Linn Klimax DS3 vs Lumin S1

Bobvin

Bobvin

New member
Joined
Jun 25, 2013
Messages
1,068
Ignoring format playing possibilities, has anyone compared these two streamers in their system. I've heard the Klimax briefly in my system when my speakers were being setup, but I've not heard the Lumin. Big price difference. My Wilson setup guy says the Linn compares very favorably to some of the very best—he is not saying as good as DCS or latest MSB, but extremely competitive given price differential (and I do trust his judgement.)

I am considering a streamer to replace my dedicated computer/ARC DAC8. I already have a Synology NAS.
 
Mark and Jock had the previous Linn Klimax and both switched to the Lumin. I had the opportunity to hear the previous one, but not the new one, so I don't know how it would compare.

For me, no DSD, no MQA, no Roon endpoint, no USB for plug & play external USB drive support, no Peter on AS for first class support and almost double the cost would be a deal breaker. I would also think strongly about the Lumin A1 over the S1 if you like more "analog sounds". It will more resemble your LPS than the Lumin S1 does. :)

In the same price as the Linn, you have the Esoteric N-01 coming out: http://www.esoteric.jp/products/esoteric/n01/indexe.html

Esoteric purchased Lumin's app and Esoteric claims the N-01 will do MQA in the future. Not sure about Roon functionality though. It does use the new AKM 4497 (velvet sound) chip which is featured in the K1 Grandioso.

My two cents: Lumin A1 (Wolfson DAC has a very analog - full meaty - sound).
 
Bob - I upgraded from the Bryston BDP-2 and ARC DAC-8 to the Lumin S-1. After over 2 years, I'm still ecstatic about the Lumin. It has been flawless, the software upgrades are super easy, it looks great and, better yet, it sounds fantastic. To Mike's point, Lumins do offer more flexibility with DSD and coming soon MQA.

I have not heard the new Linn and, while it is supposed to outstanding, no DSD and no MQA.

Lastly, some prefer the A-1 others the S-1. For the Alexias, the S-1 is a very nice match.
 
Just to stick to facts:

Linn is working with Roon on endpoint capability. The Linn Klimax DSM has digital inputs, just not USB. It even has HDMI, so if you have your setup in the living room, it can work as a hub for all your digital gear (videogame, cable box, etc.) It has also an analog input, so if you want to ditch the preamp, it can be done.

The new Klimax is an entirely new product. When we picked up Linn last year, we got the Majik and Akurate streamers, but not the old Klimax, as I felt it didn't present good value for money. The new one, on the other hand, we find not only very competitive, but a notch above the other stuff out there (that I've heard of course).

It is also upgradeable, so if/when a new comes out, you won't have to sell your old unit at a loss. You can upgrade for a fraction of the price of the new unit, and even opt to have the guts of your old device put into a plain chassis, so you can end up with 2 products for a fraction of the price of the new one.

The new Klimax uses the new, top of the line AKM chip, see here: http://www.akm.com/akm/en/product/featured/audiomarketvoices/linn/interview/?link_id=link972

Also, Linn does employ an FPGA for custom filtering, and relies on the chip for just the core functionality. So if eventually people convince them to do DSD (and we can only hope!), it can be done via software.

Linn also offers a form of room correction, called Space Optimization: Linn — Space Optimisation Explained

Linn has control apps for everything, Mac, PC, Android, iPad, iPhone, etc.


cheers,
alex
 
Fact: Linn is not listed as a Roon partner (https://roonlabs.com/partners.html) and from what I can tell, it can only interface with Roon via AirPlay or via some additional box like the Sonore, limiting sound quality bit rates.

Linn will also never do DSD (according to Linn's official position here: https://forums.linn.co.uk/bb/showthread.php?tid=23096 and http://docs.linn.co.uk/wiki/index.php/FAQs#Does_the_Linn_DS.2FDSM_support_DSD) and likely, never do MQA (https://www.linn.co.uk/blog/mqa-is-bad-for-music).

As Linn continues to shoot themselves in the foot, over and over again with limiting functionality and parting ways with their US Distributor (https://www.google.com/amp/www.rave...ionship-with-u-s-distributor-goes-direct/amp/), it's clear who is focused on Network Music Players and who is focused on active speakers.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Forgive my naiveté: from my view, most(!) DSD content is classical music, of which I only enjoy a passing fancy. MQA does not interest me at this time, if it catches on I will give it more attention, but for now it I see a long road until the bulk of content I listen to is rendered in this format. I will always be a vinyl guy, and currently my vinyl rig outperforms my digital, hence the desire to improve this aspect of my system. I am however interested in being able to connect to a service like Tidal to expand my access to new music, so the Roon thing may be a factor. I want great sound and to remove the hassle of having the computer in the mix.
 
Bobvin said:
Forgive my naiveté: from my view, most(!) DSD content is classical music, of which I only enjoy a passing fancy. MQA does not interest me at this time, if it catches on I will give it more attention, but for now it I see a long road until the bulk of content I listen to is rendered in this format. I will always be a vinyl guy, and currently my vinyl rig outperforms my digital, hence the desire to improve this aspect of my system. I am however interested in being able to connect to a service like Tidal to expand my access to new music, so the Roon thing may be a factor. I want great sound and to remove the hassle of having the computer in the mix.
Click to expand...

Bob - most of my DSD is not classical, instead it's classic rock, jazz, etc. MQA is on Tidal and doesn't cost any more and it must be experienced. I'm a fan! Tidal is built right into Roon AND the Lumin app.

If you want a steamer that resembles your turntable setup, to my ears, the A1 is the one to get IMO.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Bobvin said:
I will always be a vinyl guy, and currently my vinyl rig outperforms my digital, hence the desire to improve this aspect of my system. I am however interested in being able to connect to a service like Tidal to expand my access to new music, so the Roon thing may be a factor. I want great sound and to remove the hassle of having the computer in the mix.
Click to expand...

If you subscribe to Tidal HiFi, you can stream MQA content at no extra cost. So even if you're not interested in it you can at least check it out. Lumin will decode it with an imminent firmware upgrade, Linn will not.

If you like vinyl, check out Lumin A1.
 
I can't speak to the Linn Klimax DS3 but I have a Lumin S1 and recently purchased a dCS Rossini. IMO the SQ of the Rossini is a tad better with a bit more air around the instruments and a slightly better decay of cymbals and piano notes. At about 2.5X the price of the S1, this actually says a lot for the SQ of the S1. 2 other reasons I decided to purchase the Rossini is I wanted to use it to go direct to my amp and I wanted a DAC with an external clock option.

If neither of these factors are on your shopping list, then the S1 is hard to beat, especially since you get the world class service of Peter Lie. The S1 also has the best native iPad interface I've experienced comparing Lumin, dCS and Aurender. If you opt to use Roon then the user interface advantage Lumin has is neutralized.
 
I forgot to mention that the S1 can also serve as a preamp and connect direct to your amp but it lacks the number of digital inputs the Rossini has so I'm able to connect my CD transport and the Rossini also has a number of SPDIF inputs.
 
Talking today with my dealer up in Seattle, he suggested the Rossini DAC with a Roon Rock server setup to do upsampling was very competitive with the Linn, saying the Linn was perhaps a little more immediate with better midrange resolution, where the Rossini "presents a wider, deeper soundstage, has more punch and drive, and the bass extension and power is better."

The Rossini also does more formats and then there is the external clock option, but it does nothing to reduce parts in the digital flow, one of my original goals of adding a streamer. Of course, knowing a clock option existed would have me yearning to add one, e.g. spend more $$.

 
Bob,

I'm considering Roon as the Rossini native app doesn't do a good job with TIDAL MQA tracks. I have a Mac Mini that I ran a trial version of Roon on. I'm not a fan of needing to have my Mac Mini or any computer on just to run Roon. I assume with ROCK you still need to have the ROCK scaled down computer turned on to run the Roon user interface, correct?
 
cycles2 said:
I assume with ROCK you still need to have the ROCK scaled down computer turned on to run the Roon user interface, correct?
Click to expand...

Yes, you still need a computer for ROCK, most people use Intel NUC with SSD and no less than 8GB RAM. If you use Roon upsampling or any DSP features, get an i7 CPU (NUC7i7XXX)

If your Mac Mini runs Roon fine then there is no need to purchase another computer.
 
cycles2 said:
Bob,

I'm considering Roon as the Rossini native app doesn't do a good job with TIDAL MQA tracks. I have a Mac Mini that I ran a trial version of Roon on. I'm not a fan of needing to have my Mac Mini or any computer on just to run Roon. I assume with ROCK you still need to have the ROCK scaled down computer turned on to run the Roon user interface, correct?
Click to expand...

I am probably not the one to ask, but... from what I can see a ROCK is a computer cut down to bare software and hardware to run the Roon core, which appears to be running on a skimpy Linux kernal. I am unsure about all the connectivity, but guessing things happen mostly over ethernet.
 
Bob - FWIW - IMO, the Rossini is more typical digital sounds that likely won't appeal to a vinyl guy.

Lumin A1 (not the most expensive, but definitely the most analog) is the way to go. Even the Linn would be a better bet IMO.
 
wklie said:
Yes, you still need a computer for ROCK, most people use Intel NUC with SSD and no less than 8GB RAM. If you use Roon upsampling or any DSP features, get an i7 CPU (NUC7i7XXX)

If your Mac Mini runs Roon fine then there is no need to purchase another computer.
Click to expand...

Thanks Peter. If I understand your reply, I can run ROCK on my i7 Mac Mini. Is that correct? I do need my Mac Mini from time to time to run MinimServer to scan new tracks that I add to my NAS, unless ROCK also runs MinimServer.

I understand that the ROCK software is free so that saves $119 for a 1-year Roon Core subscription or $500 for a lifetime Roon subscription. Are there disadvantages or important features that ROCK doesn't have that would favor purchasing Roon Core?
 
Haven’t tried S1 before. But a happy A1 user for the past 1.5 years.
Have tried Aurender A10 and A1 in my setup and I definitely prefer A1 sound. More airy with wider stage.

And good support from Peter also. [emoji1303]


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
cycles2 said:
If I understand your reply, I can run ROCK on my i7 Mac Mini. Is that correct? I do need my Mac Mini from time to time to run MinimServer to scan new tracks that I add to my NAS, unless ROCK also runs MinimServer.

I understand that the ROCK software is free so that saves $119 for a 1-year Roon Core subscription or $500 for a lifetime Roon subscription. Are there disadvantages or important features that ROCK doesn't have that would favor purchasing Roon Core?
Click to expand...

I meant that you can keep running Roon Core (not ROCK) on your Mac Mini. To make it easier to understand, you can think of ROCK as a special purpose OS for running RoonServer, to be an alternative to Windows / Mac OS / Ubuntu. ROCK is free in the sense that most Linux distributions are free. You still need to pay the Roon subscription fee. For your needs, I believe you can ignore ROCK for now.
 
Lampizator Golden Gate is significantly better than Linn Klimax Katalyst IMHO, although DAC rather than server. It is also better than dCS Vivaldi + upsampler, which should also put it above Rossini.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top