The Gadget Show £100k Linn System

[alancolledge]

Did anyone catch the Gadget show on Channel 5 yesterday?

It had a rather interesting blindfold comparison where an entry level Linn system, a £100,000 ultimate Linn system and the same bloke on the test cd actually singing in the same room where played to one of the presenters.

He identified the sources all right and from his commentary, reading between the lines, could clearly spot the live singing.

Makes you think, if a 100k Linn system can't come close to a live sound, the majority of our high end equipment on the forums wouldn't have much of a chance?

[captaindobie]

Aah, missed this. Do channel 5 repeat the program?
Will never be rich enough to own Linn, but would have found this quite interesting.

[dustjunky]

Yeah it's repeated at 11:45pm on Friday

oh - and 9.25am wednesday

[Gordon @ Convergent AV]

Did they make a recording of the live singer then play it back or was it a previous recording?

Gordon

[bjd]

Shame they used a cd12 instead of a sorted LP12

[bjd]

Originally Posted by Gordon @ Convergent AV

Did they make a recording of the live singer then play it back or was it a previous recording?

Gordon

The guy sang live...just vocals.......and the same song from one of his cds was played back using two different Linn systems

[huwg]

Originally Posted by Gordon @ Convergent AV

Did they make a recording of the live singer then play it back or was it a previous recording?

Gordon

The man actually sang - as a recording of him singing would need to be played back in a hi-fi setup which would defeat the object.

spoilers

He was able to spot the entry level system because he described a start and stop to the sound. He said there was a machine like quality to it.
The live performance was spotted easily 'If that is comming from a Hi-Fi, then I want it'.

He found 100K system to be very close to the live performance.

On the whole, the 100K system was better than the entry level one, but in his opinion he could not justify the extra outlay (ie was not 100 times better).
But he could understand why many people do go to such extremes and expense.

There was then a competition to win an entry level Linn setup.

[Gordon @ Convergent AV]

If the guy sang then they played back a recording of song from one of his CD's then that is a completely irrelevant demonstration of how accurate the playback of the sysem is.

If they recorded the guy singing his song while they were listening, then played back a recording of that exact piece and compared those it would be a much better comparison.

I'm not defending Linn just saying that the their demo is just fluff and merely entertainment rather than anything to consider as particularily valid.

Gordon

[mikeq]

I thought it was a very valid and fair test.

The chap was a well known scottish folk singer(apparently), the song was purely him singing(no music) both live and on the recording. So they were exactly the same.

The point with these high end systems is that they are not supposed to add or take anything away from the sound, so in theory should sound exactly the same as if someone was in the room singing the song. Hence the test.

The chap doing the blind test said there was just something in the live performance which wasn't captured by the gear, he did say the £100k system was very very close and that if he had the cash he would have bought it because it was almost as good as having the real thing.

He also said that whilst the £100k system was better than the cheaper system it certainly wasn't 60 times better.

Mike

[Miyazaki]

I don't think I can afford even an entry Linn system.

It was a good show though.

[Gordon @ Convergent AV]

Different performances of same song in different venues.....and that's valid...mmmm?

Gordon

[MartinImber]

I saw SACD on a display

To actually get the vocal onto cd there would have to be a recording room, with a mic going into a pre amp probably through a compressor then onto a master tape of some sort before being transferred to cd, all of which would affect the sound even before the test was done. Thats assuming there was no extra pre or post production carried out on his voice. The voice was probably the worst choice for that kind of test because there is so much variation in its tone and inflections from one day to the next. Still cool to see big toys though.

[huwg]

well, now I've heard a 100K Linn system , I can honestly say it doesn't sound much better than my Sony TV

[the_pauley]

Originally Posted by bjd

Shame they used a cd12 instead of a sorted LP12

I think the crackle of stylus in groove and the hint of wow and rumble that even the highest of high end turntables are subject to - let alone the colouration caused by the compression and equalization required to produce the vinyl master - might have slightly tipped him off that it was a recording he was listening too.

Linn's SACD/HDCD recordings are digital throughout the entire production chain, so the vinyl / analogue version can only be a second rate version compared to the little silver disc.