Linn Owners

Organik in general

Newton John

Wammer
Wammer
Oct 13, 2018
588
1,385
113
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
I personally think that Katalyst was a bigger upgrade than what I have heard so far from Organik, especially if you look at how much more expensive it has become with a new dac, for me 38,000 euros for my Selekt. I had an Exaktbox I upgrade with 4 katalyst dacs for around that price. I have listened a lot and compared and unfortunately it is not worth the money, for me anyway. I focus on cables and power filters instead, and waiting for the next dac so I can shop on sale :)

It's all about opinions, but there are very few people saying Katalyst was a bigger upgrade than Organik. While I haven't heard Organik with Selekt, I can say that with the Next Gen Hub it is transcendent.

I didn't want it to be so because my Katalyst upgrade was only 18 months old when Organik first appeared. However, an extended audition showed that Organik is much better taking sound quality way beyond what I thought possible.

Cost is a diferent matter entirely. Expense doesn't affect sound quality. In fact, it's the other way round. Linn are able to sell the number of units they have at a high cost because the sound quality is so good.
 
Last edited:

akamatsu

Michael
Wammer Plus
Oct 9, 2018
7,221
8,111
183
Point Roberts, WA, USA (Vancouver)
AKA
Michael
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
It's all about opinions, but there are very few people saying Katalyst was a bigger upgrade than Organik. While I haven't heard Organik with Selekt, I can say that with the Next Gen Hub it is transcendent.

I didn't want it to be so because my Katalyst upgrade was only 18 months old when Organik first appeared. However, an extended audition showed that Organik is much better taking sound quality way beyond what I thought possible.

Cost is a diferent matter entirely. Expense doesn't affect sound quality. In fact, it's the other way round. Linn are able to sell the number of units they have at a high cost because the sound quality is so good.

Another factor here is the system in which Orgaink is employed. My experience is that I want everything upstream as resolving as possible, and as high spec as can be afforded before switching DACs.

I've found Exakt and Space Optimisation to be more impactful than Katalyst. I don't expect Organik to be more impactful than those other technologies, but when it does finally arrive at my house, I want it to be as impactful as possible.
 
Last edited:

Newton John

Wammer
Wammer
Oct 13, 2018
588
1,385
113
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Another factor here is the system in which Orgaink is employed. My experience with is that I want everything upstream as resolving as possible, and as high spec as can be afforded before switching DACs.

I've found Exakt and Space Optimisation to be more impactful than Katalyst. I don't expect Organik to be more impactful than those other technologies, but when it does finally arrive at my house, I want it to be as impactful as possible.

I found Organik to have had the biggest impact of all.

Yet, I didn't think that would be the case nearly two years ago when I carefully compared the old KDSM/Organik combination with Next Generation Hub/Katalyst combination. I thought the Hub was better and less expensive so I bought that as a first step.

Now I've made the second step by adding Organik, the system has improved like never before. I can't even remember being so wowed by an upgrade.

Maybe, it's just that the Next Gen Hub/Organik combination has a synergy that is so impressive and I would have been just as blown away by the Hub if that had been the second step rather than the first.
 

akamatsu

Michael
Wammer Plus
Oct 9, 2018
7,221
8,111
183
Point Roberts, WA, USA (Vancouver)
AKA
Michael
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
I found Organik to have had the biggest impact of all.

Yet, I didn't think that would be the case nearly two years ago when I carefully compared the old KDSM/Organik combination with Next Generation Hub/Katalyst combination. I thought the Hub was better and less expensive so I bought that as a first step.

Now I made the second step by adding Organik, the system has improved like never before. I can't even remember being so wowed by an upgrade.

Maybe, it's just the Next Gen Hub/Organik combination have a synergy that is so impressive and I would have been just as blown away by the Hub if that had been the second step rather than the first.
I agree. It's synergy. The Organik DAC is better revealing all that good stuff upstream, as well as the improvement in and of itself. The more I think of this synergy between Organik and NG Klimax DSM Hub, the more I want Organik. :)
 

CaptenBonScott

CaptenBonScott
Wammer
Oct 10, 2018
318
178
63
Sweden, Luleå
AKA
Magnus Blom
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Of course, I also think that Organik sounds a little better than Katalyst, but I still think that the step to Katalyst when it came out was in itself bigger, preferably if you look at what the price increase has become in comparison. We'll see in the future, right now I'm happy sitting in the boat with my Selekt Katalyst :)
 

Newton John

Wammer
Wammer
Oct 13, 2018
588
1,385
113
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Of course, I also think that Organik sounds a little better than Katalyst, but I still think that the step to Katalyst when it came out was in itself bigger

Fair enough, if that's your considered view. We can only tell it the way we hear it.

I am frustrated that I can't adequately put into words what Organik is doing for me. It feels different to any upgrade I've heard.

Challenging or unfamilar albums are instantly accessible and a joy to listen to. Organik makes it so much easier for me to get into music because everything is laid out in front of me. That's a bit like going to see a Technicolour movie when all you had at home was black and white TV. It takes me to that magical place almost immediately with pretty much any album. Before, that happened only occasionally after prolonged listening and only with a few albums.

The closest I've been to this experience previously was when Linn launched the SE upgrades for the LP12.
 
Last edited:

CaptenBonScott

CaptenBonScott
Wammer
Oct 10, 2018
318
178
63
Sweden, Luleå
AKA
Magnus Blom
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Fair enough, if that's your considered view. We can only tell it the way we hear it.

I am frustrated that I can't adequately put into words what Organik is doing for me. It feels different to any upgrade I've heard.

Challenging or unfamilar albums are instantly accessible and a joy to listen to. Organik makes it so much easier for me to get into music because everything is laid out in front of me. That's a bit like going to see a Technicolour movie when all you had at home was black and white TV. It takes me to that magical place almost immediately with pretty much any album. Before, that happened only occasionally after prolonged listening and only with a few albums.

The closest I've been to this experience previously was when Linn launched the SE upgrades for the LP12.
It's great that you think there was such a big difference, I'm happy for you, what kind of system did you have before? :)
 

Newton John

Wammer
Wammer
Oct 13, 2018
588
1,385
113
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
It's great that you think there was such a big difference, I'm happy for you, what kind of system did you have before? :)
Thanks, Capten.

My system is set out in my Wigwam profile. The recent change was from Katalyst to Organik. Previous change was from KDSM to Next Gen Hub about 18 months ago.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CaptenBonScott

akamatsu

Michael
Wammer Plus
Oct 9, 2018
7,221
8,111
183
Point Roberts, WA, USA (Vancouver)
AKA
Michael
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Fair enough, if that's your considered view. We can only tell it the way we hear it.

I am frustrated that I can't adequately put into words what Organik is doing for me. It feels different to any upgrade I've heard.

Challenging or unfamilar albums are instantly accessible and a joy to listen to. Organik makes it so much easier for me to get into music because everything is laid out in front of me. That's a bit like going to see a Technicolour movie when all you had at home was black and white TV. It takes me to that magical place almost immediately with pretty much any album. Before, that happened only occasionally after prolonged listening and only with a few albums.

The closest I've been to this experience previously was when Linn launched the SE upgrades for the LP12.
I know it can be challenging, but your words have really given me a sense of what Organik might do in my system. So thanks to you, I'm becoming impatient about Organik again. Thanks a lot! 😁
 

HIGHWAY61

Wammer
Wammer
Dec 13, 2018
660
880
98
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Organik and Utopik have been over-hyped and I guess this was predictable. When you are starting at such a high level of musicality only small improvements can be expected at each upgrade. But I still wait for the first review on here that states " I have spent £xxxx and its been a complete waste of money !"
 

Bladvoc

Newbie
Wammer
Mar 16, 2017
81
92
23
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Only got mine on saturday so limited listening time and not warmed up / run in yet, but selekt edition stereo organik with a klimax twin replaced akurate exakt dsm with exaktbox (katalyst), majik 6100 and 2100. So gone from a good exakt system to a better passive system. kept my 212's.

Sound is different but definitely better in my view, and it will only improve over a the next few weeks. It just sounds more natural, analogue almost. Linn has been criticised in the past for been too clinical and detailed, that detail is still there just presented a bit differently. You may not like it on first listen because it is a different sound but i listened to a bit of Rush on saturday night, 2112 and Xanadu and never sounded so good.
 

Newton John

Wammer
Wammer
Oct 13, 2018
588
1,385
113
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Been reading feedback from folks with Selekt and Organik. I'm seeing some rather luke warm responses. I'm trying to imagine Organik on the back end of a system other than with a Klimax front end. Perhaps the cost vs. performance for less than Klimax level is a bit marginal.

It occurs to me that I also took out my surround speakers, 520s when I had the Organik upgrade. Perhaps, I got a boost from that, too.
 

Suffolkboy

Newbie
Wammer
Apr 19, 2020
215
1
252
68
Been reading feedback from folks with Selekt and Organik. I'm seeing some rather luke warm responses. I'm trying to imagine Organik on the back end of a system other than with a Klimax front end. Perhaps the cost vs. performance for less than Klimax level is a bit marginal.
I have listened to selekt organik and ngkdsm and am not disappointed with selekt, especially if you do take into account the price difference. The selekt is definitely way better than the Klimax dsm katalyst.
If you use them in exakt output only mode, the selekt is better than the the old Klimax hub.
Just balancing opinions.
 

Mischa

Newbie
Wammer
Jan 4, 2022
50
75
38
Essen, Germany
AKA
Michael
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
I must relativise my statements from the other Selekt (Order) thread. After a whole day of the purest Selekt Organik sound, I returned the unit. Now that I listen to the same playlist again with Akurate, the difference is much more obvious. Against Selekt Organik, Akurate Katalyst now sounds a bit like behind the curtain. Everything is, the lower the tones the more (try Brian Bromberg), "swampier". Definitely, the Organik flow is more my preferred way of enjoying music. From my point of view, preferable after all. But to each his own 😀
 

Oscar P.

Newbie
Wammer
Mar 6, 2020
154
191
48
I must relativise my statements from the other Selekt (Order) thread. After a whole day of the purest Selekt Organik sound, I returned the unit. Now that I listen to the same playlist again with Akurate, the difference is much more obvious. Against Selekt Organik, Akurate Katalyst now sounds a bit like behind the curtain. Everything is, the lower the tones the more (try Brian Bromberg), "swampier". Definitely, the Organik flow is more my preferred way of enjoying music. From my point of view, preferable after all. But to each his own 😀
Did you compare your Akurate to the Selekt Organik or to the Selekt Organik + Utopik?
I still wonder what the part of the Utopik does to the sound.
 
  • Like
Reactions: formann

formann

Øyvind I
Wammer
Oct 19, 2018
229
233
63
Ski Norway
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Only got mine on saturday so limited listening time and not warmed up / run in yet, but selekt edition stereo organik with a klimax twin replaced akurate exakt dsm with exaktbox (katalyst), majik 6100 and 2100. So gone from a good exakt system to a better passive system. kept my 212's.

Sound is different but definitely better in my view, and it will only improve over a the next few weeks. It just sounds more natural, analogue almost.
Hi, interesting. After upgrading to 2020 model Select in my Exact system I'm really sorry to say the AEDSM was a bit shite. Have doen the comparison a few times and the AEDSM was really hold back.
Attended a resent remo comparing the new Select Hub with Organic via a twin into Kudos 707. This was really nice and I could happily live with this. The demo showed the Select Edition to be a significant upgrade with more natural flow to the music and more live.
Will take my 2020 Selekt to my dealer of a comparison for the PSU.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mischa

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
113,444
Messages
2,451,263
Members
70,783
Latest member
reg66

Latest Articles

Wammers Online