AKURATE, AKURATE 2200, AKURATE CD, AKURATE DS, AKURATE KONTROL
Stereo Mecmuasi, Turkey
May 2008
English Translation of AKurate DS review from Stereo Mecmuasi, Issue 5:
‘Timpani Audio’s 13th Event was dedicated to the presentation of Linn Akurate DS unit. It took place on 20 - 21 March 2008 and was the first of its kind in Turkey. The demo system had the following components: Linn Akurate 212 loudspeakers, Linn Akurate CD player, Linn Akurate Kontrol pre-amplifier, Linn Akurate 2200 power amplifier and, of course, Linn Akurate DS player.
…When we listened and compared Studio Master and CD quality versions of the same music downloaded from Linn Records’ website, I noticed the following:
There was a huge difference in favor of the Studio Master recordings, particularly on the piano and vocal sounds, there was more high frequency sustain, harmonic richness and effortlessness. Low frequencies were more detailed and tight, mids also were more detailed and three dimensional. On classical music material, the Studio Master recordings were providing a very balanced performance that is very neutral and dynamic.
... Starting from the first few seconds, you immediately notice the increased focus of the very “life-like” performance. The level of difference is not at all incremental, it is the type of improvement that is infectious and gets your blood pumping. Instrument and stage resolutions are at the level you would expect from a very high level source. Very, very clean sound indeed!
... In addition to all the above, together with the increased detail and control, the sound had a very analogue-like character. All of the criticized negatives linked to the digital sound had one by one disappeared. I strongly felt the urge to compare the Akurate DS sound with a turntable.
...The second half of the event was going to answer the question that I was most curious to hear: how would the FLAC format ripped CD’s played through the Akurate DS compare with the CDP playing the same CD.
...We compared the Akurate CD and Akurate DS using different recordings, but in my opinion the track that reflected the differences best was “The Look of Love” from the “Isley meets Bacharach” album. My beliefs were shattered and my expectations went upside down: because I still had the hope that the CD player would at least show an equal performance against the Akurate DS. But the FLAC versions of the tracks played through the Akurate DS were performing better than the Akurate CD player in every respect. The differences were similar to the ones we had previously noticed between Studio Master and CD quality recordings. The sound was cleaner with a better focus and more analogue like tonality. Probably the most striking differences were the disappearance of the messiness and the feeling of compression, thus we had an airier and more effortless presentation. Low frequencies became more controlled and tight and the cymbals silkier. The focus and the palpability feeling of the lead singer was increased to such a degree that I was in awe. The truth is I had never experienced Ronald Isley so present in any other system.
...Akurate DS displays even better its supremacy on classical music: stage resolution with its different layers is excellent. The sound is so much more cleaner that you feel the need to turn up the volume. Whereas with a CD player, due to the edginess of the trebles and the lack of resolution, I always felt the need to turn down the volume.
... As a conclusion, I think that Akurate DS should be seen, heard and savored. We can say that “It is walking on the trail of the future”.’
