Hi-Fi 4 Sale - Malaysia / Singapore Audio Forum & Marketplace | www.hifi4sale.net
Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.







Search
 
 

Display results as :
 


Rechercher Advanced Search

440Hz.my - expanding musical horizons
Subscribe to our Feed
addtomyyahoo4 Subscribe with BloglinesAdd to netvibes
Add to Google

Linn (sold)

Go down

Linn (sold) Empty Linn (sold)

Post by HiFiLab Fri Nov 21, 2014 10:19 pm

Made In England


Linn Kairn






The Linn KAIRN Pre-amplifier provides uncompromising audio performance, combined with ease of use.

The KAIRN is controlled by a microprocessor and is principally operated by remote control. All functions from the remote control are also possible from
the front panel. It incorporates and LED display to show the “listen” source, the “record” source, the “volume” setting, the “balance” setting, the status of
the “mono” function and the  status of the “mute” function.




Reviews:



There are plenty of reviews of this fantastic amp on the net. I have copied a few from AudioReview here: xxx







Scepticism abounds in the audio world, even for avid music lovers like myself. That emotion restrained me from purchasing a Linn Kairn for several months.
Could it be an improvement, how much difference will a preamp really make, is it really a legitimate upgrade? Well, I took the plunge and purchased a demo
Linn Kairn. I plugged it in upon arrival and waited with bated breath. Sacre Bleu, what a difference this unit imparted to my system. First and foremost the
revealing nature of this preamp shown through. Everything upstream of the preamp was exposed as either competent or deficient. I have an EAD 7000 III
w/hdcd d/a converter and it has never been shown to greater effect (with a T-1000 transporter). The first element I recognized was that the soundstage was
wider and individual voices and instruments were better pinpointed. Initially the soundstage seemed slightly veiled and to have receded, but I soon resolved
that by replacing the preamp to power amp cabling (from monster cable to Kimber kable). The veil immediately lifted. The level of detail and the disappearance
of any semblance of component presence was a boon to the music. I could accurately pinpoint the voices and hear the complex acapella harmonies of The
Fairfield Four's exquisite disc "I couldn't hear nobody pray". The ability of the Kairn to resolve this sort of detailed vocal extravaganza is indicative of this units
superb pacing and rhythmic abilities. The preamp simply calls no attention to itself with its quiet unobtrusive operation and truthful recreation of the music
presented to it. The next pleasant surprise was the quiet detailed performance of the phono section being fed by an Linn LP 12. The gain is excellent, the
resolution (Linn Troika) is superb and the output is sheer musicality. The only downside of this setup is the revealing nature of these sorts of combinations.
Faulty recordings (digital or analog) are brutally revealed. So much so that you may believe that there exists a fault elsewhere in your system. When coupled
with quality components the culprit is usually not the system but the recording. High praise for this unit. I've long been a fan of Linn and this unit merely
buttresses my belief in the viability of their approach. The Linn Kairn further extends the "toe tapping" delight afforded by so many of their products. A fabulous
bargain in the used /demo market. My system: EAD DSP 7000 III w/hdcd D/A converter EAD T-1000 Transport Linn LP12 w/Ittok and Troika Linn Kairn preamp
McCormack DNA-1 w/revision A B&W 801 matrix series 2 various cables:(Kimber, Apature, Tara, Audioquest) Room tunes and Echo tunes. Strengths:
Transparency, Detail, Soundstaging, Quiet operation. Weaknesses: Lack of function selections on the preamp. Primarily remote control driven operation.
Gimme a big ol' volume knob!




I have been amazed by the difference the Kairn has made to my system. I have a Karik with Aktiv triamped Keiledhs and , due to financial
constraints, I had been using the preamp section of the Majik before buying a dedicated pre-amp. I trialled the Kairn against the other Linn
options (Wakonda, Kolektor) and found it superior in a listening test. I ended up buying a second hand one with an upgraded Brilliant PSU. It
has kept the "Linn sound" that I enjoy but it has brought new life to the system, with increased levels of clarity, spaciousness and a more natural
sound. At first listening I thought it was lacking in bass, but I have realised that my previous interpretation of bass was boom and distortion at the
lower end. The new bass sound is clean, extended and can send shivers down your spine. It is also a completely unfatiguing sound and I have not
wanted to stop listening for a minute since buying the Kairn. It is particularly good for listening to vocals, accoustic and jazz. I also play a lot of hip
hop (hence my prev love of "boom") and it handles this well. Complicated pieces with lots of horns and percussion are well separated now and the
more complex, the more joyous a sound comes out. As a second hand buy, it is a steal. It would be a must for anyone going down the Linn route.
As it is contained in a stylish black minimalist box, it is also extremely wife-friendly (it matters, believe me). Strengths: Natural sound, handles
complex music with aplomb. Air and clarity. Weaknesses: Expensive if new (and difficult to find new). Similar Products Used: Majik, Kolektor,
Wakonda.




Better hurry if you like Kairn-Pro - LINN decided to discontinue the Kairn Pro (line level only) in order to simplify their product range. The functionality and performance
of the Kairn remains with Kairn (phono version). The Kairn Pro will be available until existing stocks run out. If you buy used be sure to pick-up a serial # greater than
6000 to get the "Slimline Brilliant power supply". Strengths: "Klean" unadulterated sound. Only adjustments are volume gain and sound stage left-right adjustments.
Non-fatiguing musical sound. User options allow unit to be used in conjunction with surround sound processor. Memory for source level equalization. Line outputs for
three amps. Linn Silver interconnects preserve a clean sound to and from the Kairn. Weaknesses: Your music is only as good as originally recorded. Forces you to
sell-off bad recording and seek high quality recordings. "Not plug in and play technology"- Phase is inverted in Kairn and requires phases adjustment at speakers by
connecting positive output of the power amplifier to the negative loudspeaker terminal, and negative output of the power amp to the positive loudspeaker terminal. (If
sub bass system is used this will require 180 deg adjustment as well). Similar Products Used: Ikemi, Lk140, Pekin.




I already had a Linn Ikemi and two LK85s running active Tukans with a Sizmik. Adding the Kairn mad a big difference, the pre amp I was using before
was actually more expensive but there is definitely a synergy between Linn equipment has brought all the elements together. Strengths: Transparent,
open, accurate. Weaknesses: none.




The Linn kairn is a very fine pre-amp. It has a lot of in and outputs. Comparing to the Classe it is much more musical and a better soundstage.The classe is very
analitical and sometimes a little too bright. The Spectral sounded very dull and fell of at first. The Linn gives a very clean, detailed and musical sound. My system:
Linn Genki, Linn Kairn, Linn AV 5105, Linn AV 5140. Strengths: very musical, great soundstage, good phono. Weaknesses: none.








The Kairn is a real fine pre-amp and I got a lot of beautiful "music hours" where I really understood the messages of the musicians - and they made me happy. This is
the highest compliment I can do for an electronic component. Maybe it's the "typical" Linn merits that brings the music to you (fast, detailed, neutral and with a lot of
swing). I know that there are especially tubed amps which make a warmer (better?) job in the mids but I don't know much solid-state preamps which are really better
and believe me - I know a lot of preamps which don't have this rhythm !!! Strengths: Rhythm, quality, design. Weaknesses: mids. Similar Products Used: Phase Linear,
tubed Conrad-Johnson.




It looks like no other preamp I've ever seen. To call the Kairn's appearance unorthodox is akin to calling George Hamilton "subtly tanned." But aesthetic
beauty has never even registered on my scale of priorities when buying an audio component. It's all 'bout sound and value, and in my very humble
opinion, the Kairn hits it out of the park on both counts. I was skeptical at first. Nothing really, really good could come in that compact a package, I
thought. The response of the sales staff was simple: "Just give a listen." So I did. For a long time. Here was my verdict: I had never heard a preamplifier
that smooth, rich, clean, clear, precise and detailed for under $10,000. It took itself completely out of the equation, leaving behind just the music - nothing
more, certainly nothing less. I'm not a die-hard audio freak by any extent of the imagination, but I do like quality and value and great sound - within
reason. The Kairn is the best "reasonably" priced (all things being relative, of course) preamp I've ever heard.I don't know how Linn did it - I just hope
they keep doing it!





If you want to read the rest of the reviews, which I recommend, they are all here:

http://www.audioreview.com/cat/amplification/preamplifiers/linn/kairn/prd_118463_1591crx.aspx#review0


Last edited by HiFiLab on Sun Apr 11, 2021 11:12 pm; edited 2 times in total (Reason for editing : add photo)

HiFiLab
Dealer\Reseller\Trader\Service Provider
Dealer\Reseller\Trader\Service Provider

Number of posts : 2971
Age : 45
Location : klang
Registration date : 2011-03-12

Character sheet
Source(s):
Amplification:
Speakers:

Back to top Go down

Back to top

- Similar topics

 
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum