open sound ,smooth bass,easy to drive,fun to listen to.
good looking,integrates well into real rooms.

none to speak of

overall a very fine speaker,very musical and tight bass
the better the equipment driving them the better they sound.
Purchsased them at Natural Sound,great hi-end store with lots of top equipment,compared to other speakers for more $$
they hold their own,a very good value.

deep stong bass,natural live sound,seperated precised sound

with the basic stand sometimes the bass get deformed,takes alot of power handeling

i had linn keilidh speakers for 5 years but at some moment i got frustraited of so many weakneses of them so i moved to the ninka one month ago.i have to tell this speaker is amaising with such large amount of bass and precision at the mid and tre especially at the vocals you can enjoy music from the first sound to the last,the rhythm and the excitement never stop holding you even after long hearing.for now i`m driving the speaker with two passive lk100 and i have to tell you that even at passive the speaker can preform very well at any kind of music the power amp can really pump the midbass units almost to their maximum potential.for the tweeters at passive can be drove very well but unlike the midbass units cant get even close to their potential.linn did something with the cabinet that will give sound like its surounding you and getting direct to you at the same time give you feeling like you are at a live concert.great speaker great amount of bass and volume takes some time to find its angles but its worth it.at last linn made speaker that can preform well at passive and can preform well even with one power amp such as lk140 or lk 85. like any linn equipment after all the speaker isnt perfect some times but can really dirve your emotions.

Similar Products Used:

linn keilidh,2lk100,wakonda preamp,harman hd7400cd

Very smooth treble, articulate bass. Appearance. New crossover. Linn pace and tune-fullness.

As of yet: light upper bass; slightly recessed midrange. Needs a fair amount of air [i.e. room size] to really dance. Apparently the bass and mids improve with burn-in. Yes! A Linn speaker that actually breaks in!

Equipment:
AMC CD6
Majik w/out phono
Linn Interconnects
K400
Sound Org Equipment stand

Have had these for about a week now; require some toe in. I had originally been auditioning the Soliloquys and liked the bass extension and wide sound stage. At the dealer the Ninka's were new and had to be pushed in a small room to go loud, which concerned me given the Majik. Though they are supposed to be 90db, they are still 4 ohm in passive.

Linn has apparently been hit with a high number of orders, as I purchased them Dec 02 and they arrived Jan 18; eh hmm. The veneer [Cherry] is beautifully matched, with the grain precisely mirrored across the pair. A gloss coating protects the wood and has a lustrous, attractive patina.

In the store they had a lightness in the upper bass that has not yet disappeared, and the mids seem a little polite. They are not harsh in the least, indeed the treble is sweet [if you can say that of a Linn] and very clean. I auditioned Tukans previously and they were a bit more forward by comparison with a slightly grainier top end.

The bass is very clean, reminiscent of ATC in that it does not go beyond the recording. When I first set them up, we put in Madonna’s latest at a low setting [25], which I thought would be fine for late at night. given my experience at the dealer, I did not believe they would be too loud. Shortly into the song, a good amount of bass is introduced; we had to run for the remote lest the neighbors call for annoyance. The room is a 12x24x9 w/an open kitchen on one end and sunroom at the other. The Ninkas like air. They were much louder than at the dealer and had copious amounts of bass. Only a bass freak or tricker would want more.

The secondary bass line of Fee from Junta is clear and does not blur with the main lines. On Stairway to Heaven the flute is clearly definable apart from the recorder. On the Paradigms, the opening bass of So What was thumpy and wooly, and did not have much tonality. Now it sounds like a recording from that era and carries a much more natural weight. These have a lot of headroom and very nice micro-dynamics. Decay is believable.

I am now anxious to see what improving my front end will do, as the sound of the system is an order of magnitude above the Paradigms. The P's were sloppy and perfunctory by comparison. There is a definite magic to how well Linns track the pace and timing of the music- far more engaging than the dead 'verisimilitude' of so much hi-fi gear.

Are other products more accurate, sure. They cost a lot more too. But few convey the intent of the artist like this. Tubies aside, I'll take the unfettered faithfulness of these any day. Have you ever looked at two sculptures and one looks like so much stone, the other has something that connects? That's the toe-tap of a Linn. The entirety of it is greater than the sum of its disparate parts. But not some dreamy, euphonic haze. You can easily forget that a hi-fi is playing with these, they sound so natural.

4 out of 5 on both counts; at $1200 they'd be 5s.

Similar Products Used:

Compared against Soliloquy 5.3; upgrade from Paradigm Compact Monitors

Tonal and dynamic balance; pleasent to the ears; fatigue free listening for hours; when the music starts playing, these speakers vitually disappear; they sound great already at low levels; good soundstage and detail; musicality is superb at this $-level; high wife-acceptance factor; nice design

Depends on personal taste. I am very happy with these speakers.

During the last 3 month I have been auditioning several audiophile systems in the price range of $5000-$15000 (CD, PRE/PWR, SPK). In the end, I decided to build up a Linn-only system. I realized that a Lynn system does represent the music in a very true and most natural way. With a Linn system, I actually found myself listening to the music again, and not to the speaker of the system.
I have to admit, however, that I had not discovered this quality immediately. My first auditioning of Linn systems was rather unspectacular, and I was not too impressed. But during several, longer lasting auditioning periods, the Linn gear was more and more revealing its subtle qualities of musical representation. From that point, I always felt that something was missing, when I went back to the other systems. This does not mean that the other systems were bad – they clearly had qualities I liked very much, too. But from a standpoint of pure listening pleasure, I could not go away from Linn equipment anymore.

For budgetary reasons I have to build my Linn “dream” system step by step. I decided to start with the IKEMI CD and the NINKA speakers. I temporarily combine both components with my older H/K 3250 receiver (2x65W @ 4 Ohm, $280!).
During my first home audition, the NINKAS sounded wonderfully in combination with the H/K receiver. Although the receiver is not regarded as a high-end piece of equipment, the speakers showed their basic qualities surprisingly well. I found the NINKAS exhibited exactly the typical character of musical representation, which I had experienced in combination with Linn-only components during my audition at the retailer.

The reasons for choosing a particular audiophile component or system are very individual and personal. Therefore, I will try not to describe the qualities of the Linn gear with the usual repertoire of audiophile attributes. The NINKAS, driven with and without Linn components, are “audiophile magic” in my humble opinion (at a retail price of about $1500.) When the music begins, the speakers virtually disappear. It almost sounds as if the band or the orchestra is playing in my living room. The music seems to be almost absolutely de-attached from the speakers. (The CD-recording quality plays of course a role, too. With my current combination (Ikemi/HK3250/Ninkas) I almost can imagine exactly, where the recording engineer has placed the microphones.)

Another quality I like very much about the NINKAS is that, no matter how I am positioned to the speakers, their sound and character of musical presentation does not change. They even sound great while listening from a different room. Their tonal character is well balanced in dynamics and frequency range. Orchestral brass of all registers is not poking through my eardrums, as many other great and detailed speakers do sometimes. The NINKAS are not speakers with a very powerful low-frequency presentation, though; but this is not a quality I really was seeking for anyway. However, with the right amp, low frequencies are well controlled. Their musical appearance is a little bit laid-back, which I personally like very much, and they already sound great even at low volumes (90-dB sensitivity). I can have the NINKAS playing all day long without experiencing listening fatigue.
My advice: Try these speakers if you are an audiophile listener, no matter, what musical style you prefer. After you have listened to the NINKAS, you may think twice before you spend more money on any other speaker.
NOTE: The NINKAS seem to require a break-in period of at least 40 hrs. of playing, before they completely reveal their qualities. When I finally got the brand-new speakers, they sounded almost awful coming right out of the box: congested and flat. Within the first 4 hrs. they opened up a little, and after about 4 days they were as good as the demos from my retailer.

Similar Products Used:

Few owned, many tested, but I don't think it matters mentioning any other highly rated components here. Just take your time and listen for yourself.

Naturally detailed musical presentation, outstanding imaging and excellent construction quality

MRSP may be a bit high

I've had my ninkas now for around a month, and I think they've just about completely broken in. Although this may seem like a frustrating process, it was actually quite pleasant to realize that your system keeps sounding better than it did the day before. Initially, however, they sound tight, thin and bright. Right out of the box, they look better than they sound... the veneers are mirrored and matched perfectly.

I'm driving the speakers in active mode with a pair of LK85 amps (cards inside the amps). The preamp is a Kolektor and the sources are either a Rega Planar 3 (RB300 / Elys) or a CAL DX-2.

Perhaps the most recommendable aspect of these speakers is their versatility in terms of amplifier connections. For the first few days, I drove the speakers with one LK85 in passive mode. When the second amp arrived, in went the crossover cards, and with a quick switch of the cards in the back of the speaker, I was connected in a bi-amped active mode. What a clever solution to a potentially complicated connection issue.

Actively driven, these speakers are outstanding in their soundstaging, imaging and bass control. I honestly think they compare favourably to some speakers (Ariels) costing much more. Admittedly, they may not quite have the analytical detail of, say, a Thiel. On the other hand, however, they're never cold and or overly bright. They present music in a detailed, natural, lively and thoroughly enjoyable way. I strongly encourage anyone auditioning the ninkas to hear them in both active and passive modes.

If I were pushed, I'd say that their low bass extension is somewhat limited. For me, this isn't a problem. For the bass-junkies, who may be wary of the ninkas, it's notable that a Sizmik sub matches quite well to these speakers. There's no point in having lots of bass if the mids and highs aren't right.

I'm very happy with these speakers, and intend to keep them for quite a while.

Similar Products Used:

Boston T-1000's (the speakers the ninkas replaced), Thiels, Paradigms, Vandersteens, Mirage

tweeter may not be as bright as to most people's liking

When I first auditioned the Ninka's at the audio shop, I was very disappointed. They were set up in an all Linn system bi-amped by LK-85's. I'm not sure if it was the building acoustics or that they were underpowered, but they sounded very weak to me and didn't move me at all.

Well, I returned to their semi-annual sale and they had dropped the price by about 15% for that evening, so I decided to take a risk and try them out. Sides I could of returned it if I didn't like it. I've been speaker shopping for a while now, and have been keeping the Paradigm Reference 60's in my head. But the Ninka's just appeared far more elegant than the Paradigm's. In addition to sound quality, I was looking for something that was visually appealing. I liked how the Ninka's stayed away from a traditional black monolith design, and opted for a veneered trapezoidal column decorated by black "portholes" for speaker openings. Between the Cherry and the Maple, I ended up with the Cherry because its graining was more interesting.

Since I didn't have an adequate amp to power them for the meantime (I'm pretty much starting from scratch as I build my system), I took them to my partner's loft and plugged them into his system. He uses a Rotel RB-1080 to power his Mirage OM-5's in a biwire configuration. I was able to conduct an A-B comparison between the Linn's with his Mirage's. Since I used to live there, I'm extremely familiar with the characteristics of his system.

The Mirage's bass of course outrivaled that of the Ninka's in the very low frequencies. In the Ninka, the bass was still there, though it was tight and very controlled. It couldn't produce the low frequency rumblings on the first two tracks of Chicane's "From the Maddening Crowds". However, for my situation, I could not justify rumbling since I live on the top floor of a four-story apartment. My neighbors downstairs are mad enough with me for one of my guests flicking a cigarrette of our balcony during a windy evening and having that cigarette land on their tacky astroturf-covered balcony, thus putting a cigarette burn in it. Well, the Ninka's provided plenty of taut bass enough to my liking.

On listening to Dinah Washington's "Mad About The Boy", the Ninka's proved far better at vocals than the Mirage's. The midrange was very open and lends music an organic sound to it. By "organic" I mean it sounds like it was as if Dinah Washington was singing out of the black holes from inside the the speakers. Was it moving? Oh yes it definitely was, it sent chills up my spine. Unfortunately, the Mirage's couldn't accomplish the same feat. Its midrange seemed laid back. Also, the Ninka's does wonders to works like Fiona Apple and guitar songs like Jesse Cook's "Into The Dark".

As for the tweeters, it seemed the Ninka's were not as bright as the Mirage's. The Ninka's seemed more warm. Moreover, the Ninka's seemed to be much more laid back on the upper frequency of the sound created by high-pitched metallic instruments, like when the little cymbals of a tamborine colllide (such as many songs in the Cranberry's first album "Everyone else is doing it so why can't we?"). But like a catch-22, since the Ninkas weren't as bright, I didn't get the listening fatigue like I'd sometimes get from listening to the Mirage's.

Overall, I'm very satisfied with the Ninka's. They provide me everything I was looking for; looks, sound, and quality. I originally wanted the Paradigm Studio 100, but now I realize that it would have been too big of a monolith to blend in with the rest of the furnishings in my small 12x12 living room. I now have them in my apartment powered by a NAD C370 integrated amp. The weakest link at the moment is my CD source which is an old 8-yo Onkyo I was given. I'd like to replace this soon with a NAD C541 once funds allow again.

If you audition or get these speakers, make sure they are adequately powered. It seemed weak and underpowered at 85 watts, as when I first auditioned them. Mine are now being powered at 120 watts by the NAD and it works just right for me.

I listen to electronic, ambient, jazz, pop, acoustic, and alternative rock. I find the Ninka's are awesome at jazz and acoustical types of music. They prove to be only satisfactory for electronic music, which I attribute to its tweeters not being bright, but I think this can be improved once I get a better CD player. But hey, vocals rock on these speakers.

Equipment:
Speakers: Linn Ninka
Integrated Amp: NAD C370
CD-Player: some old Onkyo one
Mixer/Pre-amp: Pioneer DJM-500
Dual-Deck CD Player: Denon DN-2500F
Turntables: Technics 1200 MK3D
Monitors: B&W LM1
Interconnects: Radio Shack gold plated interconnects
Speaker Cable: Tara Labs Prism Klara speaker cables

Similar Products Used:

Mirage OM-5

Great tonal quality at both low and high volumes, believable live sound, atttractive design

None so far, well okay the finish is a little lighter than the one in the store which was a little irritating.

These are great speakers. A lot of the speakers I listened to sounded like the music was coming from behind the speaker, kinda soft and cushy like riding in a Lincoln. The first thing I noticed about the Ninka's sound was that it was out front like it's coming from about a foot in front of the speaker. The bass is fantastic, even at low levels, which was a requirement since I have young children that go to bed early, the high's are incredible crisp and clear without sounding too tinny like you sometimes hear in some of the lower end speakers. I've spent the last four months dragging out all my old CD's and am hearing a lot of the little things that I've never heard before, or if I did didn't really notice it since it sort of just blended in with all the other sounds and got very muddy.

I listen to all kinds of music, alternative rock, classical, old jazz, Cuban, African, all sounds fantastic. When I get an opportunity to really turn up the volume, and I mean really loud, the speakers never distort or show any stress in the sound. The strangest thing about the Ninkas when you turn them up is that you still don't have to scream when you talk to someone, it's like the sound is pure and clean with no garbage noise filling the air.

Even though I don't have a bi-amp I am running these as bi-wired passive mode by running jumpers right behind the speakers. That made a slight improvement and I begin hearing just a little bit more of the little things in the music. Hopefully, this doesn't harm the speaker.

Used in an all Linn active system (2xLK140, 2xaktiv cards, Ikemi, Kairn Pro) with the upgraded Linn speaker (essential !) and high end Linn interconnects (as supplied std. with CD 12, these make a huge difference, just listen) the system is fantastically musical and enjoyable.

Compared to a similarly priced Naim system it delivers small scale classical pieces with great subtlety and emotion whilst losing out on hard rock to the Naim's greater mid range punch. Large scale classical pieces are fantastic in power an presence. Jazz is sublime. I also listened to Musical Fidelity, TAG/McLaren, Cyrus and other big names but as single make systems nothing came close.

Going active really pays off in control and pace. I still have a minor problem that the bass extension the active set- up gives now excites a resonance in my wooden floored room at higher volumes, which did not happen before, but as far as I can tell this is all a room effect, it didn't happen in the dealer demo room where everything was tight and balanced, but something to check out.

These are the best speakers I tried with this set-up out of quite a few leading brands and the best overall system I've ever heard at the approx $7000 price.

Great construction, Clarity, Veyr warm and lively.

tweeter grill very fragile if anything.

I bought these on a recommendation of the pickiest audiophile I have ever met. I auditioned a set of Katans and LOVED them, and ordered the Ninkas blind. FAter listening for 3 months, I am completely in love with these speakers. The Construction is wonderful (mine are maple)the Overall Quality is fantastic and the Audio quality is just phenominal. I am using Transparent Wave 100 cables and Tributaries interconnects (coax digital and S-video) to Pioneer VDF-07 DVD changers and a Yamaha RX-V1 receiver.
I am running the Ninkas full range without a Subwoofer (Sizmik on order!!!) One of the things I like the best is how they dont sound overly bright, especially in my open living room with hardwood floors. I also plan on running them actiive once I get the Linn active amplifiers, which wont be for some time, and really, I am not in so much a hurry as these speakers sound great with just 110wpc.

Note: All Linn's are shipped from Scotland 2-3 day air to the dealer, and each speaker has the name of the technician on the back of each speaker. How's that for commitment and support!

The only complaint, and I am reaching here, is the tweeter speaker grill...there are 3 vertical small peices that protect the tweeter, these are very fragile and easily broken.

Similar Products Used:

Martin Logans, Defintives, NHT's, B&W's etc...

Wonderful rich sound -- good bass extension.
Good looking light cherry finish.

None so far.

I just purchased these speakers a couple of days ago, and they are on order, however I did audition them in my home overnight prior to buying them. My old speakers were a pair of Definitive Technology DR-7 towers which I bought seven years ago for $450, so the Ninkas were quite a step up for me.
The Ninkas and the 1NT's sounded the same, and I bought the Linns based on eye appeal and the fact that I didn't have to deal with stands. Frankly the 7NT's didn't sound any better, and the 9NT's while slightly better didn't justify the added $1,000 cost.
I did not expect to be so satisfied with the Ninkas because I thought the DR-7's sounded pretty good, but I was amazed at the quality of sound that I experienced. My wife even commented on how great they sounded when she walked in the door the other night, and she wasn't even hearing them in a recent A-B comparison as I had. Now while I'm waiting for the Ninkas to come in, I can't stand to listen to the DR-7's.
The Ninkas have a wonderful open sound -- not bright and with a tight well-extended bass. I almost don't need the sub with them. If I hadn't bought the sub first, I probably wouldn't have bought it.
With my old speakers I found that I had to turn the volume up high to get the sound I wanted, but then the sound was grating on my ears and soon became quite uncomfortable. With the Ninkas the sound is very enjoyable even at modest listening levels
I have read other reviewers say that their new equipment made them want to listen to their old CD's, and this is now my experience. I just want to keep listening the sound is so good! Old CD's that were too bright, now sound much nicer.
Associated Equipment:
-Linn Classik receiver
-Velodyne HGS-10 subwoofer

Similar Products Used:

B&W CDM-1NT, 7NT, 9NT, Paradigm Studio 40 and 60.