Linn Owners

Sound is too bright and just like the noise

Aaron

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Hi Guys,

I have read a previous thread in the forum saying that Akurate exakt box/DSM/4200 combination sounds too bright to endure, and now I meet the similar situation.

My previous Aktiv setup is Majik 140 / 6100D / 5125 D / Klimax Renew DS ,  sounds good with Linn taste but lacking bass and density sometimes.

Last month, I upgraded 6100 D to 4200 D and Renew DS to Klimax DS 3 katalyst, also Aktiv set up, the sound density is obviously improved and bass is much deeper than before and cannon imagine the bass is actually from Majik 140.   Sound quality for Classic, Jazz is good, but pop song/Vocal is a disaster, especially voice from female singer is like screaming, treble (at most time,  also the mid) is too too bright, and I think it is noise. 

I little think that the upgrade will have this result.  I understand adjustment of speaker position, changing some cables or put more carpets in the room will have some improvements, but those may not solve the real problem.

I wonder if some friends in the forum also meet similar problems . I may be wrong, but I think the main problem might lie in the Majik 140. Originally, before Aktiv, sound from 140 is like behind the curtain, dim without bass, and fortunately you can feel improvements for every step of upgrading investment, but to certain a level, Majik 140 may not be able to catch up and just beyond its ability to hold. 😅

 
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frans5508

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I may be wrong, but I think the main problem might lie in the Majik 140. Originally, before Aktiv, sound from 140 is like behind the curtain, dim without bass, and fortunately you can feel improvements for every step of upgrading investment, but to certain a level, Majik 140 may not be able to catch up and just beyond its ability to hold.
I might agree with this but never heard the Majik 140's. The thread that you're referring to is probably the one of @zee9 about Exakt. I believe he might be able to give you more insight, also related to your speakers. 

 

entdgc

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I have only heard the 140's once at my dealers in non-exact mode. I am of the firm opinion that the 2K arrays are very bright and if your ears are as old as mine this brightness can be heard as noise rather than music. The 3K arrays on the other hand are sublime....

 

zee9

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I’ve just taken in a pair of majik 140’s yesterday evening from the guy who bought my 242’s.

The majik 140’s are presently passive but-amped with a 4200/1. Source is an Adsm/3. Ofcourse the majik 140’s does not have the details that the 242 produce but after 242’s the bass sounds different mainly cause I now don’t have an upper bass. The mids are not as clear as the mids in the 3k array. The tweeter is a bit harsh in passive but works well at low volume. I haven’t managed to cross 45 as yet.

Next week I will convert them to aktiv and try them Out with a Majik Exaktbox-I. I’ll keep you posted. This speaker will surely not stay as my main system


Adsm/3 >> Akurate 4200/1 >> Majik 140’s (Silvers/K400)

 

Billz

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I have ADSM/3k into a 4200. Previously I had Keilidhs and now I have Akudoriks. At no time have I ever thought my system was too bright. I am in my mid 60’s so probably not hearing the really high frequencies. I do prefer the Akudoriks to be driven passive using just two channels of the 4200 as opposed to bi-amped. 
 

Bill.

 

zee9

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I don’t know if this could be the cause but I recently read that the bass can be brought down by 2db internally on the majik 140’s by cutting some solder. Maybe that was done to your majik 140’s.

I’ve just measured the positions for the majik 140’s to start SO. No comments on that yet. Although I was warned that the 2k array is a bit harsh in passive I’ve been able to listen to them without any major complaints in my setup.


Adsm/3 >> Akurate 4200/1 >> Majik 140’s (Silvers/K400)

 

MickC

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We have 109s (and therefore 2k) in our second system, run off an MDSM/3. The system is never played very loud but we’ve never noticed any obvious harshness. 
 

Mick

 

Aaron

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I might agree with this but never heard the Majik 140's. The thread that you're referring to is probably the one of @zee9 about Exakt. I believe he might be able to give you more insight, also related to your speakers. 
Thank you Frans

 

Aaron

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I have only heard the 140's once at my dealers in non-exact mode. I am of the firm opinion that the 2K arrays are very bright and if your ears are as old as mine this brightness can be heard as noise rather than music. The 3K arrays on the other hand are sublime....
Yes, the too bright sound is noisy and quite hard to endure, I think the entrance level Majik 140 may lack control when becoming system’s bottle neck. 

 

Aaron

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Mar 1, 2021
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I’ve just taken in a pair of majik 140’s yesterday evening from the guy who bought my 242’s.

The majik 140’s are presently passive but-amped with a 4200/1. Source is an Adsm/3. Ofcourse the majik 140’s does not have the details that the 242 produce but after 242’s the bass sounds different mainly cause I now don’t have an upper bass. The mids are not as clear as the mids in the 3k array. The tweeter is a bit harsh in passive but works well at low volume. I haven’t managed to cross 45 as yet.

Next week I will convert them to aktiv and try them Out with a Majik Exaktbox-I. I’ll keep you posted. This speaker will surely not stay as my main system


Adsm/3 >> Akurate 4200/1 >> Majik 140’s (Silvers/K400)
When my 140 was passively set up, I heard the same, no detail, no bass and  sound from tweet is harsh when the treble of the recording is really high. After Aktiv set up, sound is clearer, can separate the instruments, brighter but acceptable, can feel obvious improvement especially when I changed Majik DS to KRDS but main problem is still loose bass. This time, a big step forward of the DS may let the 140 unable to control itself any more 🥲

 

Aaron

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I have ADSM/3k into a 4200. Previously I had Keilidhs and now I have Akudoriks. At no time have I ever thought my system was too bright. I am in my mid 60’s so probably not hearing the really high frequencies. I do prefer the Akudoriks to be driven passive using just two channels of the 4200 as opposed to bi-amped. 
 

Bill.
Thank you Bill, I believe akudoriks are much better speakers than 140. I owned a pair of 212 previously and 212 can win 140 at every aspect. Hope you enjoy akudoriks.😀

 
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Aaron

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We have 109s (and therefore 2k) in our second system, run off an MDSM/3. The system is never played very loud but we’ve never noticed any obvious harshness. 
 

Mick
Yes, when I had Majik DS as the source to 140, sound seems to be normal at the Majik level. After this time’s experience, I think when you continuously upgrade the electronics, the speakers can be a serious bottle neck to whole system. 

 

Aaron

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I don’t know if this could be the cause but I recently read that the bass can be brought down by 2db internally on the majik 140’s by cutting some solder. Maybe that was done to your majik 140’s.

I’ve just measured the positions for the majik 140’s to start SO. No comments on that yet. Although I was warned that the 2k array is a bit harsh in passive I’ve been able to listen to them without any major complaints in my setup.


Adsm/3 >> Akurate 4200/1 >> Majik 140’s (Silvers/K400)
All the way on my Majik 140 path before this time’s upgrade, at most time I can be happy with the investment. But this time a big leap in DS may expose 140 / 2K ‘s limit, and it can be the time to move to Linn 3K speakers or other brand. 😄

 

zee9

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All the way on my Majik 140 path before this time’s upgrade, at most time I can be happy with the investment. But this time a big leap in DS may expose 140 / 2K ‘s limit, and it can be the time to move to Linn 3K speakers or other brand. [emoji1]
As much as I hate to say it but I don’t think a 2k array speaker can be my main system. The 242’s mark 1, although colder sounding still shows what I’m missing with the 140’s. I think there is no other choice but to go up the ladder with 3k arrays. Maybe 242 mark 2’s with lejonklou amps.


Adsm/3 >> Akurate 4200/1 >> Majik 140’s (Silvers/K400)
 

Aaron

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242 is good and 10 years ago, people used to say 242 can be the speaker for the life. 

 

HansBertil

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Like @MickC I have experience from 2K in M109 but driven by ADSM with Katalyst and A2200. In general the higher level kit made the M109 sing. However, I found that combo a bit bright when I applied SO and thus took out some bass. A slight treble shelf in SO did the trick. So I’d check if the -2 dB bass option @zee9 talks about is activated in your M140.

 

Paulssurround

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In my experience, there can be many reasons that make speakers sound too bright.

‘In no particular order:

-Too much reflection off of glass or other hard surfaces, which could benefit from damping with absorption panels, diffuser panels, carpets, and thick curtains.

-Toe-in of the speakers is not set correctly and is off axis from the listening position. Changing the toe-in even a few cm may be helpful.

-HiFi system is plugged into the same power bar as noisy electronic components such as a TV, BluRay player, HD Box for the TV, noisy appliances in the same electrical circuit

-Your Ethernet cables, interconnects or speaker wires are sitting right on top of mains leads

-Volume is too high and overpowering the room, and your ears.

-Noisy mains, which may benefit from a better quality power bar, power conditioning, better physical separation of the electronics from each other

-Torque the bolts that hold the 2K array or 3K array to the recommended torque settings.

 

zee9

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There aren’t any screws to torque on the 2k array Paul.


Adsm/3 >> Akurate 4200/1 >> Majik 140’s (Silvers/K400)

 

Aaron

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Thank you Paul for all these insights.

Briefly,

not much glass / hard surfaces; changed toe-in/out, a little bit helpful but not significant;

not share power bar with other electronics;

quite noisy when Volume is around 50; 

electronics are separated in a rack;

For the last suggestion, sorry, I don’t know how to do the torque settings, would you help to explain a little bit, and I will see if I can do that 😅

 
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