RE: Linn Classik / KAT5

[BUTLER, Tony, FM]

>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


********************************************************************
Visit our Internet site at <a href="http://www.rbsmarkets.com";>http://www.rbsmarkets.com</a>

This e-mail is intended only for the addressee named above.
As this e-mail may contain confidential or privileged information,
if you are not the named addressee, you are not authorised to
retain, read, copy or disseminate this message or any part of it.
********************************************************************