Linn Akurate DSM

[Confused]

Beware the dreadful configurator


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Well you're not going to believe this... 30 mins later and I still can't get it to work! 

Honestly I just can't believe this...

Guillaume

There are posts on this forum regarding Configurator issues that are now six months old.  Maybe it's about time Devialet got around to sorting this out!

[IanG-UK]

There are posts on this forum regarding Configurator issues that are now six months old.  Maybe it's about time Devialet got around to sorting this out!

And it's probably far to say that whilst both AIR and the Configurator, at times, score 0/10, the process of servicing the Configurator for a competent IT engineer should be a doddle if the basic architecture is right. Surely it's delivering what is effectively a sophisticated series of switches.

[GuillaumeB]

I think that gap should close more when Rufus brings that digital cable...

Cheers

That's a rather frightening thought Kunter! 

I hear that Linn have Qobuz planned for the next software update and loads of new Tidal features... I have to say it's very impressive indeed. 

Let's see what Rufus makes if it tomorrow.

Guillaume 

[amabrok]

Very promising. Let's see what additional SQ improvement the Transparent Ref XL may bring


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Yes that will be very interesting. Even an extra .25 or .50 will be much appreciated! See what you started Amabrok?! 


Guillaume

Very happy I did. I wish I could seed more ideas that would sprout crazy and fruitful outcome like this


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[PhilP]

@guilluame

Sorry to ask prosaic questions again but I noticed that the Akurate DS is £1100 cheaper than the Akurate Exakt DSM which includes a redundant (for Devialet users) pre-amp. Do you know whether the technology used in the DS is the same as the DSM and hence whether they should sound the same?

From what I've read it would seem to be possible to use Kazoo on an iPad to control an Akurate DS - do you know if that's correct? If they're really going to support Qobuz that would be fantastic for me

Again I struggle to see why the DS is worth £4500 - nice package but fairly simple technology and it makes the Aurenders seem cheap

[Confused]

Being the relentless tweaker I am I just couldn't resist connecting the Akurate DSM to one of my Entreq ground boxes (using a silver Eartha cable). OMG! This is insane. I reckon I just added 1 point, so we are up to 8/10. Can't wait for Rufus to hear this! 

Akurate DSM is now playing directly into my Devialet with a £50 Chord Optichord SPDIF cable. 

I'm really enjoying this, it's very musical.   It's not perfect but it's very enjoyable.

Guillaume

Just so I can calibrate the above, if the Akurate DSM is 8/10, what does the Totaldac D1 score on the "Guillaume" scale?

[GuillaumeB]

@guilluame

Sorry to ask prosaic questions again but I noticed that the Akurate DS is £1100 cheaper than the Akurate Exakt DSM which includes a redundant (for Devialet users) pre-amp.  Do you know whether the technology used in the DS is the same as the DSM and hence whether they should sound the same?

From what I've read it would seem to be possible to use Kazoo on an iPad to control an Akurate DS - do you know if that's correct? If they're really going to support Qobuz that would be fantastic for me

Again I struggle to see why the DS is worth £4500 - nice package but fairly simple technology and it makes the Aurenders seem cheap

Hi Philip

It was my original intention to try out the Akurate DS however my dealer offered me an Akurate Exakt DSM instead. The main difference between the two being the addition of a pre-amp and the Exakt connections. In theory they should sound the same however I believe Linn is just about to release an update to all its DS models, namely improved clocks and circuitry. I'm not sure if the model I am trying already has these enhancements or not, I will need to check. I seem to recall reading somewhere that it already does.

But yes Kazoo will work with all Linn streamers. And yes Qobuz is coming next as are some other enhancements to the Tidal experience.

Re values... the Akurate DS is a fully fledged streamer with DAC that also happens to have a very good digital out. I imagine there aren't that many people using it as a pure transport to feed another DAC.

I suppose I wanted to see what the Linn online streaming integration/experience was like and I'm impressed. It works seamlessly. Whether Aurender et al implement something comparable remains to be seen, as a few have already said on this forum it's a rapidly developing market.

Guillaume

[GuillaumeB]

Being the relentless tweaker I am I just couldn't resist connecting the Akurate DSM to one of my Entreq ground boxes (using a silver Eartha cable). OMG! This is insane. I reckon I just added 1 point, so we are up to 8/10. Can't wait for Rufus to hear this! 

Akurate DSM is now playing directly into my Devialet with a £50 Chord Optichord SPDIF cable. 

I'm really enjoying this, it's very musical.   It's not perfect but it's very enjoyable.

Guillaume

Just so I can calibrate the above, if the Akurate DSM is 8/10, what does the Totaldac D1 score on the "Guillaume" scale?

Let's see what Rufus says but yes I am standing by 8/10 for the Akurate DSM with Tidal streaming v 10/10 for regular FLAC streaming on the totaldac. Depending on the material it can feel as though it is creeping a little over 8, say 8.25 and if you aren't comparing it in an audiophile OCD way to the totaldac it's very pleasant. 

Interestingly adding the Transparent Ref XL SPDIF to the mix brought some positives and negatives. Again I'll let Rufus interject on this.

Guillaume

[Rufus McDufus]

I can't really add much because I'm in total agreement with what Guillaume said! First off his system is sounding absolutely incredible. He's swapped Apollo for Atlantis Entreq ground cables on the Devialets since I last heard it and I was even more impressed than before.

The Akurate Exakt DSM (using Tidal) is very good but sound-quality wise my mind had already come up with a figure before I saw what Guillaume thought above - I was thinking 'this sounds like 80% of the Totaldac streaming music from a NAS'. In hindsight that might be a tiny bit on the generous side. The AEDSM had elements of that characteristic Linn sound even though it was being used merely as a transport and bypassing the DAC. It's 'polite' but also I feel like the upper and lower frequency bands are trimmed a little, particularly high frequencies. Tracks with prominent cymbals or snare on the Totaldac didn't sound prominent at all on the Linn, and practically inaudible. The Transparent Reference XL SPDIF from Linn to Devialet sounded impressive initially but the more I listened the more I thought it was enhancing bad aspects too. A Coldplay track 'Always In My Head' sounded too ethereal with the TA cable - the background choral voices were almost too prominent and it overwhelmed the track a bit, coupled with possibly a rise in noise making it more difficult to make things out. I think the TA was an improvement generally but just brought the (minor) failings of the Akurate DSM.
Back to Totaldac - just wonderful. So transparent and airy. It really is a great device!

Oh - the Entreq grounding cable on the AEDSM was the most obvious example of what grounding can do that I've heard so far. Remove the Entreq ground and the quality just collapsed over the space of about 2 seconds. Put it back and you could hear it gradually coming back again. A bigger effect than even on Devialet.

[IanG-UK]

I think these findings by Guillaume and Rufus are quite profound in the Entreq debate.

Introduce an Entreq with a single product, e.g. a Devialet, and say it sounds better and one reaction is "well it would do because you have bought it".

But use it in a test where it alters one component for the better, modestly, but another for the better, significantly, and this could point to design inadequacies in both units, but in one more materially than in the other. If the end point is to get both those components optimally designed (perhaps under licence from Entreq) then that will be a great result.