Linn: Enough spare parts for CD players

Linn Products Ltd's Sales Director Steve Croft.

Every audiophile should know by now that Linn has stopped making CD players from the end of last year and is now promoting its digital stream players as the nexgen 'must-have' components.


However, for the benefit of owners of Linn CD players Linn has kept supplies of spare parts which should last for a minimum of seven years. So you can rest assured that your high-end Linn CD player would not become an expensive paper weight when its motor or laser breaks down. 


This assurance came from Linn Products Ltd's Director of Sales Steve Croft who was in KL last week for the Kuala Lumpur International AV show.


He said Linn stopped making CD players simply because hires music files sounded better than music from CDs.


In 2007, a demo was held in Japan during which a Linn CD12 was used to play a CD after which ripped copies of the same songs were played from a hard disk. Everyone agreed that the ripped files sounded better.


This is because there are no moving parts and less RFI/EMI when playing a music file, said Steve.


Digital stream players consistently outperforms CD players, he said.


Last year, CD player sales had declined by 30 per cent and Linn then decided to offer hires files for downloads and invest heavily in digital streaming.


"I would still buy a CD, but I would rip it and play it with the digital stream player. It sounds better that way," he said.

The Linn Klimax digital stream player.

Linn's digital stream players are ethernet based unlike other media players like Sonos or Logitech Squeezebox which are wi-fi compatible.


"Wireless is subject to interference and we don't recommend it. Wi-fi is not robust enough, but the technology is still developing," said Steve.


Linn's music player OS is open source and third-party firms are already developing apps for the iPad and iPod Touch.


"Linn offers free software, but there are other companies offering their own software," he said.


At Perfect Hi-Fi's Linn room, Steve demonstrated how he could change the play-list and even change systems simply by touching the screen of an iPad.


Commands were transmitted wirelessly and Steve could control the music and systems from any part of the room.


This was because the system was set up in such a way that the Klimax and other Digital Stream players on demo were connected by ethernet to a wi-fi router which received the commands from the iPad wirelessly.


Many audiophiles were impressed by the display of nexgen technology and the demo on the future of hi-fi (according to Linn, of course).


Many people were heard exclaiming: "Waah..."