Organik advice and dealer recommendation

[Spikety]

I am enjoying my Selekt with Katalyst but the option of buying a KDSM and upgrading to Organik is appealing. I have two questions I would value your input on:

1. Does the Organik upgrade allow both balanced and phono outputs to be used together? I use the balanced to feed the power amp and the phonos to a headphone amp on the Selekt. I see that is not an allowed configuration on the KSDM (but is is allowed on the new KDSM). Does anyone know if the Organik upgrade allows this?

2. Can anyone recommend a good dealer in the South East who can demo the upgraded KDSM?

Many thanks!

 

[DiggyGun]

I am enjoying my Selekt with Katalyst but the option of buying a KDSM and upgrading to Organik is appealing. I have two questions I would value your input on:

1. Does the Organik upgrade allow both balanced and phono outputs to be used together? I use the balanced to feed the power amp and the phonos to a headphone amp on the Selekt. I see that is not an allowed configuration on the KSDM (but is is allowed on the new KDSM). Does anyone know if the Organik upgrade allows this?

2. Can anyone recommend a good dealer in the South East who can demo the upgraded KDSM?

Many thanks!

I can’t answer question 1.

But for Question 2, try speaking to Phil Mulvaney at Cymbiosis in Leicester.

 

[wonky1969]

I have a kdsm/1 and in konfig you have the option to use either balanced or unbalanced,no matter which I selected,both outputs are working for me.
I use the unbalanced output to my sub,and balanced to my active speakers,so yes to your question.

 

[Ian H]

2. Can anyone recommend a good dealer in the South East who can demo the upgraded KDSM?

Many thanks

I don't know where in the "South East" you live, but I have been going to Colin at What You See and Hear in Beaconsfield for years. I do know that he has some Klimax kit that he can demonstrate.

 

[MickC]

Another 'vote' for Colin from me - he gave me a decent dem and reader, I bought the upgrade.

Mick

 

[Spikety]

All,

Many thanks for the replies so far.

@wonky1969 - in the Linn DSM FAQs it says this:

Can I use both the RCA and XLR outputs at the same time?​

This all depandent on the varaint of Klimax DS/DSM

All Klimax DS & Klimax DSM 2011/2014/2016/2018 variants:We advice that you only use the XLR)output OR the RCA(connector #9) output. Never use both outputs as the RCA will degrade the XLR output audio.(When the output is set to RCA in Konfig this will ground part of the signal from the XLR-COLD connection.


Klimax DSM 2020 variant:Yes, you can use both RCA and XLR outputs at the same time. You also have the option in this variant to disable XLR or RCA sockets using the Konfig App.

But your experience is it actually works OK?

 

[wonky1969]

Works fine for me

 

[Spikety]

Ok thanks

 

[glevethan]

I have owned and updated my KDS since 2011 (currently at Katalyst level) and was in a similar situation to the original poster using a headphone amp. I did quite a bit of research a number of years ago including several email exchanges with the Linn help desk. While both outputs, RCA and XLR, “will” work it is not recommended.

Someone needs to contact Linn and see if things have changed with the new Organik upgrade boards. If so I may need to reconsider and contemplate an Organik upgrade. My KDS/3 has left my Naim system and is now performing duties in a headphone only system. A dCS Rossini (soon to be APEXED) now resides in my Naim system

 

[morbius]

I am enjoying my Selekt with Katalyst but the option of buying a KDSM and upgrading to Organik is appealing. I have two questions I would value your input on:

1. Does the Organik upgrade allow both balanced and phono outputs to be used together? I use the balanced to feed the power amp and the phonos to a headphone amp on the Selekt. I see that is not an allowed configuration on the KSDM (but is is allowed on the new KDSM). Does anyone know if the Organik upgrade allows this?

2. Can anyone recommend a good dealer in the South East who can demo the upgraded KDSM?

Many thanks!

Linn’s labelling in Konfig could have been clearer for pre Organik models. The analogue output mode does not define which outputs are active, but how they are grounded. If set to RCA to eliminate hum on the RCA output, the simultaneous use of XLR is is also grounded per the earlier post quoting from Linn, and so may be degraded in a full balanced setup. The Organik DSM (and the retro fitted Organik KDS(M)) have fully independent XLR outputs and my updated Organik KDS has a replaced option in Konfig dedicated to RCA grounding, and Linn have confirmed on the development forum that this setting has no bearing on the balanced output.

 

[akamatsu]

Here is a video on grounding. At around 15', he goes into an explanation of balanced vs. unbalanced connections. It appears that if there isn't audible ground loop noise, then unbalanced should be just fine.

 

[Spikety]

Thanks Akamatsu. According to Morbius the point is moot anyway given the Organik upgrade board has separated the XLR from RCA.
Now to book a demonstration….

 

[akamatsu]

Thanks Akamatsu. According to Morbius the point is moot anyway given the Organik upgrade board has separated the XLR from RCA.
Now to book a demonstration….

So connecting both balanced and unbalanced won't turn the balanced into an unbalanced? This is what I thought would happen, and thought if there isn't a problem, then the balanced solution isn't needed, and that it functioning as unbalanced wouldn't cause any sonic degradation. I have audible ground loop hum in all three of my AV5105 amps in the spaghetti factory that I call a surround system. No balanced solution is available. I also have noise from the projector. However, the signal drowns out all that noise anyway, so no problem. Enjoy the demo.

Edit: I re-read Morbius's reply. All is clear now. T'is a handy feature I would think.

 

[dol]

I have a kdsm/1 and in konfig you have the option to use either balanced or unbalanced,no matter which I selected,both outputs are working for me.
I use the unbalanced output to my sub,and balanced to my active speakers,so yes to your question.

+1
Since original KDSM