LINN: CD 12 – an unimpressive demo

 

Hello Howard

The Linn demo I mentioned must have occurred at the time of the CD 12, (I think it was called) launch. It was in rooms in the Park lane Hotel, and it's sole purpose was to demonstrate that a £12,000 CD player was the equal at least, of six grand’s worth of Sondek! (Well, Hello, couldn't we work that out ourselves!)

Klimax monoblocks and a forty grand speaker system which in itself was new, completed the set-up. I can't recall if Tiefenbrun was there but I doubt he would have been very impressed with the vague way the laidback demo staff moved, by no means seamlessly from vinyl to CD and back.

I admit to Plebeian tastes, but I think the 1812 might have been a better choice than Madonna for the finale, and can't actually remember any other musical choices. Largish room, muted, ordinary performance. While I know it is possibly meaningless to mention it, but I could not believe the amount of gain that was being used on the pre-amp. It wasn't far off maximum. (I shouldn't be too hard on the stuff, perhaps I missed the advertising campaign for the world's most expensive Muzak machine.)

I do have to put in a very positive mention for the loos in the Hotel, which were spiffy! Beyond that, if my Audiolab amps hadn't finally packed up I would still be happy with them, and certainly the 99/909 combination which has replaced them, will do me for as long as.

Cheers for Now

DA

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