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Looking for a Linn CD player & dealer websites

mikebirtill

mikebirtill

pfm Member
Hi all,

I'm looking to buy a Linn CD player - not sure which one to go for, I have found a new case Majik, but the guy hasn't responded to my emails and a new case Akurate, but i think it is too much cash. What should I be looking for? Are the Unidisc players any good? Does anyone have anything for sale?

I thought i'd try the Linn dealers, so I went through all the links on the Linn website for dealers. My god there are some shockingly bad websites out there. Id at least expect the links to work. Some look like they haven't been updated from when they were created on Dreamweaver 97 ;)
 
Bear in mind that all Linn CD players are getting long in the tooth and spares may be an issue. Try looking on hifishark.com
 
The Unidisk and Akurate players are excellent, they can get through lasers but they are available at least for the moment and they’re inexpensive.

I thought the Majik was a good machine but ultimately prefer the Ikemi which came before (I’m not alone here), the Ikemi was/is a real highlight, enough so that I recently put my money where my mouth is and bought another one, it just sounds great, and as a bonus, has that lovely machined alloy CD tray!

PS, spares are still available for the Ikemi for the moment at least, and mine only needed a new laser at 19/20 years old. I gave it a full re-cap too.
 
Linn Karik 2 box on ebay / Emporium - £800.00 . No info regarding servicing as far as I could see though.
 
linnfomaniac83 said:
The Unidisk and Akurate players are excellent, they can get through lasers but they are available at least for the moment and they’re inexpensive.

I thought the Majik was a good machine but ultimately prefer the Ikemi which came before (I’m not alone here), the Ikemi was/is a real highlight, enough so that I recently put my money where my mouth is and bought another one, it just sounds great, and as a bonus, has that lovely machined alloy CD tray!

PS, spares are still available for the Ikemi for the moment at least, and mine only needed a new laser at 19/20 years old. I gave it a full re-cap too.
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I can only second this. I looked at buying a Karik/Numerik relatively recently as I remember being smitten by the combo when it was launched, but the Ikemi that Linnfomaniac recommended and I subsequently purchased is a much better player. Running mine into Teddy Pardos and Allaes right now, sounds wonderful. Bear in mind I have a CDS3 in my main system and the Ikemi is not humbled by it.
 
I wouldnt recommend any CD player as a good long term investment. Linn ones are harder than most to source 'decent' spares for.

The CD12 is the best sounding CD player I have heard , and many are now £12000 door stops.
 
david ellwood said:
I wouldnt recommend any CD player as a good long term investment. Linn ones are harder than most to source 'decent' spares for.

The CD12 is the best sounding CD player I have heard , and many are now £12000 door stops.
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The CD12 uses a Philips mech, they are indeed difficult to source (I’d probably have bought a couple of donor machines with compatible mechs if I still owned one). As much as I love the CD12, I really wouldn’t even consider paying the kind of money they change hands for, it’s too risky. Same is true of some older top end Naim for what it’s worth.

The Ikemi, Genki and Classik all use a Sanyo mech, I’ve repaired a fair few now with no comebacks... something to bare in mind if you have a Genki or Ikemi that is struggling to read discs is that the laser may actually be fine, there are eight 100uf 35v caps by the PSU header, they do fail and should be replaced on machines that have seen a lot of use, and particularly units that have been left switched on for extended periods. The SMPS also has a few of the same cap, replace those too. If it’s still struggling to read discs, then replace the mech. I was confident enough that I paid the equivalent of £700 (I did some trading) for a non working unit and fixed it for my own system.

The Unidisks use a Sony DVD mech, I can’t remember the part number off the top of my head but they are still readily available, but I wouldn’t be spending silly money on one.

As for the Karik and Mimik, yes, they’re hard to source decent spares for... don’t sweat it with an Ikemi though.
 
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I sold my Ikemi back then when Linn pushed their customer arrogance and denied service of them.
Pity really as its one of the best players out there.

I replaced with a Naim and now have a Rega.
Different indeed but very satisfying VFM and supported which is very important to me.
 
Olsen said:
I sold my Ikemi back then when Linn pushed their customer arrogance and denied service of them.
Pity really as its one of the best players out there.

I replaced with a Naim and now have a Rega.
Different indeed but very satisfying VFM and supported which is very important to me.
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Yes, their attitude to support for legacy products leaves a hell of a lot to be desired. They really should have properly stockpiled parts for their top end machines, if I’d paid £12k new for a CD12 to be told I’m on my own when it fails a few years down the line, I’d be spitting feathers, they should have had a replacement mech for every machine made, Rega have done with the ISIS... which is half the price of a CD12. My affection for the company has dwindled somewhat, it’s a shame because their products are mostly stunning.
 
Linn doesn't give a rat's a$$ about it's customers. Look at all the crap they spouted about the LP12 in the early days only to do a 180 when profit was in the air (Keel, etc). Oh and the way they left their CD12 owners in the lurch was despicable.

Yes, I own an LP12 but only because it's a relatively simple device (motors and Valhalla repairs are widely available).
 
It’s fifteen years since the CD12 was discontinued so I hardly think a comparison with the Isis that’s still in production is fair. How long should a manufacturer continue support for a product? In the case of the CD12 linn stockpiled mechs and supplied them until stocks were exhausted. It’s Phillips that has stopped production and so made spare parts impossible.
 
david ellwood said:
It’s fifteen years since the CD12 was discontinued so I hardly think a comparison with the Isis that’s still in production is fair. How long should a manufacturer continue support for a product? In the case of the CD12 linn stockpiled mechs and supplied them until stocks were exhausted. It’s Phillips that has stopped production and so made spare parts impossible.
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I wonder how many CD12's Linn actually manufactured and sold? Would they have stockpiled enough mechs for every one made? And I wonder how many are still in regular use with no issues?
Lovely machine though, looked brilliant but I never actually heard one although I once spoke to a Linn owner who had one and he loved it.
Anyone on here got one? Is it still working, if not what did you do with it? Couldn't bear to think it went down the tip :(
 
Can’t really blame Linn for this. They probably couldn’t have foreseen how quickly the CD format would tank.
 
david ellwood said:
It’s fifteen years since the CD12 was discontinued so I hardly think a comparison with the Isis that’s still in production is fair. How long should a manufacturer continue support for a product? In the case of the CD12 linn stockpiled mechs and supplied them until stocks were exhausted. It’s Phillips that has stopped production and so made spare parts impossible.
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It was a £12,000 CD player, not a £1200 CD player, so I’d expect support for a significant period after production ended, and yes I know it’s Phillips who stopped manufacturing the mech, but I’m pretty sure if linn had stockpiled at least one spare for each machine made, they’d still have stock.
 
Fuller said:
I wonder how many CD12's Linn actually manufactured and sold? Would they have stockpiled enough mechs for every one made? And I wonder how many are still in regular use with no issues?
Lovely machine though, looked brilliant but I never actually heard one although I once spoke to a Linn owner who had one and he loved it.
Anyone on here got one? Is it still working, if not what did you do with it? Couldn't bear to think it went down the tip :(
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If I still had one, I’d be finding out which cheaper machines had compatible mechs (there will be a fair few), and picking them up. I used to have one but they were still supported back then, I can attest, it’s one of the best, if not the best CD players ever made, just sublime.

The Ikemi, is absolutely stunning for the money though, and those can be fixed.
 
I had a Unidisk 2.1. Lovely machine, excellent sound quality but very unreliable. It stopped playing SACDs, had a major service, then a year later packed up playing SACDs again.

The disc drawer was something to be proud of.
 
Accuphaseman said:
I had a Unidisk 2.1. Lovely machine, excellent sound quality but very unreliable. It stopped playing SACDs, had a major service, then a year later packed up playing SACDs again.

The disc drawer was something to be proud of.
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I have the same CD drawer on my Ikemi, it is rather nice, my cousin was pouring over it the other week week... his missus just gave us a funny look, like we were some kind of weird fetishists or something.
 
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