Linn users need your advice on Amps.

I would advise the Linn Klimax Solos. I have them in my system with Ayre K-1xe preamp, and the new Ayre C-5xe disc player, using Wilson Sophia II speakers with Aerial SW-12 subwoofer. If you can wait a short time Ayre will soon be releasing a new monoblock amp which I believe got raves at recent Consumer Electronics Show.

I have just gone through the same process of looking into pruchasing Linn Klimaxes, and had been wondering about if the Chakra Twin had enough drive for my not too efficient--85db sensitivity--Dynaudio C1 speakers. I decided the only way to find out for sure was to buy used and try. And which I did.

Now I had a Klimax Kontrol and a Chakra Twin for about 2 weeks, I found that the Twin seems to drive my Dynaudio with ease. It never got more than mildly warm, the fan never came on, and the control of bass is better than the Gryphon integrated it replaces. Out of the maximun volume of 100, I usually listen at 70 or so, and at 75 or more, its too loud for my 14'x18' room.

The general tone was leaner than the Gryphon at first, but after I changed Linn's original power cord and interconnects to others, the leanness was mostly gone. What I gained over before are more precise sound reproduction, more detail, and more control. I still need to tweak my system a bit, but I am generally very happy with the Linn combo.

On Linn's own web site there is a excerpt of review by a European magazine, and it reveiwed the Chakra Twin with a 802D, and the Twin seemed to do just fine. On a Japanese audio magazine--Stereo Sound--I read, it claims that in Japan, the Twin is reputed to sound better than the solo; and it confirmed it in the review. Of corse, I would think solo should be better than Twin, especially for less efficient speakers, but I think its good for you to know that, when cost of purchase is a concern, the Chakra Twin may do just fine for your application.

red
I lIke the bass from the solos. I just wanted more (from biamping) and thought I try levinson.
As far as classe being made for b&w well the major studios with B&W all have chord gear powering their speakers?? So who knows.
A 1.1 is about 90-95% of a cd12 on cd depends on who you ask on sacd a 1.1 is better than a cd12 on cd. Go to the linn forum and do some searchs there is alot of info there.

Deven8,

Your choice of the Levinson's is very nice. Are you not satisfied with the bass production of the Linn's?

Speaking of Linn, have you heard the CD12? If so what do you think of this player compared to your Unidisk 1.1? I was contemplating on whether or not it would be nice to purchase a second hand cd12? At around 9 to 10k I am curious about its performance against other companies such as Ayre (CX-5e), Classe, even Levinson. The problem with all this gear is that many of the dealers do not carry all the product lines together. The Linn dealer which carries the Monos does not carry the 802D's. Just difficult to make a final decision on some of this stuff. Oh well better for the pocket book. :)

RED
In home theather and stereo my system works great. THe solos more than hold there own against any amp. That said I still want to biamp the 802's. I am in the process of buying some Mark Levinson 436 monos for the bass on my 802's.
The reason I am going with the 436 for the bass is first they cost about $3000 (used) less than Solos (used. And second I always liked levinson gear as well. It was my second choice next to Linn. SO I feel I can combine them as biamping goes and save some money and make sure my first decision was correct. I will eventully split my system in to a dedicated home theater and 2ch rig. So I can't lose by having more amps than less. I would recommend listening to the solos vs others to help you with your decision.

Deven,

Your system is just fantastic. I would love to end up with something like it but have to test the equipment out. When you were choosing amps did you look at anything else?

Would you describe the Linn Mono's as bright,warm etc....

People probably do not talk much about the mono's because of their price range. If I were to go this route they would definitely be second hand. I have seen them go for around $9000 or so. That said how do you think they compare to mono's from other companies in the 9-10k range?

My wife really likes the compact size but she really doesn't care to much about electronics, she just wants to avoid an entire wall of the stuff....don't blame her.

I to have a large space. 12ft ceilings, 17x32' space where the system is in.

So would you agree that the Mono's would drive the 802D's nicely? How does your system fair in the HT realm? Are you satisfied with its performance?

I have solos with N802's see my system. http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vaslt&1088784502&read&3&4&

My wife loved the look of linn as well so it was an easy sell.

My thoughts are solos are great I would say a chakra twin wouldn't be enough unless you biamped but I feel I need two pairs of solos for my room its 11high by 14 wide by 25 long. So I don't know if I am answering your question or not but with you speakers and Linn only klimax would have enough power. That said they sound amazing. I am surprised that people don't talk about them more.

Newmanoc,

Yes I would definitely look for a used pair as 20K is way above what I would spend on amps. I have to go and listen to a pair. I do not know how good the amps are compared to a set of classe Mono's.

Putty's advice is clearly better than mine, having actually heard something similar to the combination in question.

As to your question, however, the Solo's would be far better than anything in the Chakra line, not only because they are 290 Watts into 8 ohms and 500 into 4 ohms, but because they are still the best sounding amp Linn makes. At 20k they had better be. But actually, I have seen these for as low as 8k on the used market.

Trying not to sound like a sales pitch here, but, if you haven't heard the 102 DVD-A player, then go back and try to find that one. The 500 preamp has been upgraded at some point as well, try to find a new one.
The Linn monos are exceptional, but at half the price, and considering the speakers you have, the Classe 400's will give them a quite a run.
Haven't heard the 802D's yet, but would assume the 800D's are just the same, but more of it.
and thanks.

Thanks for the reponses so far!

Putty first off...beautiful system you have, those 800D's must be fantastic. I never have had a chance to listen to them but think they must be amazing considering the performance of the 802D.

Regarding the amps I am trying to figure out what kind of sound I like from high end audio. I listened to a full delta series setup (2200/cp-500/cd-100) and thought it was really nice. I'm still unsure how I feel about the use of the LCD screens. I like the tactile feel of buttons personally but think I could get used to the LCD. I do think they will make them better in time. I compared the Classe to the Mac setup and found the Mac equipment to give a larger soundstage but less laid back compared to the Classe.

I am curious about the Linn sound because I actually marvel the size of their equipment and how easy it would be to setup,move and use. My wife loves the look and would be excited about it not dominating the room. I though, am undecided.

Newmanoc and Putty,

would you choose the Linn monos used over the new Chakra line?

Thanks!

I think the Klimax Chakra should work just fine, though there is no doubt that the Solos would be ideal. The 802D has good sensitivity (90db I believe), and the Chakra is a very big 125 Watts (i.e., much more capable of driving a tough load than almost all amps of similar power rating). So don't let the number itself scare you.

I share your affinity for Linn amps, especially the new Chakra series - incredibly open and detailed - really more so by far than anything else I have heard. For some they may possibly be just a tad lean, but most of the leanness in Linn gear seems to come from their preamps in my experience. And personally, I feel the speed and detail that you get in exchange is more than a fair trade off.

I posted on your other link but, I have used a Chakra Twin on my N802's and it did not have the power necessary to drive them to even adequate levels. Really was a shame though, it made really good sound if kept low.
My thoughts IRT your tastes, lots of deep bass on the alt and experimental? You'll need something with large power supplies to drive the B&W's. The Solo's would probably work, but I would try the Classe CA-M400's first. I heard the 200w stereo amp on the N802's, and it barely had enough power.