability and vibration. It gives the motor a larger voltage to get up to speed and then reduces it to just enough torque to maintain constant speed resulting in less noise into the system, and what you hear is more detail and dynamics in the sound.

Klimax level is the top technology in every area. The Keel subchassis is machined from a solid billet of aluminium alloy. The Radikal motor/power supply is an ultra-low noise/vibration system. The Urika is a phono stage placed inside the turnatable to amplify the tiniest of signals from the Kandid cartridge, the finest available.

There are in-between levels possible by using these parts individually so you could have a Majik Plus at £ 4500-5300, or an Akurate Plus at £ 7500-8980

There is no such thing as a Klimax Plus!

Denon Heos Training

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Now completed the training and have all the hands-on information, almost

It's ver y very good, a Sonos for those who want more performance, more interaction and, eventually, a bigger range of options.

Turned up to meet a very personable dutch guy from Denon Europe. He knew his stuff and had a great presentation. We started with the market background, where the hifi business is, increase in network solutions for music, the way we access music etc. People love music, vastly increased consumption through phones, online, low performance solutions, and how Denon wanted a product that accessed all these channels and at the same time addressed another desire for higher performance, better sound, with the same easy accessability.

Not an easy task if you want a complete solution. An earlier blog goes through the product line-up, so here is what it can do.

Every product will connect to your wireless network to access your itunes/music library, internet radio, and online services such as Spotify, Napster, etc. In any home you can access different music from any source in any room, or link them together to play the same music. Every user sets up their own Heos online account so you can store your own individual playlists, and this music history goes with you as it is cloud based.

If your wifi is a bit flakey Denon have a simple solution, the Heos Extend at £ 79 will fix it, larger home s may need two, and the system can even test your wifi for you, there is always a solution!   

 So how do you use it ? 1,2, 3

1 Launch the app on your phone or tablet, either apple or android work

2 Select the room you are in, even if there is just one room on the system you still need to select it

3 You then have the music choices and you are ready to play. The picture above is hard to make out, sorry, the simple options on this example are Spotify, Radio, This iPod, Local music (your computer), Playlists (music you have already saved as favourites), History (most recently played), and AUX input (another source you have plugged in, could be tv, cd player, anything really)

This simple control then allows you access a vast range of music very easily, and you can also connect and control music on a USB stick. Another clever feature when used across more rooms is that this USB is then available in any room! Clever!

The Spotify control is close to how Sonos do it, but slightly different. Sonos has the Spotify controls embedded in the Sonos software. While this means that the Heos has one more keystroke to access it the benefit is that you retain all your Spotify useability for new music and their playlists while the Sonos version is slightly stripped down.

The first products to arrive in August will be the Heos 3, 5, and 7 at £ 249, £349, and £ 499, along with the Extend. The launch is being rolled out slowly to be super careful that this product range is bulletproof so the amplifier and the link, to connect to an existing hifi system, will follow in September.

Similarly some features that are already onboard will be rolled out through software updates over the coming months, most noticeably Bluetooth and Airplay.

So the sound, the sound?

Using the Heos3 was easy and it sounded great. For a little box it is dynamic and punchy sounding and will do really well at just £ 249

The star of the show though is the Heos7 at £ 499, which is truly excellent. Fills a room with sound easily and with good clarity.

Also listened to the £ 299 link through a Denon amplifier. The app cleverly controls the new range of av amplifiers so you can truly integrate your music across various systems in every room around the house.

It also sounded really well, not Linn DS standard but not £ 999 either!

Summary

Really looking forward to these products arriving to give them a more thorough test, but so far....

I find no fault, and that's really not like me!

More Linn Lounges

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Thursday 11th September at 6.30

Book with this link:

BOOK FOR OTIS NOW

Otis Redding, all the great Atlantic stuff, some in Studio Master, and background about who played with who and who was influenced. Dock of the Bay, Try a little tenderness, Respect, and more, too may to list.  Also an excuse for me to play some great soul music

Johnny Cash, from I Walk the line, Ring of Fire, Folsom Prison blues, right up to The Man comes Around. Probably not too much from the last one, too sad, don 't want everyone weeping!

The Kinks, an evening of happy music, great songs, great singer, all the best tunes

More dates to follow soon

Facebook and Linn adverts

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Having not done much with Facebook for years the balmy summer meant it was time to sort it out, and it has turned out to be fun.

For those of you unfamiliar with Facebook it is instant communication that you glance at and immediately file under interesting or rubbish and go on with your life.

That can be what makes it fun. When new products come along we will 'post' on Facebook and people who 'like' our page will get a message to say there is something new to check out, or ignore.

Many Facebook sites give away something valueless to gain followers to 'like' and 'share' their page. We tried this a few days ago with a photo of a cd player as coffee holder and giving away a free cup of Yellow Door coffee. It reached over 500 people within 2 days, hope they don't all come in for free coffee!

While looking for funny/interesting posts I remembered some old Linn adverts that made me smile.

Yes it's a bit sexist but it was 20 years ago and the point is that a great music system really enriches your life, not that he slept with his sister-in-law! 

I also came across a Volkswagen ad shot at the Linn factory, there is now a link in the Linn latest news section.

LIKE Lyric Hifi on Facebook and we will provide new product info, daft free offers, and hopefully a few laughs

Just click on this link to LIKE Lyric Hifi and then SHARE a post, this Linn advert for example, with your friends to make them smile, or not!

LIKE LYRIC HIFI