The Linn system is designed for use as a complete system, but you could substitute Naim (pre)/power amplifier(s) for the Linn in the chain if you wanted. I use Spendor rather than Linn speakers.
If, as I do, you enjoy Space Optimisation, then you have to use a Linn DAC. In terms of sound quality, the Linn Katalyst sounds as good as Chord’s Pulse Array DAC and there is always the option feeding the DSM from a Chord Blu2 or HMS using S-PDIF if you wish to tap into Rob Watts technology.
So you do have options.
However, if you put hifi to one side and come from the point of view of a consumer who wants great sounding music replay without lots of wires and boxes then the Linn Exakt system is ideal. One box plus Linn speakers.
My Linn system is LP12 (2 boxes), DSM, power amplifier (currently one box, but could be 2 solos) and speakers. An equivalent Naim system could be ND555/2x555PS and 552/552PS and 500/500PS and same speakers. Two very good systems and either would suit meet my desire to enjoy music, but the Linn is neater, plays records and is adaptable to give its best in my lounge (SO V2) and no audible transformer buzz. This is why I say Linn has stolen a march on its rivals.
In fairness the equivalent Chord is 4 smallish boxes on a very expensive Chord stand and looks great, but no SO V2 equivalent.
I hope there will continue to be a market for Chord, Linn and Naim as they all great companies.
If Linn ever does support Space Optimised output through S/PDIF, I would buy its box that does it for my Chord system. I have asked, but still seems unlikely.
I have doubts over SO over toslink. With no control over the DAC output, I bet they can’t really know if the sound imaging is correct.
Some Dacs sound flat but full bodied, some are good at imaging but perhaps thinner sounding. With no control over this how can they optimize?
Does Linn use different SO models for Wolfson and Katalyst DACs?
I used SOV1 parametric equalisation as a starting point for configuring J-River DSP Studio for Chord DAVE with some success, but suspected a Linn hub running SOV2 would do a better job as well as giving me HDMI ARC and room sync with the Linn system in my lounge. Perhaps, as you say, it wouldn’t work as well as I hoped.
Does it not take readings from a mic input to determine the rooms response curve? Surely it would not matter if the path when reading is via internal or external dac. This is the freedom of using Roons DSP as I can use any combination of boxes.
The only “commitment” is that, if you chose to use a Urika II, you need to use a DSM, but from there on in you can use anything else from anyone else. I’d personally not wish to use any Linn speaker since Isobariks and, of course, use a 552dr/500dr. As it stands, I get all the benefits of SO v2 on both LP12 and KDSM in my less than ideal listening room plus all the Naiminess I want. Win win as far as I’m concerned.
I think SIF completely misunderstands the Linn product line philosophy. As it is the same with Naim, you can opt in with all the Linn components, or you can swap out anything that you do not like. The key thing here is that the Linn DS can act as a pre-amp if you like, additionally it offers you the SO functionality.
They will be much the same in principal of application they have to apply filters, they just already have a database of speaker response curves all ready, and you enter in Room statistics rather than take a reading to work out corrections. So yes it closes it off to feeding into any other hardware. A bit short sighted if you ask me.
Speaker response curves are OK for improving speakers relative to whatever is their standard respons, but I can’t see how it can be called sound optimisation if tthe room aspect is assigned purely on the basis of room statistics. Statistics cannot tell the software what the room sounds like, but only give an indication of probable major defects, and would fail completely if a room is a very odd shape. The only effective way of optimising sound in a room is to measure at the listening position(s), as do the likes of Dirac and Trinnov (both measuring in multiple positions). Does Linn not do that?
It’s doesnt appear so, but you can add furniture, room construction etc, but yeah my thoughts where a reading of the room would get better results as it’s a true reading of what’s going on in it and not an estimation.
No, it doesn’t but you seem to be implying a crude approximation. It caters for any room shape, construction, floor and ceiling type, doors, windows (and type of glass), whilst also mapping a specific type and model of speaker. It also allows the user to alter things according to their preferences. It’s pretty damn good, worth having a go.
It models the room. No microphone involved. Sounds better than Dirac to me. I was never happy with Dirac, but delighted with Space Optimisation. I have not seen published details of the algorithm Linn uses for V2 so I couldn’t attempt to answer any questions about those details . I simply know what has to be input. One parameter is the ideal speaker location, Linn has measured various loudspeakers.
With SOV1 I configured my Mac mini to emulate it but it didn’t sound as good so it must be doing more than I anticipated. SOV2 is significantly better.
I don’t want to sound dismissive, but to my ears the Naim Bentley system with its EQ is a world away from a quality Naim home setup. It’s great in the car, and works really well to compensate for surface noise etc… but ultimately it’s a car system.
And let’s not forget the Qb and Muso do basic room placement DSP eq as well.
A few of us talked to Steve Sells recently at Signals. He is obviously aware of technology. The interest Steve has is developing new Naim technology, re Statement, not following others. So for fans of one technology or another…you will get a Naim view on the future. They have done pretty well do far imo.
Sorry Devialet isn’t a make I know much about. Reading the article it seems SAM focuses on getting the best out of a loudspeaker by correcting frequency response anomalies to improve timing especially in lower frequencies. It doesn’t talk about modelling the listening room specifically. So I’d say it is not the same as Linn, but it’s innovative and interesting nonetheless.
My impression is SO tries to find room interactions that will cause distortion and make sure they are not triggered - not correct the frequency response (the latter is impossible as the response with room sound will change with the integration time - and you will be disrupting the most important speaker sound, the direct one).
The important part of SO is the analysis they do in the cloud. I wouldnt be be surprised if what they do on the device is very basic. The reason I have Linn Klimax on my list of possible next system is SO. But I also believe you should be able to do better by treating your room.
They do Room Perfect, Martin Logan uses it under licence on its subs.
There are lots of DSP vendors: MiniDSP, DSpeaker, DEQX and there are software solutions for Mac mini such as Sonar Works.
From my perspective, I know how well Space Optimisation V2 works for me. So I’ll wait for either a Linn processor or Chord to bring one out. J-River DSP studio is fine for now feeding Chord Blu2 DAVE.