Linn Klimax DSM

I have heard the Linn Select DSM with the upgraded DAC. I believe this DAC is now the best in the Linn lineup. I liked the DAC quite a bit and I considered the Selekt for a DSP enabled preamp. However, the Linn was not ROON READY and they are a little wishy washy about ROON. Likely because ROON does things that Linn also competes with. So once I learned that they would not be ROON READY but instead be 1 level below that, I lost all interest in the Linn (and Space Optimization DSP).

I don't think the Linn Selekt DSM DAC is a punching above it's weight. It sounds real good but so do a lot of DAC's at that price range. For example, I thought the DAC in the Lyngdorf 3400 with Room Perfect DSP was comparable.

The DAC technology comes in different flavors as well with the new Katalyst being the best.

This is all I am saying. @photomax what is inaccurate about my post.

Actually I got a lot of my info on the other Linn units from HiF Wigwam for which I am a member. My understanding from the conversations and other posts I read there indicate that the Selekt DSM with the Katalyst upgrade on the DAC is the best Linn DAC (this was in 2019). I am only talking about the DAC and NOT the Linn ecosystem. The top of the line Linn components with DAC are supposed to be upgraded in the future to the Katalyst level. I am not a Linn expert so what do I know.

I did my demo with an all Linn system with the 8 Exaktbox into Linn speakers (Shelley's Stereo in S. Cal). If I remember correctly, they had the streaming Selekt DAC hooked up to this system. I think the Selekt was doing both streaming and DAC duties in the demo. There were a ton of gear and cables so it was rather difficult to quickly take all the gear into the brain.

The all Linn system was OK, not my cup of tea. I would not have bought the all Linn system but I liked the Linn Selekt DSM with Klimax upgrade. I also heard the Linn Selekt DSM with the Yamaha NS5000 speakers.

The same day I also demoed the Paradigm Persona 5F with excellent SimAudio gear in another demo room and liked it more than the super expensive Linn system. I plan on buying the Yamaha NS5000 speaker that I also demoed at Shelley's in their worst demo room.