Linn newbie questions

[linnfomaniac83]

Makes sense now I’ve seen the pic. I’m surprised Linn made it customer adjustable?

You can’t do any harm with it, and it allows owners to tune their system to their own ears/room. Also, if an active system has been tuned to a room, and then you move the room around, or move the system to a different room, it can sound pretty ropey, if the end user is competent with system setup/tuning, it makes it easier and safer for them to do the tuning themselves, older Linn amps/cards required you to have to covers off the amps whilst you were doing the tuning, which isn’t something that the average end user should be doing, having the settings available without opening the amps up is safer... that said, the average end user wouldn’t touch it anyway once their dealer has done the initial setup/tune... and they’d call a dealer to set the system up in a different room.

 

[Mike T]

There’s no card installed on the amp Craig B showed, just an aktiv treble identifier label.

When a card is installed, there are two PCB tabs that protrude through slots in the back panel, and in three way active systems there will be a gain trim pot that will stick out of a small hole on the bass and treble cards, there’s no trim pot on mid range because the low and high frequencies are adjusted around the mids.

If you want to test the amps individually, you need to have just the amp you wish to test connected to the preamp, this is because the input impedance of the cards drops drastically when they’re powered off, this has a significant effect on the frequency response, in particular it will kill the bass and render any testing of the card/amp meaningless.

I would test the bass amp in isolation, if you hear nothing, something must be wrong, I’d expect the power indicator to stay red if the amp/card wasn’t passing a signal at all because the LK85/140 has automatic signal sensing (to the OP, on that note, make sure you’re turning the card gain trim pot and not the signal sensing pot). If you hear mid range/vocals as well as bass, it means the amp is passing a full range signal, the only reason this would happen is if the card wasn’t connected to the main board properly, since the amp automatically detects the presence of an active card (if installed correctly).

PS, the “trim pot” is actually a rotary switch that controls a resistor ladder, it does turn continuously, that’s not a fault.

You are right Linnfo, I’ve got the PCB tabs on all three amps Tre, mid, bass, respectively. There is no trim pot for the mids. I was wondering about that but your explanation fits perfectly.

Also, I did try to test the bass on it’s own and you are right... When they are all daisy chained together the impedance drops and the amps just fade to off...no output...I figured that out after a few tries and again what you described about it fits the bill... that will be the next thing I try...connecting the bass amp separately. When using the equalizer, the system pushes quite a bit of bass out of the system. Its just when there is no equalizer or bass frequency boost that it is lacking quite a bit and it seems that when I turn the rotary switch on the back it does not increase in bass response. On the other hand, when I turn the rotary switch on the treble, there is a marked increase in those frequencies right away. So I believe I’m turning the right pot...if I’m correct, the signal detector pot is countersunk into the back of the amp and is labeled such like the pic you posted of the back of the amp...and you’re right, the amps all all turn green on the front when they sense a signal and only turn red when a signal is absent. And I have not touched the signal detector pots. They seem to be working fine.

So as you suggest...I will test playing the bass amp only into the woofer section of the speaker and see what kind of sound I get out of it. Thank you again for your explanations...they are very enlightening as I travel down this road with this new and awesome system. Unfortunately, I did not hear this system before I bought it. It was an eBay purchase. My brother has a Linn system that’s about 20 years old and I’ve enjoyed listening to it. Unfortunately, he’s not a ‘hands on’ kinda guy...he knows where the volume switch is and that’s it, so no resource for help with this system. I’ve been a stereohead since I was a young lad but only have had the chance to explore above and beyond into ‘hifi heaven’ at this stage in life...that’s another story But I am very much enjoying the journey Thank you to all of you for your help and advice. Its been wonderful to get much needed information.

I’ll repost after I have had a chance to run the bass amp through the woofers and hear what they sound like.

Before I go, here’s one more question...It seems that the bass is especially lackluster at low volumes and I find myself touching the woofer during playback to see if they are even working....This system likes to be pushed...?...Meaning, it’s not a system that will flood the room with lower frequency bass at low volumes unless those frequencies are boosted? Would that be true to say? I guess I’m referring to listening for the acoustic bass notes in symphony or quartet-like music and enjoying instruments like the acoustic bass or electric bass tracks...?

 

[linnfomaniac83]

You are right Linnfo, I’ve got the PCB tabs on all three amps Tre, mid, bass, respectively. There is no trim pot for the mids. I was wondering about that but your explanation fits perfectly.

Also, I did try to test the bass on it’s own and you are right... When they are all daisy chained together the impedance drops and the amps just fade to off...no output...I figured that out after a few tries and again what you described about it fits the bill... that will be the next thing I try...connecting the bass amp separately. When using the equalizer, the system pushes quite a bit of bass out of the system. Its just when there is no equalizer or bass frequency boost that it is lacking quite a bit and it seems that when I turn the rotary switch on the back it does not increase in bass response. On the other hand, when I turn the rotary switch on the treble, there is a marked increase in those frequencies right away. So I believe I’m turning the right pot...if I’m correct, the signal detector pot is countersunk into the back of the amp and is labeled such like the pic you posted of the back of the amp...and you’re right, the amps all all turn green on the front when they sense a signal and only turn red when a signal is absent. And I have not touched the signal detector pots. They seem to be working fine.

So as you suggest...I will test playing the bass amp only into the woofer section of the speaker and see what kind of sound I get out of it. Thank you again for your explanations...they are very enlightening as I travel down this road with this new and awesome system. Unfortunately, I did not hear this system before I bought it. It was an eBay purchase. My brother has a Linn system that’s about 20 years old and I’ve enjoyed listening to it. Unfortunately, he’s not a ‘hands on’ kinda guy...he knows where the volume switch is and that’s it, so no resource for help with this system. I’ve been a stereohead since I was a young lad but only have had the chance to explore above and beyond into ‘hifi heaven’ at this stage in life...that’s another story But I am very much enjoying the journey Thank you to all of you for your help and advice. Its been wonderful to get much needed information.

I’ll repost after I have had a chance to run the bass amp through the woofers and hear what they sound like.

Before I go, here’s one more question...It seems that the bass is especially lackluster at low volumes and I find myself touching the woofer during playback to see if they are even working....This system likes to be pushed...?...Meaning, it’s not a system that will flood the room with lower frequency bass at low volumes unless those frequencies are boosted? Would that be true to say? I guess I’m referring to listening for the acoustic bass notes in symphony or quartet-like music and enjoying instruments like the acoustic bass or electric bass tracks...?

I definitely suspect the bass card is not connected correctly and the “bass” amp is operating in full range. The active cards don’t just split the frequencies, they apply some EQ/correction to the drivers to improve the frequency response of the speakers. With my Ninkas, it has the effect of extending the frequency response down to 38Hz (@-3dB) vs 50Hz (@-3dB) in passive form... so active Ninkas can go pretty low before they roll off (and you can definitely hear it), and they’re smaller than 5140/Espeks. Your system shouldn’t be lacking in low end extension, I wish I was able to hear it for myself. One way or another, we’ll get it right. Where about are you located?

 

[Mike T]

I definitely suspect the bass card is not connected correctly and the “bass” amp is operating in full range. The active cards don’t just split the frequencies, they apply some EQ/correction to the drivers to improve the frequency response of the speakers. With my Ninkas, it has the effect of extending the frequency response down to 38Hz (@-3dB) vs 50Hz (@-3dB) in passive form... so active Ninkas can go pretty low before they roll off (and you can definitely hear it), and they’re smaller than 5140/Espeks. Your system shouldn’t be lacking in low end extension, I wish I was able to hear it for myself. One way or another, we’ll get it right. Where about are you located?

Per your implied recommendation, I will be testing the bass amp and also removing the cover to check the bass card. Thats some cool info for the frequencies... thank you. I am in Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA. Thats why I haven’t called you yet...I’d love to talk over the wire...just need some time to talk and do a little work on the system as well. I think we are 6 to 7 hours difference in time zone.