Stream come true From an early champion of networked music comes this punchy new digital music system. Malcolm Steward enjoys Linn’s latest Majik DSM inn Products is one of the world’s foremost rmanufacarers of networked audio components. Along with one-time contemporary from the days of analogue, Naim Audio, ises the benchmark for highend performance In this sector The Linn DS produess are not aiming to compere with budget or Convenience offerings sch as Sonos ar SqueezeBox systems, but instead offer higher performance to enthusiastic, hard-core music lovers, The new Linn Majik DSM iste different ~in terms of physical components and construction —t0 the Majik DS- (reviewed in HFC 1322). The is still network streaming, all-in-one device, that sell plays internet radio, and sil incorporates a comprehensively equipped 90 wats (into 4 olums) CChakva integrated ampliir, Dynamik suwtched mode power supply, and a multiple input DAC. Sos it realy a ‘ew product? Wel, in these modern times, reckon the answers a efiit yes, Differences are all © Ce DETAILS rooucr nm iajcosi ORIGIN: UK TE: negates 0s Wal ok DIMENSIONS: Goat) Stoxtorsssom aruRes ‘Suppontedie ‘apes wa Fac Pa al ac (exceptiossiess) ‘sampling rats: ons 3 (aeze bilson) ese ‘to improvements to the software ~ the mos vita and influential ‘component in such products. The earlier DSI did not sound as poised and polished as the new DSM. The £2,600 unit, whieh has the option of loudspeakers, sounds superior ro the original and naw seems fa slicker and genuinely faster in comparison to its slightly ponderous forerunner. "Not only does the code appear to have been tidied up, but useful new functions have been introduced. “NetAux, for example, wil silence ‘hose Apple fan boys who think no ‘one outside Cupertino can come up ‘with innovative funetions like AitPlay. Not so: NetAux functioned perfectly with my iPhone and iPad, land the rarely used low-res Tunes library on my distane desktop PC Having selected the NetAux input, 1 col play musi ditecly from ‘Sources through the Majik system. Linn hs, since it began in the 1970s, based its manufacturing philosophy on maximum information retrieval, attempting 0 coax every ‘atom of musical information from the sourte regardless of whae piece of ‘equipment was endeavouring torecord player, CD12 6D player, of nowadays, is digital sreaming produc Performance was always tothe fore, while convenience had played a supporting role But the Majik DSM seems to blend both rather seamlessly: With eleven remotely selecable inputs (sx digital and five analogue), and gain settings of those inputs adjustable so users can switch fom one to another with no alarmin INTEGRATED OS PLAYER, PREAME, POWER AHP 4.608 volume, its. swish thing to use. And, ys, the Maj DSM does have an input ready and waiting for your record player! Like its predecessor, when streaming inemet radio, the sound quality is not as ‘good as that fom ripped CDs or genuine high-res recordings. til itis none too shoddy, and often surprisingly good. Indeed itremains a fantastic way to discover new ‘music. I drove the DSM fr the most part with a wired laptop PC because an expired router that had to be replaced mid-review demanded chat I spend time getting the ‘wired nerwork working optimally, before I began messing with the wireless control functions. 80 my iPhone, iPad and various ‘apps were virtually ignored throughout the review once I had assured myself chat they ‘worked as expected. I strung the DSM off the Gigabit switch on che sub-network that serves my musie-room, and fed with ips ‘and downloads from my primary NAS, which runs Mustrate's Asser UPaP software. This set-up faltates easy comparisons because I can arrange any number of media payers in ‘iy musie room to connect tothe same NAS and switch berween them in seconds. Sound quality “The review DSM came supplied with pair ‘of Majic 109, three-way, ported, bookshelf style loudspeakers. The system did not relish being played too loudly although i still managed healthy levels. already Switched the Majik 1095 fora par of PMC ‘wenty 23s, but the unit had sounded graceles when pushed hard into these Speakers. Bur tht was the only occasion ‘when its sound drew attention to itself for the most part its transparency, cary, and lack of obvious coloration were exemplary I subsequently spent ada listening ta selection of speakers, including pair of Focal 1008Bes, but settled on the NEAT Xi standmoumnes as the mos agreeable and rewarding partners in my room. ‘There is only thin line between magic and mediocrity inthe world of neworked ‘audio, which tends to be a rather grey ares; audio is nowhere near as black and white | as it was In the nineteen seventies and cightes. The dferences one hears are frequently subtle but stil significant; being good enough nowadays simply is not good enough. Linn recognises that digital streaming product are nt commodities and does not regard them as one would toasters or dishwashers. Hence the company is fastidious about their ‘onstruction and implementation. It eschews technological gimmickry and focuses instead onthe seemingly old fashioned value of falthfulnes 1 the musial performance ‘The result? Linn’s Majik DSM sounds quite excellent; its Ethernet connection and its UPnP capability being the undoubted stars of the show: The DSM does al the | frequently gained further rewarding insights into even familiar music from the experience famous tunes and timing stuff as one expects from Linn, but was not quite as ‘musically persuasive a the pricier Naim SuperUinie although it ertinly had the ‘edge in terms of transparency and resolution. ts presentation was ferociously precise and etched, Irscavenged detail and Information from every comer ofa mix or arrangement. [edisplayed exceptional realism on the new 24 Dit/192kH ‘NaimLabel rp of Antonio Forcione and Sabina Seiubba's Meet Me in London. Tr was truly oustanding at disclosing harmonic texure in guitar recordings, ‘which area particular favourite of mine Duke Robillard, for instanee, i a technically brilliant player and insists upon selecting rotmoitodmacer poweronttsy Goma ipa ses craaoneo neteansote tvanck Pes leant ign dieser otis vibiangpst eri reson cporer sci even wh receREVIEWS iitetit£oSS'ruaver, pxeanr, power amp 22,600 Q&A MALCOLM STEWARD SPEAKS ‘ WIETGUAG TIEFENBRUN, MD Omar OF LINN PRODUCTS Pret ie 0 pide ie ‘rt yo nay 0 ste [sits ithe cose with networked ‘tlie sudo products thatthe sftarels the mate or reat factor? cme ‘ead steam payerismch ce orton anton, AC andpowersupoy.Softwareand oman haréwareareboth important when iteomestoaudioqualty,butthey rmustworktogetherin harmony and precisionangineerngisthekeyto sgotingthe best fomboth ncatsrcomnes Is there much you condo, {rom nsoftwor, to moke one's particular guitars for particular most emotive perfomance here ‘streaming productstandoport recordings. The DSM clearly les you Hughis animated, impassioned Iromthe crowd? hear whyrhe does this, aswellas paving was eviden ght fom the Everythinge makeis designed raking tsimple wo study his Mawlss outset his determined breathing inehouse and rom the ground-up. Tweumnmayn playing technique. Putthese two and his strident bowing betraying atherthan using the standard Tendornetive abies together andicpresents the physical energy he was puting psamplingtiters commonly hasten” msi ina way thats compelling. _ito the performance rovidedbytheDACmanufactur, | fia Outen "Te Presentation of the acoustic, werepacethiswithourawn 12” guitarisno lessenthaling. 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