Linn Unidisk 2.1 for CD or what else ???

Hello,
My first post, well outside the safe world of the LINN Forums

If looking for a cracking CD performance, and had the chance of a Unidisk 2.1 (Sorry 1.1 is OTT) what would be a good rival.
Anyone compared it to other CDP's in the UK ?
Trying to pick another good player to dem it against.

Thanks

 

Naim CDX2/XPS2, Densen B-400xs, soething from Wadia or if you are looking for another universal player, maybe that modded pioneer player from Townshend.

Lefty

 

Another very good uni is a Marantz 8400 or 9500. The latter has just been superseded by 9600, hte only difference being the addition of iLink (Firewire) for 5.1. Unless you have one of the very few amps with iLink in, you have no use for this so you can get the superseded models at a good price. I have both and I'm a Linn man so I don't say this lightly. Both are excellent on video and audio, just do a google and you'll see. You save a bunch of money over a linn uni.

Edit: Oops, the 9600 has 1080p, the 9500 only up to 1080i

 

If you are looking solely for a CDP have you tried the Linn Ikemi?

 

What Linn Players have you compared to/own ?

Cheers

 

If you mean me, I have had Karik III, Numerik, Classik and Ikemi (and DACs built into 5103 and Kinos). I sold the Ikemi when I had it alongside the DV8400 for a few months.

 

Well things moved on a bit quick over last couple of days !!!! Spotted an advert for a second user ..................Unidisk 1.1

Well it was at a very attractive price (and genuine) so I bought it !!!!

 

Congrats. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you.

 

Will listen to it tomorrow, but the 2 tracks I flicked through (making sure it was ok after car journey) sounded pretty good.... not heard bass like that from my speakers, very clean and rich, .... "silky smooth", "walk in sound"..... yep fingers crossed, but then theres always ebay .. LOL

 

Has anyone ever heard the CD12? I think it is the best Linn ever produced regarding CD.

 

Yes, their best effort to date, said to be slightly better than the 1.1 on CD. (and was twice the price)

 

IMO it makes a better transport than it does a cd player, not bad though

 

The casework was very expensive. It has also been discontinued. I've listened in demo with their Klimax preamp, so I could really separate what was due to what. It was excellent but OTOH I didn't leap out of my chair and buy it because I need to handle mutiple digital sources (I believe the improvement as a rule of thumb is that the % subjective improvement is, pessimistically, log10(price diff multiple) x 100

 

The CD12 was absurdly overpriced.

 

I read somewhere that there cometh a new Naim überplayer that will make the CD12 look bargain-basement. It'll probably also come with a new über-power supply that will double the price.

At least Mick Parry will buy one (at least).

 

You're talking about the new 555. £14k for the unit, £6k for the power supply, which can be used with older CDPs.
It's a LOT of money.

 

I had the opportunity to listen to both CD12 and Unidisk 1.1 next to each other, with Klimax amplification and Linn speakers. In my memory, the CD12 was really better, not just a bit. The CD layer sounded better on the CD12 than the SACD layer on the Unidisk. Better low frequency extension, more resolution and micro dynamics. But that was only on a few (SA)CD's, and I was not really used to the sound of that system (compared to my own system). However, the difference was there.

 

The guy I bought the 1.1 off had both, till I turned up ;-) his description was the CD12 being a slightly/little better. Also was not impressed with SACD sound, when downmixed to 2 channel, preferred the CD even on the 1.1... I will listen to see if I agree over the next few days.... at them Moment the 1.1 is doing things very different to the Karik/Numerik.... It's not subtle !!!! The wife threw me a shocked glance after 5 seconds, without even comparing it !..... The sound now coming through to my Knekt room (active Tukans) is superb (Eastenders is on TV )

 

I was? Thanks! I'd only heard that such a thing existed. At a very rough calculation, £20,000 would buy all the hi-fi I have owned in 35 years of listening 2-3 times over. So, I don't think I'll be investing in one any time soon!

 

I heard the CD12 once, although it was at Linn's reception desk at their HQ in Glasgow, when I was there for a job interview.

It was running into Komri's. IIRC there were multiple power amplifiers and a very classy looking pre-amp. Perhaps someone with a bit more Linn knowledge could help out with what these might have been? There was also a top spec LP12 resting unused on the table.... drool!

Anyway, it was playing at very low background levels, but my memory was of a rather dry sound, but even at that low volume, one could feel the bass! Not bad at all but my guess is that the price of that system was probably approaching 60-70K!

Lefty