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RE: Linn Classik / KAT5


  • Subject: RE: Linn Classik / KAT5
  • From: BUTLER, Tony, FM
  • Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2002 14:26:00 +0000

>Hi Tony,
>
>Can't comment on all your points yet, but here's a few quick remarks:

Tnx for the quick reply Nick.

>1) IMHO the big issue is IR distribution - 2 way to your Sony jukebox
>particularly. Keith is putting IR channel into Kat5, this may sort
this,
but
>not sure about the 2 way aspect.

Yeah I toyed for a while with the idea of using powermids - a pair of rx
&
tx units side by side next to the jukebox, and the other pair in the living
room, so I could get a two way link going, but I figured they'd get very
confused.

The guy (wish I could remember his name - this was about 18 months ago)
with
the serious linn system had a CD jukebox too, but his was an older model
where the two way was on a separate wired unit - so he spilt it and put the
rx/tx unit in the listening lounge, CAT-5'ed back to the jukebox. Works a
treat apparently. Sadly, mine is fuly integrated, so couldn't go that route
:-(

What I'm thinking now as in interim measure is this:
I have an sline-e unit which can control the jukebox from a PC. The PC is
not @ node 0 for space reasons, and I have CAT-5'ed it to the slink
conencted directly to the Jukebox. I'm getting a pair of Kat-5's, which I
will use to feed video from the PC down to the TV so..... I can control the
jukebox via the PC/slink and see on TV exactly what I have selected. The
slink does some kind of IR tx & rxing, but I haven't really
investigated
this - I would prefer, with something complex like the jukebox, to use PC
control to select play lists etc.
I have an IR keyboard (somewhere, lot in house move, not seen for about a
year!) that I could use to control the PC 'properly' from the lounge
too.....

I know I could have a PC in the lounge (far simpler), but I am going for
the
highest WAF, which is no visible kit whatsoever, (Node 0 is a cupboard
under
the stairs, cut down into the floor space, which houses my distribution
kit,
all a-v sources, patch panel, network switches etc...), and anyway a PC is
a
bit noisy at the best of times.....

>2) Linn uses balanced line level signals over twisted pairs - they
suggest
>STP, but it works perfectly well over UTP. They have non standard
pinouts
>for their cabling, so to use standard you need a custom patch lead. If
you
>want a diagram I can send you one. Currently the only Linn kit I have
is
the
>new Classik, which has 4 balanced line stereo outputs which are
compatible
>(to my ears) with KAT 5 receivers and work very well over my
self-installed
>CAT5 cabling via node0 patch panels.

Yes please, could be useful! The installers I used said there was nothign
to choose really between UTP and STP (except of course greater cost).
I have to confess that I am not so much an audiophile I would notice anyway
- I bought the knekt more for it's superior cost (kidding! I meant
'features') not because it offered the best sound on the market....

>3) I drew blank when trying to get info from Linn about the control
>mechanism from RCU's - the Classik can be controlled this way (using
Linn
>RCU's), but I personally think it's a costly solution, & anyway
I'll get
>more satisfaction if I put a solution together myself which does what I
want
>it to do).

Yeah thery're very funny about that sort of thing - in order to install
knekt you apparently need to go on a 1 (or was it 2?) week course to learn
how.
That's why they don't like to give out details - or so they say :(
The guy who tried to install mine must have been on the course a long, long
time ago because I ended up configuring it myself after spending all of
about 5 minutes figuring out the software!

>4) I didn't get a Sony Jukebox in the end, I'm going to go the MP3
route
but
>cash is limited at the mo. so no progress apart from in my head.

Although I like the jukebox, I do find it a pain too - only being able to
listen to one CD at a time means that if the wife and I want to listen to
different CD's then someone always loses out :( Really need a jukebox each
:)
RE: MP3: Personally, I find the quality of MP3's is a bit lacking &
get a
nice sound from WMA files at about 1/2 the size. Sadly though, most of the
jukebox software I've seen only handles MP-3.

You could look at a Creative labs portable MP3/WMA player - 6Gb disc = 100
albums. Good enough as a home jukebox solution, but also portable, so take
your collection on the road with you!

If funds were unlimited, I'd look at the Linn system which can stream 8
different uncompressed audio streams at once to a knekt system - nice !

>Would be good to share the info we have, but it looks like we need to
find
a
>tame Linn dealer to get the useful techie stuff.

Indeedy - know of one? :)

>6) I understand Linn may have brought out a DVD version of the Classik,
but
>I think it's £1800 or so.

Hmmmm dunno about that, but if they have, video distribution is still a
problem when hooking it up to knekt.

Best solution probably to buy a couple of DVD players from tesco and 2
copies of every DVD :)

cheers,

Tony


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