Linn's Ninka speaker: Anyone heard it??

I helped a friend buy a pair of used Ninkas for use with a Linn Classik and have listened to them quite a bit. They're very easy to listen to and absolutely beautiful to look at. She's thrilled.

I'd agree completely with Soix's observations about where the Linns fall on the issue of PRaT vs. imaging and soundstage. Given that the speakers I can afford require some compromise, my personal preference is on the side of transparency and imaging. I've got Proacs and like them better than the Ninkas but that perference doesn't tell you anything about whether you'd like them.

A few months ago a friend and I spent a couple of days shopping for speakers for him. We listened to Linn, Vienna Acoustic, Sonus Faber, Monitor Audio, Dynaudio, B&W, Roark, Martin Logan, and probably some others I can't remember. It soon became clear that his preference was for the 'Linn' sound. Listening to my Proacs at home the second evening he remarked that my speakers sounded 'thin' to him. I tried not to be offended because after all the audiotioning I did understand what he was saying. I like my speakers 'thin' and he likes them 'thick.'

It's worth the trouble to biwire them. The stock cables that came with them weren't quite long enough for the permanent installation (and my friend thought they were ugly) and she didn't want to spend very much for wire. I bought some bulk Canare StarQuad wire from Markertek, Linn connectors for the amp end from a Linn dealer and some decent locking bananas and soldered up a pair. Total cost was about $65 for a 12' pair and even with the relatively inexpensive cable the Ninkas were quite a bit more open and transparent.