Plain Text Archive of Online Q&A with Gilad - 'The Death of CD Players'

[oliverh]

4:58 Linn: Hi, welcome to another Linn online Q&A session.
4:59 Linn: We're delighted to have Gilad Tiefenbrun, Managing Director of Linn, join us today.
5:00 Linn: We'll be discussing Linn's recent decision to stop making CD players - is this the death of CD players?
5:03 [Comment From Gilad: ] Hi, I'm Gilad, Managing Director of Linn. Looking forward to taking your questions this evening!
5:03 [Comment From Keith Oliver: ] Will you still support the CD12 for the forseeable future?
5:03 Gilad: We'll support our existing CD players for as long as we possibly can.
5:04 Gilad: The CD12 has issues around its laser availability, and we're in a reasonable position to support.
5:04 [Comment From Lothar: ] So, what is the improvement over an optical drive?
5:05 Gilad: There are a number of improvemnts of DS technology over CD players...
5:05 Gilad: Firstly
5:05 Gilad: DS doesn't need all the mechanism for loading and reading discs
5:05 Gilad: it's a quieter system - less vibration, noise, electromagnetic interference
5:05 Gilad: secondly
5:06 Gilad: when you rip a disc using a program like dbPowerAmp, you are guaranteed accurate data
5:06 Linn: http://www.dbpoweramp.com/
5:06 Gilad: therefore you get perfect data to input into the DAC process
5:06 Gilad: thirdly
5:06 Gilad: we own the clocking process through the DS DAC process
5:07 Gilad: It's a pull system that we control and therefore get exceptionally low jitter and low resulting distortion
5:07 Gilad: compare to the CD player push system
5:07 Gilad: it's the same with USB, also a push system
5:07 Gilad: in a push system you have to cope with whatever is being pushed at you
5:08 Gilad: and so you can only approximate the digits to the best of your ability and jitter is a fact of life
5:08 Gilad: Let's also remember that a DS lasts a lot longer than a CD player without all the moving, degradable parts
5:08 [Comment From martin: ] what are the reasons of stopping cd players? ecopnomical or musical
5:09 Gilad: This follows nicely
5:09 Gilad: i blogged about this
5:09 Gilad: there are issues on both sides of the equation
5:09 Gilad: musical primarily, and for all the reasons just mentioned
5:09 Gilad: but also because we can be format independent, unlike CD players that only ever play CDs
5:10 Gilad: we can play any resolution, including Studio Masters
5:10 Gilad: so a DS can cope with the ever changing world of music
5:10 Gilad: critically, with DS we have turned a corner on digital music quality because
5:10 Linn: http://blogs.linn.co.uk/giladt/2009/11/l...layers.php
5:10 Gilad: CD was worse than vinyl
5:10 Gilad: mp3 was worse than CD
5:11 Linn: http://www.linnrecords.com/linn-what-is-...aster.aspx
5:11 Gilad: but now we can stream Studio Masters directly, and so quality of digital music is finally on the up!
5:11 Gilad: economically, Linn has far greater ownership over the supply chain behind DS Players
5:12 Gilad: we no longer need to source computer loaders from the far east
5:12 Gilad: or bespoke processors from silicon valley
5:12 Gilad: instead we run off a totally open hardware and software architecture
5:12 Gilad: it gives us freedom and flexibility within the R&D of our DS players
5:13 Gilad: it lets us deliver more value than with CD players
5:13 Gilad: that's why every DS player is more affordable than the CD player counterpart in our range
5:13 [Comment From jonhoneyball (hificritic): ] How are sales of Linn CD discs holding up? Are you seeing a drop there?
5:14 Gilad: There's been a massive drop!
5:14 Gilad: Mainly because CD sales via distribuiton to retail have gone into terminal decline
5:14 Gilad: Not just for Linn, but across the industry
5:15 Gilad: Downloads from Linn have surpassed CD sales
5:15 Gilad: and 70% of those and growing are Studio Masters
5:15 [Comment From SaltyDog: ] Hi, My first question is how long can we expect the service life of a DS.? The LP12 is still supported, but some other items have had a short life. This greatly minimizes the value.
5:16 Gilad: Without moving parts there's far less to go wrong
5:16 Gilad: Add to that we can upgrade DS products
5:16 Gilad: which is why Ivor calls DS the "Digital LP12"
5:16 Gilad: it was inconceivable 5 years ago that we'd be able to improve the sound of DS by software in the way we have with Cara
5:17 Gilad: Linn has the number one product longevity in the industry
5:17 Gilad: the LP12 is the longest running hi-fi product still in prodcution today
5:17 Gilad: it's our aim that we deliver exceptional product longevity with DS
5:18 Jim: http://news.linn.co.uk/news/2009/08/new-...rience.php
5:18 [Comment From sean connolly: ] why dont you do an itunes type service whereby you rip to flac and then sell to us by track, encompassing all music
5:19 Gilad: you want us to rip to flac?
5:19 Gilad: we already sell flac files by track, right?
5:19 [Comment From Edwin: ] Hi, is Linn in a position to promote other media companies having their studio masters available for download?
5:20 Gilad: We now have over 20 record labels providing their music as studio masters via http://www.linnrecords.com
5:20 Gilad: It's expanding all the time
5:21 [Comment From Lothar: ] Studio Master! They are hard to come by and record companies are very reserved about signing distribution deals for free DRM music.
5:21 Gilad: The major record lables and the music industry has to fight back against iTunes
5:21 Gilad: But the majors own the crown jewels!
5:21 Gilad: i.e. the original studio masters of the best music ever recorded
5:22 Gilad: I believe in 2010 we will see a major announce a high quality download service
5:22 Gilad: DRM is not even on the table
5:22 [Comment From MnM: ] How have you read the reaction to the 'death of CD players' announcement? There has been a bit of emotion and some confusion too, e.g. people thinking this is about the death of the CD medium itself.
5:22 [Comment From sean connolly: ] If dc players die out, does it follow that so will cds and if so where does that leave us. I dont want mp3 quality, however mainstream and stock music is only on cds
5:22 Gilad: Yes, clearly CD's will go on for some time
5:23 Gilad: there's even a Linn customer who uses a cheap PC to "play" CDs via his DS!
5:23 Gilad: His wife puts the CD into the PC and the PC chooses the flac file from his NAS and plays through the DS!
5:23 Gilad: Overall the feedback to the announcement has been amazingly positive because...
5:24 Gilad: this is a fight for the relevance of hi-fi in the modern age
5:24 Gilad: we need to be inclusive
5:24 Gilad: we need to present streaming music at high quality as a logical and simple step forward from mp3
5:24 [Comment From Lothar: ] Ripping discs especially accurately is time consuming and not everyones favorite job. I do know quite a few people that would not invest the time to do that.
5:25 Gilad: Automatic ripping services are available if you like
5:25 Linn: http://www.ripnas.com/
5:25 Gilad: But ripping NAS like RipNas make the process seamless and simple
5:25 How do you normally rip music?
I don't - my retailer/ripping service does it all ( 4% )
I use a ripping NAS ( 13% )
I use a PC or Mac ( 79% )
I pay my kids to do it ( 4% )
I only play downloads ( 2% )
5:26 Gilad: Or, like me, you could stack all your CDs along the floor of your living room and
5:26 Gilad: over a few months gradually rip them to a NAS
5:26 Gilad: It's a one-time operation that pays off in the long term
5:26 Gilad: so long as you use a decent Nas and backup regularly!
5:27 [Comment From Donal: ] Can you see a time when Linn Records will stream music as an option?
5:27 What DS do you have?
Klimax DS ( 16% )
Akurate DS ( 11% )
Majik DS ( 22% )
Majik DS-I ( 0% )
Sneaky Music DS ( 2% )
None ( 49% )
5:27 Gilad: The DS is certainly capable of receiving internet streams already
5:27 Gilad: So it's something worth considering
5:28 Gilad: As standards evolve, we can upgrade the DS to cope with any widespread streaming delivery system
5:28 [Comment From sean connolly: ] I agree, however the younger generation need to be wooed, so making the dsI is a step in the right direction, however the control software needs to be better for ds I am waiting for cara for my ipaq, some say it will sound better....
5:29 Gilad: We're in beta with the Cara iPaq solution
5:29 Gilad: I've been using it happily for some time
5:29 Gilad: we'll go for full release in the new year
5:29 Gilad: Cara will indeed make your DS sound better
5:30 Gilad: If you're comfortable, why not try the beta from http://oss.linn.co.uk
5:30 [Comment From jonhoneyball (hificritic): ] Given that users want to do only one rip of their existing discs, whats Linns view on Naim's claim that their HDX product does a superior quality rip?
5:31 Gilad: You need the best quality rip i.e. the accurate data from the disc. You can't do any better than that!
5:31 Gilad: Both EAC and dbPowerAmp have invested many, many years of development in this area and are the recognised as the global leaders
5:32 Gilad: The DS is an Open proposition...
5:32 Do you still use your CD player?
Never - boxed up and/or sold ( 26% )
Ocasionally ( 28% )
Regularly ( 17% )
Always - don't have Linn DS ( 22% )
Always - I use both<br> ( 4% )
Only for DVD videos<br> ( 4% )
5:32 Gilad: which allows our customers to choose the best of each provider - NAS, ripper, control point, etc - and doesn't tie all these together in one box
5:32 [Comment From Jean-Christophe: ] Don't you think computer illiterates could be reluctant to set up a DS system?
5:32 Gilad: Have you tried Kinsky Jukebox?
5:33 Gilad: It lets you have a computer-less system
5:33 Gilad: you use your standard infrared remote to punch in numbers corresponding to albums, just like a jukebox
5:33 Gilad: How many people are using Kinsky Jukebox?
5:33 Have you used KinskyJukebox yet?
Yes ( 16% )
No ( 84% )
5:34 [Comment From Mark H: ] Having a Unidisc SC I enjoy SACD and DVD-A multi-channel sound. How will a DS cope with these? I assume it is not possible to rip multi-channel discs.
5:34 [Comment From peterf: ] how do you deal with SACD's
5:34 [Comment From Mark H: ] Can we rip SACD's and DVD-A's?
5:34 Gilad: DVD-A's can be ripped
5:34 Gilad: SACD is a case-in-point against proprietary formats
5:35 Gilad: It sought to raise the bar in terms of audio quality, but didn't take account of usability
5:35 Gilad: You needed to buy a new player just for SACD, which is why we made the Unidisk - so at least it could play all the disc media at the time
5:35 Gilad: DS players break the link to proprietary formats
5:36 Gilad: The recording is high quality, but there's no need to deliver on proprietary disc media
5:36 Gilad: instead, we stream it directly through DS in an open way
5:36 [Comment From Spoon (dBpoweramp/Asset): ] Do you see FLAC becoming the standard for lossless audio distribution?, given Apples & Microsofts lack of enthusiasm (political) for FLAC.
5:37 Gilad: The Beatles have just released in FLAC!
5:37 Do you think music labels are releasing enough music in high quality formats such as FLAC?
Yes ( 5% )
No ( 95% )
5:37 Gilad: FLAC is winning.
5:38 Gilad: Once people understand the issues of longevity of their music collection, then an open format is the only possible answer
5:38 [Comment From David: ] Hi Gilad, a true Lp12 fan here (give my best to your father). Just heard the Majik DS with Dynamik.... a HUGE improvement.
5:38 Gilad: Thanks David!
5:38 Gilad: what's your surname?
5:38 Gilad: so i can tell Ivor
5:38 [Comment From David: ] Will Linn continue to keep stock of CD-playerparts for service?
5:39 Gilad: Of course we will.
5:39 Gilad: Aside from our official commitment to 5 years from end-of-life...
5:39 Gilad: we have continued to support our products for much longer than that
5:39 [Comment From sean connolly: ] CD PLAYERS ARE DEAD, LONG LIVE THE DS. This is good for you as no one seems upset that you have stopped making them
5:39 Gilad: i saw a Klout being repaired today!
5:40 Gilad: we haven't made that product for maybe 15 years
5:40 [Comment From Tobias Winkler: ] is what we see with Cara the end of the road with respect to audio improvements with the DS line?
5:40 Gilad: Who knows? ;-)
5:41 Linn: Klout was introduced 17 years ago and discontinued 7 years ago!
5:41 Gilad: who would have anticipated 37 years of LP12 improvements, and counting?
5:41 Gilad: we're an R&D led company, so the future is both unknown and exciting
5:41 [Comment From timbo: ] would a laptop based DS system work??
5:42 Gilad: Yes is the short answer!
5:42 Gilad: You might start that way, then separate out the jobs of ripping, storage and control, so that you don't need to have your laptop constantly running
5:42 Linn: href="http://www.linn.co.uk/what_is_linn_ds
5:42 Gilad: this is especially relevant in a multi-room audio setup
5:43 Gilad: where you really want a central nas storage point accessible to all rooms and all members of the family
5:43 What do you control your DS from?
Desktop ( 21% )
Laptop ( 15% )
UMPC/netbook/tablet ( 9% )
Phone ( 3% )
Handheld/PDA/iTouch ( 42% )
Other ( 9% )
5:43 Gilad: it can be used for music, family photos, videos. I really recommend this route even in the short term.
5:43 [Comment From craig pollock: ] i have bought some vinyl recently that came with free MP3 downloads of the album but anyone that buys vinyl certainly doesnt want MP3 music I'd rather it was flac. Does LInn have Plans for more Vinyl releases alongside FLAC studio Masters
5:44 Gilad: Yes indeed
5:44 Gilad: William Orbit will come out in vinyl
5:44 Gilad: and there's more to come
5:44 [Comment From Donal: ] Can you share your experience of using Kinsky Desktop with touchscreens to date?
5:44
5:44 Gilad: Don't I look happy!!!
5:45 What software do you use to control your Linn DS?
KinskyDesktop ( 34% )
Songbook ( 25% )
Skweezy DS ( 6% )
Plugplayer ( 22% )
LeiaDS ( 6% )
Other Linn software (KinskyClassic, KinskyPDA) ( 6% )
5:45 Gilad: That's a touchscreen...
5:45 Gilad: My favourite so far is the Asus
5:45 Gilad: But a mouse is still a great option, especially for the more tech-challenged
5:45 Gilad: I refer specifically to my father!
5:46 [Comment From Guest: ] Any plans for video streaming alongside audio DS?
5:46 [Comment From Pete Callaghan: ] (I hope this isn't a repeat question) Any plans for streaming video to join audio DS?
5:46 Gilad: Good idea - something we can consider in the future
5:46 [Comment From EdwinEdwin: ] Any plans for entering the video streaming market?
5:47 Gilad: Audio is certainly more advanced than video in terms of streaming and its popularity
5:47 Gilad: i think video will get there eventually
5:48 Gilad: the movie studios will unfortunately go through the same contortions as the audio industry has
5:48 Gilad: until they realise that the value is in the content they produce
5:48 Gilad: rather than way they enforce the content to be used by the customers
5:49 [Comment From SaltyDog: ] We would like more mainstream rock/pop Studio Masters.
5:49 [Comment From GuestGuest: ] Will there be a higher digital standard than the actual studio master in the future?
5:49 Are you currently streaming video?
Yes ( 34% )
No ( 66% )
5:49 Gilad: Studio Master is our term that we use to define the quality that the music was recorded at
5:50 Gilad: Whenever improvements are made on the recording side - could be techniques, mics, A/Ds, etc - the benefit flows to the Studio Master
5:50 Gilad: and to your DS player, of course!
5:50 [Comment From Shhuttleman: ] Will Linn continue to make the Unidisk 1.1?
5:51 Gilad: Yes we are.
5:51 [Comment From Edwin: ] Will there be an alternative for the Ipod as a control device from Linn itself ?
5:51 [Comment From Fred: ] I have a fairly large collection (33k +) tracks, but it is a touch daunting for my soupse to enjoy it until there is a Kinsky like app for a hand-held device like the iPod or such. Perhaps a Linn WiFi remote....
5:52 Gilad: We are keen to leverage to the open source community of developers so that there are the maximum number of innovative solutions for DS control
5:52 What's the best thing about Linn DS?
Sound quality ( 61% )
New ways to play music - playlists, shuffle etc. ( 7% )
New music via internet radio and web services ( 2% )
I can pack all my CDs away forever ( 7% )
Access to higher quality music formats ( 11% )
It's future-proof! ( 11% )
5:52 Gilad: There's no way we could have produced iPod, Mac, PC, PDA, Smartphones, N800, tablets, etc, etc by ourselves
5:53 [Comment From dave short: ] Each Cara release seems to generate a lot of passion amongst those that feel they can hear a difference between versions. I don't believe the sound changes at all (other than Bute to Cara) - any comment?
5:53 Gilad: And we're always moving forward with our own control solutions, such as KinskyDesktop, KinskyPDA and Kinsky Jukebox
5:53 Gilad: and more to come
5:53 Gilad: @dave short
5:54 Gilad: I don't believe the sound chanbges at all
5:54 Gilad: between variants of Cara Tuesday
5:54 Gilad: these variants are minor bug fixes and software enhancements, unrelated to the audio path
5:54 Non-DS Owners - why have you not joined the Linn DS revolution yet?
I'm happy with my record player ( 10% )
I'm happy with my CD player ( 10% )
I don't like computers - do you not need one? ( 10% )
I can't afford it at the moment ( 57%)
I didn't get a good demo ( 5% )
I'm waiting for it to become more widely adopted ( 10% )
5:55 Gilad: if we ever improve performance, we will let everyone know at the point of release
5:55 [Comment From peterf: ] Any chance that Linn will offer some sort of trade up or trade in for existing SACD software pruchased from Linn if a Linn user would like to move to Linn HQ Digital format.
5:55 Gilad: If you bought it on the Linn website, then yes
5:56 Gilad: email info@linnrecords.co.uk
5:56 [Comment From Timbo: ] There's no shame in using a mouse, Ivor; I'm quite the digiphobe myself... but still use PC's, CD, streaming etc. Vinyl can't do it all, alas.
5:56 [Comment From Shuttleman: ] Which Nas or RipNas do you use?
5:56 [Comment From peterf: ] Cool, that builds customer loyalty
5:56 Gilad: Personally, I use QNap 409
5:57 [Comment From Mikegriff: ] what are your thoughts on available NAS especialy twonky on a Qnap?
5:57 Gilad: and i use Twonky on my QNap
5:57 Gilad: i find it highly reliable
5:57 Gilad: though I'm not a tinkerer!
5:57 Gilad: I've been happy with my setup for quite some time - 2 years
5:57 [Comment From sean connolly: ] I agree with salty dog, however my experience of linn downloads, are not good as the artwork will not load on my ipaq, will tis be sorted with cara?
5:58 Gilad: is this specifically about the iPaq?
5:59 Gilad: Assuming so, this is an area we're working to improve in Kinsky PDA / Cara
5:59 [Comment From Rowland: ] Why do you think people still want to download MP3s rather than downloading FLACs and having something automatically convert to MP3s if that's appropriate for the player?
5:59 Gilad: Only 5% of downloads from Linn are mp3
6:00 Gilad: I think the issue is about availability from the major labels, and the trust they have in people's ability to discern quality
6:00 Gilad: People respond emotionally to music
6:00 Gilad: and people have not changed in this regard since the introduction of mp3!
6:01 Gilad: so we all enjoy higher quality music, regardless of what we buy from iTunes!
6:01 [Comment From Pete Callaghan: ] What was your favourite CD player?
6:01 Gilad: Would it surprise you to know that I have a CD12?
6:01 [Comment From craig pollock: ] any new DS products out soon?
6:02 Gilad: which has been unplugged and unused for 2 years!
6:02 Gilad: it's a travesty since it's such a beautiful piece of engineering
6:02 Gilad: one of a kind and truly iconic
6:02 Linn: @craig Has anyone heard Majik DS-I yet?
6:02 Linn: http://www.linn.co.uk/majik_ds-i
6:02 Linn: http://news.linn.co.uk/news/2009/11/take...ar-you.php
6:03 [Comment From Bill: ] what are your thoughts on ethernet over mains and noide getting into the DS?
6:03 Gilad: this has been discussed in depth on our forum: http://forums.linn.co.uk
6:04 Gilad: the short answer is no, because our isolating power supplies, which we design ourselves, protect our products from all sorts of mains-borne noise
6:04 Linn: http://forums.linn.co.uk/bb/showthread.php?tid=4771
6:04 [Comment From jonhoneyball (hificritic): ] Congrats on allowing upgrades from CD format to hidef format -- this is the first time I have *ever* seen *anyone* recognise the intrinsic value of already purchased music, rather than treating existing purchases as financial canon fodder.
6:04 [Comment From Mikegriff: ] My thoughts exactly do you run jukebox the on the Qnap
6:05 Gilad: it's my christmas project
6:05 [Comment From Shuttleman: ] Which CD/software ripping device do you use?
6:05 Gilad: @Shuttleman
6:05 Gilad: i use dbPowerAmp
6:05 Gilad: on my home laptop
6:06 Gilad: i tend to use KinskyDesktop's Direct play function to play from the laptop while my Twonky is rebuilding when i buy and rip a new CD
6:06 Linn: http://oss.linn.co.uk/trac/wiki/KinskyJukeboxManual
6:06 Gilad: which, for anyone interested, was Jay-Z "The Blueprint 3"
6:07 [Comment From MnM: ] How about a portable player? Just keep shrinking the Sneaky.
6:07 Gilad: How big are your pockets :-)
6:07 http://oss.linn.co.uk/trac/wiki/KinskyDe...DirectPlay
6:07 [Comment From Ray ThomRay Thom: ] Exactly which disc based products will you be discontinuing? Tuesday December 1, 2009 6:07 Ray Thom
6:08 Linn: Majik CD, Akurate CD, Classic Music, Classic Movie
6:08 [Comment From Briain (Dougie DinBins): ] Is there any possibility of Linn Records negotiating a deal to release a wider range of back catalogue music (and a wider genre range) in FLAC format, or is that a nightmare due to the music industry's commercial arrangements?
6:08 Gilad: There's more coming all the time.
6:08 Gilad: Although we are only wee!
6:09 Linn: http://www.linnrecords.com/recordlabels.aspx
6:09 [Comment From Shuttleman: ] The Klimax DS installation manual is only available in German on line ?
6:10 Gilad: We have moved away from printed manuals since we realised that almost all were thrown away.
6:10 Gilad: We are a TQ company, and we try to eliminate waste
6:10 [Comment From henri: ] dissapointed about the fact that purchased majik ds 31 dec 2008 to find out that half a year you get a majik ds with dyn psu for same price and upgrading will cost me 600 Euro
6:11 Gilad: We improve our products all the time.
6:11 Have you upgraded to Dynamik?
Yes - all available components ( 45% )
Yes - some ( 21% )
No - none ( 33% )
6:11 Gilad: Linn's approach to offering upgrades to existing products, putting existing customers first, is part of what defines us
6:11 [Comment From sean connolly: ] I have an ava rs3 server how do i know what ripping software it uses
6:12 Gilad: the ava licenses its own ripping solution, but you can install dbPowerAmp
6:12 Gilad: if you prefer
6:12 [Comment From Shuttleman: ] It is good to get your user interface information as there are so many options, which can lead to indecisions unless you have tried ttem all.
6:13 Gilad: hopefully you have a good hi-fi dealer to support you on that
6:13 Gilad: the LP12 has many, many, many options from tonearms to furniture
6:14 Gilad: it's not the number of options that matters, but the simplicity of the solution presented by the dealer
6:14 Gilad: or indeed that you arrive at yourself
6:14 [Comment From ray thompson: ] gilad i am a complete novice at this type of playback of music,still use cd player,what do you recommend to get me started,I have amp/speakers etc
6:14 Gilad: I recommend a standalone DS player
6:15 Gilad: you should invest as much as you can in this, because it will set the bar as high as possible at the source for the rest of your system Tuesday December 1, 2009 6:15 Gilad
6:15
6:15 Gilad: You can start by ripping a disc or two using dbPowerAmp on your home PC
6:16 Gilad: Then install Kinsky Desktop, drag that music to the play button using Direct Play and enjoy
6:17 Gilad: Your experience will determine whether or not you wish to continue using the CD players
6:17 [Comment From henrihenri: ] your statement does contradicts with my dissapointment remark about having to pay for psu upgrade 600 euro half year after purchase of majik ds, sorry to be so critical 'Gilad: Linn's approach to offering upgrades to existing products, putting existing customers first, is part of what defines us'
6:18 Gilad: You needn't feel under pressure to upgrade your Majik DS at this point in time
6:19 Gilad: I am yet to upgrade my Klimax DS to Dynamik because my latest upgrade has been to add an extra room of DS.
6:19 Gilad: plus speakers
6:19 Gilad: your Majik DS is as good value as it was before we introduced the Dynamik upgrade
6:20 Gilad: and now it has upgrade potential
6:20 Gilad: i believe the Dynamik upgrade more than justifies the 600 Euro price tag
6:20 [Comment From sean connolly: ] whats the best sounding piece of music you have heard on your ds
6:21 Gilad: Would you believe me if I said it was from Linn Records? ;-)
6:21 Gilad: Well it actually is!
6:21 Gilad: The Beethoven Piano Concertos 3, 4 and 5, by the SCO with Artur Pizarro
6:21 Gilad: A breathtaking performance and recording
6:22 Linn: http://www.linnrecords.com/recording-lud...3-4-5.aspx
6:22 Gilad: Though a little birdy tells me the next in the Mozart Symphonies will be even better.
6:22 Gilad: The Beethoven is the first that makes use of the big investment we made in new recording equipment
6:23 Linn: http://blogs.linn.co.uk/giladt
6:23 [Comment From Phil: ] Hi. I have audio on CDs, on SACDs, on viudeo DVDs and from Satellite HD. How many DACs should I need in the simplest possible system?
6:23 Linn: http://blogs.linn.co.uk/giladt/2009/07/r...hestra.php
6:23 Gilad: is this an IQ test?
6:23 Gilad: one?
6:24 [Comment From craig pollock ] i am sure many people out there are using the Squeezebox as an entry into Flac. I would love to get a DS. Any thoughts on developing a base unit that you can upgrade (by payment to LINN of course) in stages by software downloads?
6:24 Gilad: It sounds like you want to buy a Sneaky Music DS
6:24 Gilad: which you can control via Skweezy DS
6:25 Gilad: both higher quality and lower cost than the Slim Transporter
6:25 Linn: Sneaky available on Linnstore in the UK: http://www.linnstore.co.uk/product-sneaky-music-ds.aspx
6:26 [Comment From Tomas: ] I have ripped my entire CD collection using Ripstation Micro DS should I redo the job with dbPowerAmp? I have not yet bought my first DS-player so I have time to do it while waiting to afford a player
6:26 Gilad: If you want that extra level of assurance, then you might want to consider that.
6:27 Gilad: Certainly, going forward, you should use dbPowerAmp or EAC as they can guarantee the quality of rip via the AccurateRip database.
6:28 Gilad: That said, I doubt many of your CDs, if any, would have ripped with errors.
6:28 [Comment From MnM: ] Portable player - while I have a chance to bend your ear... I understand it could send out the wrong message about quality, doesn't fit your manufacturing facilities, and is probably nigh on impossible to make a case for. But with Sony apparently refusing to support flac, Apple not having any hifi pedigree, an alternative and very visible market is wide open.
6:29 Gilad: I agree with you on all counts.
6:29 [Comment From Lothar: ] Will DS support AIFF?
6:29 Linn: Yes
6:29 Linn: http://www.linn.co.uk/files/0c7ba175/Maj...mation.pdf
6:29 Linn: It already does.
6:30 [Comment From Phil: ] So how can I use one set of DACs to get the best possible audio from my CDs, SACDs, video DVDs and HD satellite?
6:30 Gilad: I see where you're coming from
6:30 Gilad: The goal should be one.
6:31 Gilad: For now I suggest a DS for your music
6:31 [Comment From ShuttlemanShuttleman: ] Radio, using the DS how popular is this?
6:31 Do you listen to internet radio?
Yes, via DS ( 21% )
Yes, via other solution ( 38% )
No ( 41% )
6:31 Gilad: Let's find out
6:32 [Comment From ray thompsonray thompson: ] my wife uses a ipod touch with BW zepplin she swears buy it,and much prefers it to my older fashioned cd set up
6:32 Gilad: ipod docks have several drawbacks
6:33 Gilad: firstly, the music is likely to be low resolution to begin with
6:33 Gilad: you are dependent on the D-A conversion of a mass market cost-driven product that places no emphasis on musical quality
6:34 Gilad: next, you are in a push-based system
6:34 Gilad: next, the iPod might not be there!
6:34 Gilad: next, it's not a multi-room system
6:35 Gilad: or able to become one either
6:35 Gilad: next, it can't be controlled on the network
6:36 Gilad: finally, it's a closed system, with several limitations that may not be obvious at first glance
6:36 [Comment From Pete Callaghan: ] I'd love to get BBC R4/R2 on a DS. Is that possible?
6:36 Gilad: we're working on it
6:36 Gilad: it should make the next Cara release
6:36 [Comment From Briain (Dougie DinBins): ] How about a Linn internet radio station to prompte new Linn albums (though that might be a costly venture).
6:36 Gilad: good idea
6:37 [Comment From Jerry Bateman: ] I'd love the Klimax DS to be the logical upgrade to a Kremlin!
6:37 Gilad: me too
6:37 [Comment From Christian Guth: ] The Graphic Interface and Features from Sooloos are stunning. When is Kinsky Desktop able to do this?
6:38 Gilad: If you like that solution, perhaps the answer is that Meridien make Sooloos open to control DS
6:38 [Comment From ray thompson: ] so gilad i did the right thing buying cd's and not itunes music like my wife
6:38 Gilad: are you sure you still love her?
6:39 Gilad: Did anyone see Linn's death of CD player announcement in the news? If so, where?
6:39 Linn: http://news.linn.co.uk/news/2009/11/digi...layers.php
6:39 Linn: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8368895.stm
6:39 Linn: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8369666.stm
6:40 Linn: http://www.stereophile.com/news/linn_aba...d_players/"
6:40 [Comment From Elmar: ] DS players: When can I say goodbye to my Unidisk without losing my SACD collection?
6:41 Gilad: This illustrates the problems of proprietary formats
6:42 Gilad: Linn has committed to SACDs being available by studio master download to those who purchased from Linn
6:42 Gilad: you need Sony to open up the format
6:43 Gilad: or for the other music labels to follow Linn's example, recognise your purchase and provide you with the equivalent download
6:43 Linn: Have you downloaded your free Studio Master from Linn yet?
6:43 Linn: http://www.linnrecords.com/recording-stu...mpler.aspx
6:43 [Comment From Mark H: ] But SACD is dead?
6:43 Gilad: The entire catalogue of SACD is around 5,000
6:44 Gilad: though it pains me to say it, it never really caught on
6:44 Gilad: many of the 5,000 are simply remasters, rather than original DSD recordings
6:44 Gilad: and Linn is a significant proportion of original SACDs in the world
6:44 [Comment From Robby D: ] Can we expect multi-room synchronisation in the future
6:45 Gilad: Yes
6:45 [Comment From Shuttleman: ] Refinements to Kinsky desktop is this work in progress?
6:45 Gilad: Yes, we have lots of refinements in progress
6:45 [Comment From Pat: ] Is Cara 4 the final version for now on or are you still busy to improved it ?
6:46 Gilad: There will be new Cara versions each time we have new features
6:46 Gilad: engineers are working on cara 5 and 6 as we speak!
6:46 [Comment From David: ] Is there an application for iphones to contro Linn DS systems?
6:47 Linn: Yes, there's 3
6:47 Linn: See http://www.linn.co.uk/ds_software
6:47 [Comment From Elmar: ] Working as mastering engineer I always prefered 24 bit/192 khz to 24/96 and SACD. So why doesn´t Linn offer highest sound quality?
6:48 Gilad: We offer the highest quality we possibly can, which is the quality of the original studio master
6:48 [Comment From Christian Guth: ] Linn has its own Rip Server (Isaw it on your hpge). Is there a more "mass market" product coming (like a ripping look-a-like CD-Player from Linn? (like PSAudio)) or is "RipNas" (the other recommended product the best I can do as consumer for the next years.
6:49 Gilad: We have no plans to offer CD ripping in our product range, and are quite happy to recommend RipNas to those who like an integrated ripper / NAS
6:49 [Comment From Michael: ] Hi Gilad, what physical size of disc in bytes does the DS have
6:49 Gilad: Zero
6:49
6:49 Gilad: Yikes!
6:50 Gilad: Linn DS doesn't include CD playing, ripping or storage.
6:50 Gilad: Which is why it will last a long, long time.
6:51 Gilad: Better to keep storage separate, so that you can take advantage of the continuous trend of cheaper, bigger storage
6:51 Linn: Coming to the end of the session...last chance to get your best questions in!
6:51 Gilad: and the other great features of NAS
6:52 Gilad: especially having all your data stored centrally in the home
6:52 Gilad: decoupled from your music system
6:52 Gilad: available to the whole family for any applications
6:52 Gilad: and upgradeable
6:53 Linn: Get your tough questions in!
6:53 Linn: Gilad is too relaxed here...
6:53 [Comment From David: ] Linn used to claim that analogue sound was inherently superior to digital, is this still the case?
6:54 Gilad: Tough question!
6:54 Gilad: All the vinyl you get today is recorded digitally
6:54 Gilad: In this case, you're better to use the digital version via the DS
6:54 Gilad: Of course, there's a huge back catalogue of analogue recorded music
6:55 Gilad: We'll continue to make the best job we can with this on DS
6:55 Gilad: but the LP12 remains the best way to experience the best sound quality of these old analogue recordings... probably!
6:56 [Comment From Siddhartha: ] Back to Internet Radio: Will it be possible to hear all stations via my DS and a simple solution like KinskyDesktop in near future? Here in Germany we have about 15 interesting stations with Jazz, Classic Music, culture, science,....
6:57 Gilad: You can already play a wide variety of radio stations via Kinsky Desktop
6:57 Gilad: the next Cara release will add a lot more types of stations
6:58 [Comment From Robby D: ] Why the backlog on KDS upgrades to dynamik? When will this be resolved
6:58 Gilad: For those few that have to be returned to the factory, we're going as fast as we can
6:58 Gilad: thanks for being patient
6:58Will you ever buy another CD player?
Yes ( 10% )
No ( 65% )
Only in a cheap home/car integrated system ( 13% )
Not sure - I'll consider this when my current player stops working ( 13% )
6:59 [Comment From Briain (Dougie DinBins): ] How about making a Linn hearing aid for folks like me (getting old and deaf, but still like my good quality)?
6:59 Gilad: A Linn system is a hearing aid!
6:59 Gilad: Sir Charles Mackerras is 86, by the way
6:59What's your favourite 'other' benefit of Linn DS?
All my music is backed up off-site ( 13% )
I'm re-discovering long-forgotten gems ( 21% )
Internet radio and podcasts ( 21% )
Album artwork ( 8% )
Music without interrupt ( 38% )
7:00 Gilad: and he conducts the best orchestra in Europe!
7:00 [Comment From sean connolly: ] when can you get your ds to rock better than my naim cd555 ????
7:01 Gilad: take the DS challenge - bring it along to one of our events, or even to the factory and we'll compare
7:01 Linn: http://news.linn.co.uk/news/2009/11/take...ar-you.php
7:02 Gilad: Thank you everyone for your questions!!!
7:02 Gilad: Sorry if I didn't make it to your question, but please post on the forum and you'll get an answer.
7:03 Linn: Thanks to everyone for participating! Look forward to the next Q&A...and feel free to follow-up any issues in the Linn Forum.