Linn speaker development

[timster]

Rumour alert.

Linn have suspended speaker development to concentrate on other areas. Philbo is now head of R&D, and no longer directly involved in speaker design.
Apparently any new speakers/new ranges will not happen in the foreseeable.
So 109 or Majik replacements will not be any time soon nor any supposed 'Selekt' speakers.

Also it's true Kudos have discontinued the Cardea range. No news on replacements, if any.

[Coyote Jim]

Rumour alert.

Linn have suspended speaker development to concentrate on other areas. Philbo is now head of R&D, and no longer directly involved in speaker design.

That’ll be the 360s obsolete already if not have to last forever.
Aktiv Akubariks are notoriously unreliable I’ve known 3 sets to fail recently.

[Nestor Turton]

Rumour alert.

Linn have suspended speaker development to concentrate on other areas. Philbo is now head of R&D, and no longer directly involved in speaker design.
Apparently any new speakers/new ranges will not happen in the foreseeable.
So 109 or Majik replacements will not be any time soon nor any supposed 'Selekt' speakers.

Also it's true Kudos have discontinued the Cardea range. No news on replacements, if any.

A shame as the speaker is the source. Latest Harbeth speakers follow similar principles to Linn and the designer seems very enthusiastic about DSP within the speaker to get the best out his drive units and improve integration.

I have old fashioned passive speakers, which sound great; however if starting over I’d want a home demo of Linn Exakt speakers. Perhaps the market for new technically advanced loudspeakers has diminished or simply crowded.

Wonder what innovations Linn’s working on if it’s moving resources from loudspeaker design. Wireless Exakt?

[PhotoMax]

If true this is shocking and disappointing news!

I was hoping for a higher end new option beyond 140s. The 360s don’t work for me cost or aesthetics wise.

This restricts options for those staying with Exakt systems.

[PhotoMax]

I checked with my dealer and he said this rumor is NOT TRUE…

[akamatsu]

I checked with my dealer and he said this rumor is NOT TRUE…

My dealer said the same. Oh, wait, we have the same dealer.

[PhotoMax]

Michael, I talked with Paul…

[akamatsu]

Michael, I talked with Paul…

I was joking, since we both shop at Definitive. I didn't speak to anyone, but I would reach out to Ron.

[PhotoMax]

Please do so! This is a serious rumor/rumour to confirm or put to bed.

Definitive is one of the leading Linn dealerships on the planet so I trust them as a news source…

[timster]

As I said it's only a rumour but came from someone who had dinner with Gilad on his travels stateside.
Not that that proves anything of course!

[Moomintroll]

Back in March, I think it was, Gilad and Phil were on a Facebook video chat with Clive Gidney. At that time, Phil’s title was something like “Principal Acoustic Engineer and Manager of Acoustic Design and Mechanical Engineering”

I think it unlikely that he’s no longer involved in speaker design.

I have no insight into what their current priorities are. However, we do expect that Utopiks for power amps are in the pipeline and that Adaptive Bias is used in the Klimax 800, so it wouldn’t surprise me if a range of power amps using both technologies were on the horizon.

Dave

[DB1328]

Hope that Utopik for my Exaktbox is finally in the pipe.

[timster]

Hmm,

I was pondering (the crazy idea) to upgrade my 350s Exakt to the 360s.

My dealer told me that the Akubarik will phase out and the new design (Organik) would be introduced step by step starting with the smaller speaker models.

BY

That may be what's been 'paused'.

[arm]

If true this is shocking and disappointing news!

I was hoping for a higher end new option beyond 140s. The 360s don’t work for me cost or aesthetics wise.

This restricts options for those staying with Exakt systems.

KUDOS! I replaced M140s with Titan 606 exakted andthe results are spectacular

[briardsrock]

My dealer (who’s been a Linn dealer for 50 years and I believe knows the strengths of Linn sources and the Linn line pretty well) has been on a bit of a hiatus from Linn speakers for several years now, the Linn speakers he feels are the best recent value are the M140s. But, he is optimistic and has reason to believe Linn has some exciting speakers to be released in the next couple years, he is optimistic.

As an aside, for the past several years he has configured many a Linn sourced system with various Vandersteen speakers, I’ve heard several, and they are extremely good. I would have went with Vandersteen speakers in my most recent set of upgrades but we were achieving very musical sounds in demos at my dealer utilizing Linn high end sources and Selekt DSM and Linn Exaktbox-I with M140s, for significantly less money.

My plan/hope for the next upgrades in a few to several years, would be to replace my Exaktbox-I Katalyst with some configuration of Organik Exakt system. If there are no Linn Exakt speakers I can afford at that time, I’ll keep the M140s until an affordable Linn Exakt speaker comes into play. We don’t have Kudos here in the states so that’s not an option. I mentioned Vandersteen speakers, but they aren’t Exakt, although I love the ones I’ve heard they are $30k plus a pair and have been driven by very pricey VTL amps. So, Ive chosen to the comparatively economical route of Exaktbox-I and M140s and we shall see in a few years hence how the possible upgrades present themselves , but I’m hoping it will involve Linn Exakt speakers of some sort.

I checked with my dealer and he said this rumor is NOT TRUE…

[akamatsu]

Hmm,

I was pondering (the crazy idea) to upgrade my 350s Exakt to the 360s.

My dealer told me that the Akubarik will phase out and the new design (Organik) would be introduced step by step starting with the smaller speaker models.

BY

That may be what's been 'paused'.

My dealer told me, the new Majik speakers are basically ready but there seem to be some issues with the vendor of the cabinet. He expects them to be available by the end of the year at the latest.

I heard similar from a dealer. The cabinets are the delay.

[timster]

Hmm,

I was pondering (the crazy idea) to upgrade my 350s Exakt to the 360s.

My dealer told me that the Akubarik will phase out and the new design (Organik) would be introduced step by step starting with the smaller speaker models.

BY

That may be what's been 'paused'.

My dealer told me, the new Majik speakers are basically ready but there seem to be some issues with the vendor of the cabinet. He expects them to be available by the end of the year at the latest.

How about Selekt level?

[akamatsu]

Hmm,

I was pondering (the crazy idea) to upgrade my 350s Exakt to the 360s.

My dealer told me that the Akubarik will phase out and the new design (Organik) would be introduced step by step starting with the smaller speaker models.

BY

That may be what's been 'paused'.

My dealer told me, the new Majik speakers are basically ready but there seem to be some issues with the vendor of the cabinet. He expects them to be available by the end of the year at the latest.

How about Selekt level?

On this, the dealer told me Linn are going through their inventory of Akubarik cabinets. Once those are gone, and after a brief interval, the "Selekt" replacements should be launched. It may be a good time to make a deal on some Akubariks. Don't expect their replacement to be offered at anywhere near the same price. Conversations have landed in the $60k to $70k range.

[timster]

Hmm,

I was pondering (the crazy idea) to upgrade my 350s Exakt to the 360s.

My dealer told me that the Akubarik will phase out and the new design (Organik) would be introduced step by step starting with the smaller speaker models.

BY

That may be what's been 'paused'.

My dealer told me, the new Majik speakers are basically ready but there seem to be some issues with the vendor of the cabinet. He expects them to be available by the end of the year at the latest.

How about Selekt level?

On this, the dealer told me Linn are going through their inventory of Akubarik cabinets. Once those are gone, and after a brief interval, the "Selekt" replacements should be launched. It may be a good time to make a deal on some Akubariks. Don't expect their replacement to be offered at anywhere near the same price. Conversations have landed in the $60k to $70k range.

[akamatsu]

Hmm,

I was pondering (the crazy idea) to upgrade my 350s Exakt to the 360s.

My dealer told me that the Akubarik will phase out and the new design (Organik) would be introduced step by step starting with the smaller speaker models.

BY

That may be what's been 'paused'.

My dealer told me, the new Majik speakers are basically ready but there seem to be some issues with the vendor of the cabinet. He expects them to be available by the end of the year at the latest.

How about Selekt level?

On this, the dealer told me Linn are going through their inventory of Akubarik cabinets. Once those are gone, and after a brief interval, the "Selekt" replacements should be launched. It may be a good time to make a deal on some Akubariks. Don't expect their replacement to be offered at anywhere near the same price. Conversations have landed in the $60k to $70k range.

I'm thinking the new "Selekt" level speakers will have some trickle down technology from the 360s. This is the future of Linn speakers. So the price should be viewed relative to the price of the 360s, $105k here.

[timster]

Hmm,

I was pondering (the crazy idea) to upgrade my 350s Exakt to the 360s.

My dealer told me that the Akubarik will phase out and the new design (Organik) would be introduced step by step starting with the smaller speaker models.

BY

That may be what's been 'paused'.

My dealer told me, the new Majik speakers are basically ready but there seem to be some issues with the vendor of the cabinet. He expects them to be available by the end of the year at the latest.

How about Selekt level?

On this, the dealer told me Linn are going through their inventory of Akubarik cabinets. Once those are gone, and after a brief interval, the "Selekt" replacements should be launched. It may be a good time to make a deal on some Akubariks. Don't expect their replacement to be offered at anywhere near the same price. Conversations have landed in the $60k to $70k range.

I'm thinking the new "Selekt" level speakers will have some trickle down technology from the 360s. This is the future of Linn speakers. So the price should be viewed relative to the price of the 360s, $105k here.

For integrated maybe. If Majik is the only non-integrated/passive option Linn provide, it seems to me they are not interested in competing with anyone else. Throwing in the towel as it were.

[akamatsu]

Hmm,

I was pondering (the crazy idea) to upgrade my 350s Exakt to the 360s.

My dealer told me that the Akubarik will phase out and the new design (Organik) would be introduced step by step starting with the smaller speaker models.

BY

That may be what's been 'paused'.

My dealer told me, the new Majik speakers are basically ready but there seem to be some issues with the vendor of the cabinet. He expects them to be available by the end of the year at the latest.

How about Selekt level?

On this, the dealer told me Linn are going through their inventory of Akubarik cabinets. Once those are gone, and after a brief interval, the "Selekt" replacements should be launched. It may be a good time to make a deal on some Akubariks. Don't expect their replacement to be offered at anywhere near the same price. Conversations have landed in the $60k to $70k range.

I'm thinking the new "Selekt" level speakers will have some trickle down technology from the 360s. This is the future of Linn speakers. So the price should be viewed relative to the price of the 360s, $105k here.

For integrated maybe. If Majik is the only non-integrated/passive option Linn provide, it seems to me they are not interested in competing with anyone else. Throwing in the towel as it were.

Certainly for integrated Exakt. I'm not sure about passive as I don't really think about it. However, I wouldn't be surprised if a passive is made available.

[akamatsu]

When I decided on the 360s, I was more interested in the amplifier, DAC, power supply technology rather than the cabinet and drivers. Following the hierarchy.

[dol]

Exiting news!

[timster]

Makes sense. Can be driven exakt by a selekt too.
Wonder if there'll be a 2-way 109 replacement