Very musical,Just has that Linn romantic sound to it.Worth every dime.Has alot of the CD12 charcateristics.

None

This will be short. For the money the best cd player you will hear. Better than the Levinson 39 at a lesser price.The
Ikemi is what the cd was supposed to be years ago. Linn has proven that they just know what the people have been thirsting for. So close to vinyl it's scarry. A must audition for any music lover. At a retail price of $3595 this is what we all have been waiting for a cd player don't sound like a cd player. If you live in the Northwest WA, or Oregon go to Advanced Audio in Tacoma,WA and let the guys their put you through a real musical experience. And don't blame me if your spending most of your days and night trying to figure out how to buy one.

PS if your really tired of getting the Audiophile run around go to Advance Audio, Curt and Bob are salesmen of yester years you know the ones that let the products sell themselves. Music is in the ear not in the hype. Check them out.

Similar Products Used:

ARCD2,ML39,Wadia 830,850, and the Linn Karik Numeric. Adcom GCD750

Every thing

Nothing

One of the best unit I've ever heard. You can talk about soundstage,bass and treble because it does every thing just right, but for me the most important thing: it plays music!! the emotionnal connection is there ,... and you just can't stop !!! the only unit better than the Ikemi with good recordings is the Audiomat Tango 2.5., for the rest, the sound is to digital to my taste!

Similar Products Used:

Audiomat Tango 2.5 / Arcam FMJ / Roxsan Caspian etc...

Warm sound
Very musical
Never harsh
Execellent Voice

Smallish flat sound stage (compared to the cd-12)
Large compared to the lev 39.
Some what pricy.

Very very musical. Good size stage with a very nice pleasent sound. It makes music sound like music rather than a audio experiment. It's very detailed but doesn't bring forth the edgy artificial treble sound as some did. Very strong vocal presence. It made madonna's voice sound like magic on my ray of light cd. It even made an edgy hard hitting all levinson system more musical. Not a cd player for just a linn system. An excellent cd player choice for any system.

For $3500 or so, it's not a bargain. But, since I'll probably never replace this cd player... it's a great deal.

If you own or plan on owning this cd player... don't listen to the cd-12. You'll only make yourself cry.

Similar Products Used:

Levinson, Linn cd-12, Rotel, Krell, Sony

I am planning the purchase of the Linn Genki in the near future. However, I recently heard the Linn Ikemi and was simply astonished. It sounded about as natural as as any CD player I ever heard. It's transport screams quality, durability and longevity. As a long time Linn owner / fan, I was not surprised to learn that Linn continues to offer special hi-fi gear for the long haul. I would love to own one. At $3,595, it's is simply beypond my budget.
However, from all reports, the Genki will make me very happy as well. Every review I've seen or heard on the Ikemi and Genki have been stellar.

Natural, Easy listening, Musical, Detailed.

You are joking?

I have resisted upgrades for a long time, being very satisfied with my Linn system, but on hearing the Ikemi I was amazed at how much more music was avaialble from my CDs! This is one very special bit of kit, with such a natural way of producing music, yes MUSIC!! It is a pleasure to listen at any volume, low or high, I am rattling through my CD collection again at a rate of knotts, such is the Ikemi's appeal. What a bargain.
I would recommend this Linn product to all audio enthusiasts, regardless of system.

Similar Products Used:

Previous CD was Karik/Numerik. I run a Linn active system: Ikemi, Kairn, 3 x LK280/Spark, Kaber Aktiv, K600 cable.

musical,and emotional, with great dynamics open, warm, detailed and magical

remote

I searched for two years for an upgrade to my cd player I arrived with the linn for Vaule. I will explain why I started out trying to find the best bang for my buck but as you listen to more players you start to hear the little things that make up the differences when you judge this against price of the product and what you are looking for I end up with its vaule. I first listened to sony and nad and even rega which they all make great players . So I listened and keep climbing the ladder as I heard more and more differences I next auditioned arcam and krell and linn genki each had it strengths but the weakness of the less expensive players were very apparent. Then I listen to the Ikemi and I was amazed so I put it against my dream player the mark levinson 39s. I prefered it over the 39 now they are very similar with the 39 being a little warmer and deeper but the ikemi is just magical. It can excel on all the little things and puts everything together so smoothly that it really is the equal of the 39 it just presents it differently. I then listened to the 390s It is wonderful it has the ikemi magic and the 39 warmth. It is the perfect combination of the ikemi strength and the 39 strengths but no weakenss. So with all that in mind comes my vaule for $3600 list I got a player that Equal a player Of $6700 list. And after spending time with the ikemi in dealers showrooms and my system I could not go back down the ladder to the lesser players even though they were very good. One last thing it does matter what kind of music you audtion these players with as certain types show very little differences for comparison as other show them off very well.

Similar Products Used:

arcam 92 , fmjcd23, various sony, Nad,rega , krell 250, 280 linn genki, mark levinson 39s, 390s

Detailed, precise sound, particularly treble. Timing.

Not many, but less solid bas & mid, less grip and less musical than Naim CDX.

A friend and I compared his Linn Ikemi and my Naim CDX over 2 hours. The system we were using was his Naim 102 + 180 + Hicap with B&W 804 speakers. The earlier comparison between my friend's old Arcam Delta 2 box player and the Ikemi immediately showed that the Linn was in another league from the old Arcam. There is a marked difference as you lift the massive CDX with its pull-out drawer, into place compared to the featherweight Ikemi, with that lovely slim loading tray. However, all the music we listened to on the Ikemi and CDX showed the Naim player to be the one we preferred. The difference between the two players was marked, and although we both felt th CDX was the better player, we both also felt that the Ikemi was extremely good. I had recently auditioned Marantz CD-17 Ki sig, Creek CD 53, Naim CD5, Musical Fidelity and probably more, but felt the Ikemi was a much more communicative player than these. The CDX had great naturalness and maintained a grip on the music that allowed the feeling of the music through. The bass and mid-range was more solid and the soundstage better defined, taller and wider. It was not all in favour of the CDX as the treble detail and texture was better on the Ikemi, and on some tracks I would at first prefer the Ikemi's performance, as the CDX would at first sound slightly dull in comparison. However after half a minute or so, the togetherness, solidity and control of the Naim would have won us over. Most of the music we listened to was electronic but did include vocal and electric and acoustic instruments also. Perhaps the Naim had an advantage with whatever synergy might exist within the Naim source and amplification.

I felt that my own system, Naim 112 + 180, with PMC FB1 speakers which is less powerful but probably more revealing, would have been even more favourable to the CDX as the Ikemi's more forward treble could have got a bit too much. Of course the CDX is £450 more, but the possibility of upgrading with the external power supply must be an incentive to those who think they might ever be able to afford it. I wouldn't describe either of us as Naim devotees. I listened to plenty of other amplifiers before deciding the Naim's played the music best all round at the price.

Similar Products Used:

Naim CDX

Awesome timing, detail, coherence and space. Timbre of most instruments and voices is (almost) perfect. Makes you want to sing and dance. Quite simply the second best CD player in the world. I know it's a cliche but really cries out for an all-Linn active system. There is very little artificiality about the performance unlike most CDP's.

Should come with the Linn silver interconnects in the box at this price! - but still a bargain

Just listen to it...I have finally stopped wondering if I was right to sell my LP12+2000 albums!

Similar Products Used:

Compared with CD12, Various NAIM boxes, Rega, Roksan, Denson, Copland etc etc.
Replaces Karik III

System is:
Ikemi
Linn Silver to Kairn Pro
Aktiv crossover+Dirak+Linn black i/c's
LK 140 x3
Isobariks (final spec) Chord Rumour cable
Russ Andrews power cords throughout+Silencer

musical, open, warm, detailed

none

Very accurate, musical, open. Everything sounds very good on it
but the HDCD realy excells on this unit. My Goldmund unit was perhaps better with classical recordings but I play more rock and jazz and with those the Ikemi is an improvement.

Similar Products Used:

goldmund

To much to list

None untill now

No need for a review, just go out and listen to it, you'll make your own decision.
This player is so accurate and so fast, it has time to spare even with complicated songs infact even then it has time to get itself a cup of tea and enjoy it before the next note has to be played.
Some people say that Linn has no bass, no punch, well maybe they should get there ears cleaned because the bass I'm hearing is so controlled so tight, I still can not believe that this was in my CD's before I bought this sweet black box (maybe the elfs put it in there when I was in the shop to buy this box).
The mids and highs are so sweet, honey comes out of my speakers.
One warning, if you don't have the money to buy this one and you are going for the Genki, don't and I repeat don't let the salesman trick you into listening to the Ikemi, you'll leave the store while thinking of a way how to get the extra $1250 and get this masterpiece.

Used together with:
Linn Wakonda
2x Linn LK140
Linn Keilidh's
Linn silver interconnects
Homemade speaker cables

Similar Products Used:

Linn mimik, Genki, Arcam CD23