speaker connectors

I was very dissapointed when I first opened up the box and hooked up this amp. I actually purchased this hoping I could use it to replace my majic and kennwood L-1000d cd player. The flimsy plastic cd tray was the first thing that didn't seem like linn quality to me. When I first started listening to the deck I was even more dissapointed, it did sound like mid fi. No way I was going to be happy with this. But after a few months in my bedroom the sound actually started to sound musical. This is the first product where I have actually heard a big improvement after a month or so of break in. I recently purchased some speaker cable from Wasatch Cable Co. The unit sounds amazing with this cable. I have the cable in my main system, plinnius 8100 powering my magnapan 1.6s, but hooked it up to the linn for a brief period. The classic also drives the magnepans surprisingly well. This is obviously the unit without tuner. The value rating I posted is for the price I paid.

Similar Products Used:

linn majik

Build Quality, Ease of Use, Sound

There are a LOT of buttons on the remote!

Was looking for a 'lifestyle' system to compliment my Asian apartment living. Initially targetted Bose and Nakamichi but was underwhelmed by the sound of the Nakamichi and overwhelmed by the hype of the Bose!

Came across Linn Classik doing Internet research and sought out the dealer here in Singapore. As soon as I listened to it I knew I had found what I was looking for. The sound for a moderate apartment is more than adequate, the clarity, for my ears, was far better than Bose, using either Linn Katan bookshelf speakers or Gallo 'Micros'. I was seriously considering the Gallo speakers, when I came across the Revox showroom.

Revox have a new addition to the Elegance line of speakers called 'Magic Cubes'. They are 4" Aluminium cubes with a single driver unit, coupled to a 12" Aluminium Cube that contains two woofer drivers (one per channel) as a passive sub-woofer.

The sound is everything I was looking for. As capable of filling the room with Mozart as blasting out distortion free Led Zepplin as delivering crystal clear female jazz vocals.

So the setup is a Silver Linn Classik, matched to the Revox Magic Cubes. Lifestyle that actually sounds as good as it looks, and all together cheaper than Bose, without the hype!

Similar Products Used:

Auditioned: Bose Lifestyle20,30,40/Nakamichi Soundspace8

Fantastic sound, great design, reasonable price.

Small buttons on the front, not very ergonomic remote

I don’t really own my Classik yet but I just ordered it yesterday from my local dealer who did a great job helping me find the sound I was looking for. I’ll have it after a couple of weeks but I couldn’t wait to pay my contribution to this site which has been a tremendous help the past few months in my search for quality hifi for a budget of no more than $3000. Well, although I’m still excited about it, my search is finally over!

I had narrowed my options down to two configurations:
1. Arcam CD72(cd), T51(tuner) and A85(amp.)
2. Rotel RCD951(cd), RT955RDS (tuner) and RA972(amp.)
Most of these components have been extensively reviewed on this site. Considering my very limited knowledge about the whole subject, these choices are based on what I read in this site and the various magazines.

The speakers were a problem though! From what I’ve listened to so far only the Missions 774 and the AudioPhysics Step had got my attention. Both pairs produced a lot of detail and involving sound but they were not IT! Anyway, I must say I loved the Arcams straight away but all together they were a little too far above my budget. So I gave Rotel a chance to prove itself. The RCD951 had to go early (despite the positive comments in this site it was no competition for Arcam’s CD72) and be replaced by the marvelous RCD971. We connected them to the Missions award winners 780. That was a disaster! Then we switched to the Arcam setup in order to find the speakers I liked. We connected a pair of small $500 HTN’s (completely unknown in Europe) which performed very good indeed but somehow I couldn’t fall in love with them. Then it was Linn’s Katan’s turn to put into the test. That was IT! Love on first sight!!! Apocalyptic sound and looked gorgeous too. Then my dealer brought the CLASSIK to my attention which would much the Katan’s perfectly. I thought: did I study all those months on separates to finally buy “one box” something I’ve had an aversion for all my life? Besides this would be a very impulsive thing to do which is not my character at all! But I gave the CLASSIK a try and I found out that, although it was cheaper, it sounded practically as good as the Arcams. The whole setup (with MIT cables) just sounded and looked beautifully. I had made up my mind more or less but I wanted to give the Rotels a fair chance. Matching them with Linn’s Katan’s was the second disaster. So the Katan’s were soon replaced by the Tannoy’s R2 floorstanders which sounded immediately a lot better, and very neutral. This proves once again the effect of careful matching.

Decision time! It had to come from the heart. There is no perfect configuration no matter how much money you’re willing to spend. Whatever I decide will always be a compromise. So I did it! I ordered the CLASSIK along with Linn’s Katan’s and I believe I’ll be very happy about it. The cables are now a bit of an obstacle because my dealer sells the Linn’s original cables or MIT’s. Since I have decided to bi-wire I think I’ll go for Linn’s K-400 or something from QED depending on the price (the MIT’s are great but far too expensive for me).

Some may think, quite understandably, that the above is not much of a review but I think describing the process of making a choice in that forest of hifi components is equally important. And I’d like to stress that whatever the guru’s write about the CLASSIK is absolutely true. It’s marvelous piece of equipment and I think a save buy.

I’m done here. Thank you all for your contributions!

The Classik can be summed up as being transparent, melodic and produces the best music output from any setup that I have heard. I compared the Classik vs. my Musical Fidelity X-ACT + Monarchy MK2 DIP setup through Sennheiser HD-580 headphones. The Classik offered great detail without losing its musicality while the X-ACT setup seemed too harsh by comparison. This is a great bargain at $718 new(obtained through Ubid.com).

Sound is superb.
Great looking, even in green, understated elegance.
It's from Glasgow!

No digital in/out.
Remote is a button farm.

I was really dissapointed when I first plugged the Classik in. The treble (as an earlier reviewer stated) was terrible, it hurt my ears.

I own a pair of Linn Kan's, the first model released around 1980, and the sound through the Classik wasn't as good as my old NAD 7020 reciever (a magic no-budget analogue amp), but now I have had the Classik for a month and it's really come alive.

I thought 'break-in' was a speaker issue but this machine is getting better. Now, there is a soundstage and an inspiring dimensionality to the music, and no more fatigue. I get a little chill on the back of my neck at times.

Still got the Classik hooked up to a 20 year old pair of Kans (speakers invented long before digital).I wonder what the best speakers are to go with the Classik? This is only the second bit of Linn kit I've owned. I had always put off getting Linn until I got my Porche (-:.

On the downside is a remote with too many buttons you won't use, but you get to kind of like it anyway. The lack of digital input means you can't hook up your MP3/MD player, though you can through Tape or Auxillary (does anyone still use Tape - is that what they mean by Classik??). And DVD/VCD sounds warm through the Aux. The CD tray doesn't liked to be touched, and it feels a bit flimsy, though it isn't, but I find myself doing everything with the remote.

I suppose the great deal with the Classik is you get so much in one box, perfect for life in small places, and it's a cool looking machine - I mean it's beautiful!, the absolute opposite of Japanese flashing lights looks-better-than-it-sounds gear. The green LED's are really daggy and dated, how cool!, and dare I say, classic.(

Really, an absolutely wicked machine.

Similar Products Used:

NAD L40; NAD 7020

Great value for $1,000 for cd/int amp combo

Not real audiophile quality sound, can't add external dac, low bass response

This is a good value around $1,000 but not worth its listed price of $1,700. No wonder Linn had to liqudate the older unit without tuner recently.

The sound is great for the $1,000 price range for cd and int amp. Can't even get decent NAD/Adcom/Parasound units for that price. The sound is step above the mass retail Japanese and lower lines of NAD/Adcom but not even close to audiophile.

The unit sounded on par with my DX-2 and Adcom int amp (lousy int amp I might add) but not even close to my Monarchy set-up. One majot shortcoming is its inability to be connected to external DAC as I found the DAC on Classik to be "inferior". If Linn cut corners then it was on the DAC. The int amp is where this unit shines. I mean why spend $1,000 for Majik int amp when you get more powerful amp plus cd player for less?

5 for value and 4 for sound.

Similar Products Used:

CAL DX-2, Monarchy 18B DAC/preamp, Monarchy SE100 mono blocks and CAL DX-2, Parasound DAC1500, Adcome GSA700 int amp

Great sound
Compact size
Nice colours
overall build quality

Poor Remote
Some control bugs
Cheap CD tray

I bought my classik for use in my bedroom and find it ideal in that role. In fact I do almost all of my listening in bed now!

The CD is better than my (7 year old) Arcam Delta. Holds detail well in complex passages.

The pre-amp is better than the pre-amp stage on my Audiolab 8000 A.

I have not really tested the power amp against my Audiolab 8000 P

I cannot judge the tuner fairly because I do not have a decent antenna at present, though I live in an area with good reception and with the ribbon antenna supplied it is at least OK

The remote has too many buttons all the same size in a rectangular grid. It is difficult to locate buttons by feel so I resorted to using rubber bands under the more important rows to give some tactile feedback.

There seem to be some software bugs. The alarm, which I use frequently, will fail to select the tuner correctly if you were playing a cd before going to standby mode - you have to remember to switch to the tuner briefly beforehand. Also, you cannot open the CD tray whilst listening to the tuner as this selects the CD as source. I suspect both of these are a result of 'tacking on' a tuner in the current model.

hese problems I find are, in practice, trivial. Overall I love this machine. I would not give it up for anything!

Convenient, Attractive, Compact, 1st rate Build

almost Mass-market sound, unusable remote

My Review of the Linn Classik.

The size, aesthetics, and extremely refined build quality sold me to buy this unit at the store before even auditioning it, though I did give it a quick listen. After a year with it, however, and having bought other "budget" components - namely the Rega Planet/Creek 4330R combo - the Linn Classik sonically falls short of true midfi, let alone hifi gear.

As a CD player: Hooking up the Linn to my high(er) end system (Thiel 2.3, Pass Aleph 3, A.I. Mod 3a, Meridian 508.24), the Linn's CD component was disappointing. Running it "source direct," (preout straight to the amp), the Linn sounded that much more harsh. Treble was unbearably bright, grainy, and harsh. Mid was lifeless and sterile. Bass was excellent however. Overall presentation was rigid and fatiguing. Using the Rega Planet, on the other hand, was significantly (and I mean significantly) better. You won't be able to use the Linn as a transport as there are no digital outs. Too bad .... I might have liked it as a transport.

As an Amp: Good news is this though. The amp portion of the Classik is very laid back. I used my Meridian and Rega with the Classik's amp, and the sound was less direct, more relaxed, and less dynamic compared to my Aleph or Creek. By itself, I wouldn't rate the amp too highly as it doesn't hold the resolution, dynamics, nor soundstaging that most other amps I've heard have. However, it does mate very well with the bright CD component of the Classik.

Overall, the sound, as a complete system, is acceptably enjoyable and not too fatiguing (though it is to some degree). It is musical in it's own sense, but don't expect much above well designed mass market units. It just doesn't have the magic that true high end stereo systems should have. I know ... magic is an ugly word, but I'm quite sure you get what I'm saying by now. Sound-wise, you'll get a smorgeborg of medicority: dynamics, soundstaging, liquidity, etc .... all just slightly above average.

Build quality, however, is top notch. The unit is gorgeous! It shows true craftmanship, and I can't imagine any budget product having a more handsome, refined design then the Classik. The Creek certainly doesn't. Nor does my Rega, or even my Meridian and Aleph 3's. (Personal opinion of course).

The Remote: The remote is a different story. It is virtually usuable unless you look at the buttons every time you push it. All the dozens (100 maybe?) buttons are uniform in size and distribution. Yuck (yes, this is the most empyrical word appropiate for the Linn's remote control). There is no backlighting nor contoured buttons (for those "everyday" buttons like play, volume, etc.), making it completely useless in the dark. I don't know about you, but I can't stand turning on the light and looking at the remote every time I want to change a track, turn down the volume, turn the unit off, etc.

Features: It's loaded. Alarm, Radio tuner (newer models), preouts (biamping), numerous source inputs, dual speaker outs (biwiring), Headphone output (though the socket sounds horrible compared to real headphone amps) .... just to name a few. Its CD player is decked out with features you'd expect. In all, a true complete package.

Conclusion: It's small size, acceptable (with reservations) sound qualities, well built chassis and transport mech, numerous features, and simple beauty may be enough to sell just about anyone looking for a component a cut above mass market. However, be aware that the degree of sound above mass market is not as appreciable as you may expect from a unit so well built. Audiophiles will not be pleased by the individual componenents that make up the Linn Classik. And the remote is a jungle of buttons that needs pruning. But together, the package is worth an audition, if not just because it looks so damn neat. And as for value, I can safely say I know of nothing that has so much, yet is so afforable.

Similar Products Used:

I don't think one exists (CD/int. amp combo)?!

Small size, no turning on and off of seperate amps, preamps, cd players and tuners. Great sound.

somewhat wimpy amp.

I have been looking for a nice bedroom system to replace my Bose AM7 and have finally found it in the LINN Classik. In my bedroom I am lazy and don't want to be bothered by constantly getting up to turn on and off amps and preamps, cd players, tuners and such. The Linn Classik really fits the bill. I haven't heard a "bright sound" at all like one other reviewer noticed. I would suspect it has something to do with matching of components. I have had great luck using this little unit as a preamp into my two Jolida 801a's biamped. In fact I prefer this little integrated in some ways over my older Karik/Numerik/Kairn setup, I think it may have something to do with direct wiring and no interconnects in the signal path. I don't care what anyone says, I really like this unit. Many Linn systems of the past have been very bright, but this is not one of them. It's sound is just right in the several systems I have used it in, and it sure beats the hell out of the Bose!!!!!! The only thing I miss from the Bose is the wonderful remote. The Linn remote has too many small buttons and are hard to find in the dark.

Similar Products Used:

Bose am7