Linn

That Monkey Boy review was spot on. I don't usually write in to comment, but when someone lays it out that honest, I got to applaud. Now, I love Linn gear, and the CD12 is cool looking and all that, but the only type people who could seriously buy into the CD12's hype are a) audio reviewers -- who want to make sure the cool toys they get keep coming in, b)people who got rich through some type of inheritance, or by scamming investors and hyping their own BS .com companies that will never turn a profit.

Words cannot describe

Price

I was initially skeptical of a $20k CD player, but one listen was enough to convince me. I listened to the Linn with a Levinson amp-preamp/Vienna Accoustic Mahler setup. This combination made me a believer immediately. The music was palpable! Words cannot describe the effect - it was the first time in many a moon that I was getting that same tingling along my spine that live music provides. I tried to figure out what element of this system was producing this effect on me...I asked the salesman to replace the Linn with the Marantz SACD player (the one Stereophile had raged about). It became immediately apparent that the Linn was the key to the system - with the Marantz, the music immediately lost that articulate, visceral, dynamic element that was present with the Linn. I left the store amazed and angry at the world that I couldn't afford something that would make me so happy.

Within days, the long-term down side of the Linn became apparent - I became addicted to that feeling I had experienced with the Linn. Nothing I subsequently listened to came close. So take heed - don't listen to this machine if you can't afford it. Everything else you listen to will absolutely not cut it. Even though I initially blanched at the thought of a $20k CD player, I eventually bought one... admittedly a $15k demo. Is the Linn that good? Absolutely. Is it worth $15k-20k? Absolutely.

Similar Products Used:

Audiomecca, BAT, Krell, Levinson, Marantz SACD