Linn Owners

Klimax Kontrol Gain.

Nestor Turton

Nestor Turton
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One other question if i may, besides linn silver, are there any other brands of cable that work well with linn. I’m using canare l-4e6s at the moment 7m runs. I’m more than satisfied, but the what if does pop up every now and again. I did hear some chord signatures but at £6.5k that’s not happening.
I would definitely choose Canare cables over anything made by Chord Company. I’m assuming you want the most accurate musical sound. Canare is a top cable manufacturer.

I have 2 systems. With Linn I use Linn cables. With Chord Electronics (no relation to the above Chord Company) I use Canare L-4E6S. As you can’t get custom length Linn Silver cables (as far as I know) I’d stay as you are or try 7m Canare L-4E6S 4-wire star-quad cable. Star-quad eliminates susceptibility to electromagnetic interference (EMI) and the high-density braided shield stops radio interference (RFI). If low noise is important then Canare L-4E6S will outperform Chord Signatures cables.

This article will explain it more clearly than I can. There is an embedded video that demonstrates why Canare L-4E6S is a good choice.

https://benchmarkmedia.com/blogs/ap...-the-importance-of-star-quad-microphone-cable
 
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Ben Webster

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I would definitely choose Canare cables over anything made by Chord Company. I’m assuming you want the most accurate musical sound. Canare is a top cable manufacturer.

I have 2 systems. With Linn I use Linn cables. With Chord Electronics (no relation to the above Chord Company) I use Canare L-4E6S. As you can’t get custom length Linn Silver cables (as far as I know) I’d stay as you are or try 7m Canare L-4E6S 4-wire star-quad cable. Star-quad eliminates susceptibility to electromagnetic interference (EMI) and the high-density braided shield stops radio interference (RFI). If low noise is important then Canare L-4E6S will outperform Chord Signatures cables.

This article will explain it more clearly than I can. There is an embedded video that demonstrates why Canare L-4E6S is a good choice.

[URL]https://benchmarkmedia.com/blo...-the-importance-of-star-quad-microphone-cable[/URL]

Have you compared the Canare against the Linn silvers?
 

lazyscott

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I would definitely choose Canare cables over anything made by Chord Company. I’m assuming you want the most accurate musical sound. Canare is a top cable manufacturer.

I have 2 systems. With Linn I use Linn cables. With Chord Electronics (no relation to the above Chord Company) I use Canare L-4E6S. As you can’t get custom length Linn Silver cables (as far as I know) I’d stay as you are or try 7m Canare L-4E6S 4-wire star-quad cable. Star-quad eliminates susceptibility to electromagnetic interference (EMI) and the high-density braided shield stops radio interference (RFI). If low noise is important then Canare L-4E6S will outperform Chord Signatures cables.

This article will explain it more clearly than I can. There is an embedded video that demonstrates why Canare L-4E6S is a good choice.

[URL]https://benchmarkmedia.com/blo...-the-importance-of-star-quad-microphone-cable[/URL]
Hi Nestor, thanks for the reply. The canare i use are the star quad, i did have a listen to some chord signature at home and it was a bit airier than the canare. But this was with the passive pre and using the KK i’ve got the sense of air back. Like i said i’m happy with the sound especially now with the KK. I’ve just got to get over the what if syndrome 😀
 
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Nestor Turton

Nestor Turton
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Have you compared the Canare against the Linn silvers?
I have in the Chord Electronics system and both sound excellent. I did ask Chord which cables I should use and the reply was whatever you find sounds best. They did advise Maplin as an excellent shop to buy cables, but alas it is no longer on our high streets. I use Harbeth speakers and the recommendation for speaker wires is Amazon Basics or Van Damme. I have tried Chord Company cables and heard Tellurium cables, I didn’t like either. It is the problem when the manufacturer doesn’t give guidance on what to use.

I haven’t done a comparison in my Linn system, I have always used Linn Silvers. When I get a chance I could give it a try.. Naively, I have always assumed Linn worked best with Linn cables. So haven’t tried anything other than what came in the box. I’ve no great desire for change as I’m delighted with how it plays music. But I will try during the week.

I doubt Linn manufactures its own wire and probably sources it from a studio quality supplier such as Canare. I may be wrong though.
 

entdgc

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I have tried Chord Company cables and heard Tellurium cables, I didn’t like either.
Interestingly my SIL was looking for some new speaker cable (Linn 242's at the time) and a dealer suggested Tellurium and lent him 2 variants, one copper and one 'silver'. They were well made cables. There was a distinct difference between the 2. The coppers sounded the same to me (and him) as his original cable. The 'silver' were MUCH brighter! (I think this is the one and only time I have heard an undeniable cable difference). Guess which one he went for! I am not convinced that was how Linn intended his system to sound but he was happy.

I currently use this...
Amazon product
as I needed two long lengths in a hurry and it was aesthetically pleasing to SWMBO but have never heard any reason to change it.
 
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Imseti

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I use Linn Silvers throughout my system and I am very happy with them. Whenever I mention anything negative about the sound of my system to my Linn dealer he immediately suggests changing the silvers - he is not a fan. I am still resisting...
There is absolutely nothing wrong with Linn Silvers - I use six pairs of them home demoed for me by my ex-dealer in 2009 who swears by them.

Frankly, your dealer is talking bollocks :)
 

ThomasOK

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First, KK Unity gain depends on the KK. If it is an original KK it is 70, if it is a newer unit with the dual mono volume control it is 80. I believe that would be the KK/1 and /2.

The setting referred to as the AV setting fixes input 4 permanently to 80 so it is always there whenever that input is used. This is to allow the KK to be used to control the volume of the main stereo pair when listening to stereo music and have a multi-channel preamp/processor take over when the surround channels are also used to keep them all in sync. When other inputs are used the KK volume control will behave normally. But any input can be used in a unity gain mode by turning the volume to 80 (or 70 depending) and then using the volume control of the headphone amp or other device. Unity gain is simply the level at which 1 Volt in is 1 Volt out. So the preamp is neither attenuating (as is the most common case) nor boosting the input signal. At least in theory this should be where the sound is the most transparent but note that is "should be". As with most things in Hi-Fi the best bet is to "trust but verify". The volume control in a headphone amp will likely also have a sweet spot at which it is most musical so you might find a different setting than 80 on the KK will give better results, or not.

Linn Silvers are still my favorite interconnect cables with Linn and Lejonklou electronics and sources. Linn Silver Balanced is definitely available in extended lengths if you find the right dealer. Linn sells all their cables in 1.2 meter finished pairs but also sells dealers all four interconnect cables (Black and Silver, unbalanced and balanced) on rolls and also sells the ends they use. So if a dealer chooses to they can get a roll from Linn and make up whatever length cables are desired. Some dealers will not sell enough Linn cables in custom lengths to bother with it. We stock Linn Black unbalanced, Silver unbalanced and Silver Balanced on the roll and the proper connectors. We have never had a request for long Linn Black balanced cables so we don't have them on the roll (nor in the 1.2M pairs, for that matter). Linn do not build the cable themselves, just as they don't build cartridges, but they are also not built by Mogami except on the T.Kable arm cable. I think Atlas is probably correct on the current interconnect cables although in the past they were made in China.
 
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lazyscott

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Hi Thomas, many thanks for the comprehensive explanation. I shall have a little play and see if i can find a sweet spot👍
 
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Wenge1

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Haha, maybe I'll try that with some AC/DC one day :). Up until now I've found that 55 starts to hit the "sweet-spot", never dared to go beyond 60.
AC/DC any day - You don't know what your missing. Stick 'Thunderstruck' on
 

Nopiano

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Linn’s cable supplier for the last couple of years has been Atlas in Kilmarnock.
Ah, that’s interesting as I had read that Atlas cables were seen at some Linn demonstrations.

When I switched to the Pass power amp, I couldn’t continue with my Linn Silver balanced, so used some Atlas Equator I already had. I recently bought some used Atlas Hyper and it seems even more ‘open’. They’re both copper cores, as I believe is the confusingly named Linn Silver.
 

ThomasOK

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Ah, that’s interesting as I had read that Atlas cables were seen at some Linn demonstrations.

When I switched to the Pass power amp, I couldn’t continue with my Linn Silver balanced, so used some Atlas Equator I already had. I recently bought some used Atlas Hyper and it seems even more ‘open’. They’re both copper cores, as I believe is the confusingly named Linn Silver.
It can be confusing depending on how you think about it. But when you consider that Linn Black can't possibly use black conductors since black is not a metal it makes more sense.
 

Nopiano

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It can be confusing depending on how you think about it. But when you consider that Linn Black can't possibly use black conductors since black is not a metal it makes more sense.
Good point - I’ll remember that!

I guess it’s more like the two typical finishes that Linn offers, but I’ve definitely seen more than a few folks puzzled that Silver is copper, if you see what I mean.
 

HIGHWAY61

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So people do not actually rear snakes to get the oil to make "audiophile" connectors and speaker cables ?
 

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