Linn Sizmik Subwoofer

Thanks Simon,

Sounds like an aborted demo...

Gordon, what's the best sub you sell ? music/AV equal importance.

Cheers
Gary
 
Gary,

I have since spoken to the dealer who did the original demo. They confirmed that their Sizmik was definitely faulty and are waiting for another one to arrive.

Since then, my reservations over spending a grand on a subwoofer overcame my desire for perfection. As a result I explored the less expensive sub options on the basis that - since two good subs are generally considered to be better than one great one - I could spend around £500 and get one now and another later if need be. During my Sizmik audition I discussed cheaper options with the dealer and was recommended the Yamaha YST-SW320 at £350. I dismissed it at the time because, according to the Yamaha literature, it was only available in black (you'll remember I'm looking for a cherry veneer sub to match my other speakers and furniture). Further investigation revealed that 1) there is a cherry option which is available on the continent but not in the UK, and 2) What HiFi did a mid-priced subwoofer group test (Feb '01 issue) in which the YST-SW320 trounced the competition. Since £350 was a little less than I had wanted to spend I looked at the rest of the Yamaha sub range and found that the SW320 had a big brother: the SW800. This is very similar in design but has over 3x the power at 800W RMS (!!) and a retail price of £500 - just right for my new and sensible budget. A search of the internet revealed a German website which could supply the SW800 in cherry for DM1059 (about £340) delivered! Being power-crazed AND a sucker for a bargain, I was entirely unable to resist. So I've ordered one without either autioning or reading a review of it. I figure that, in the unlikely event of my hating it when it arrives, I'll be able to sell it on without making a loss. On the other hand, if it's as good or better than its little brother, I'll be able to buy a second one for a grand total of less than £700. Have I done a bad thing?

As if not auditioning it is bad enough, the company selling it (electronica34.de) do not accept credit cards so I will have to make an electronic transfer of funds once it arrives in stock. I'm told (not by them) that this is very common in Germany and they do seem quite reputable so I have decided it's a risk worth taking.

If anyone else has any experience or has seen reviews of the Yamaha YST-SW800 sub I would be very keen to hear about it before I part with my cash.

Simon
 
Hi Simon,

just spent my first few hours with the Linn Size thingy..

Initial impressions are very very good.

I've bipassed the sub's crossover and use my processor to tweak level/crossover.

Since the Linn user interface is THE worst I have ever come across (so is the manual) this helped me a lot.

Very powerful, musical and tight.

Gonna be a hard one to beat for me. Next on the list is an M&K sub and maybe a Stadium3

Did you get your follow on demo ?

Gary
 
Hi Simon,

Hope it works out well for you. Why not post a review of the Yammy sub when you get it ?

Happy listening,
Gary
 
Not yet. Really want to try a similar M&K sub. Trouble is I'm doing a lot of travel for work. My living room looks like a HiFi shop - 3 subs on demo :D...
 
What's your take on the two-good-subs-are-better-than-one-great-one theory? Have you considered putting it to the test?
 
Having quickly scanned the list, it seems I may be the only person in the UK who actually owns a Sizmik! I worked for a number of years for a good home cinema dealer so have had the opportuntiy to demo some nice kit over the years. Although I agreee that it is VERY tricky to set up correctly, it's performance is absolutely outstanding, much better than anything else I've heard at the price point. Plus it looks nice......
 
Not true. I was in Rayleigh Hi-Fi in Lakeside retail park (bizarre hi-fi store in the middle of a furniture shop) a couple of weeks ago and, much to my disappointment, they'd just sold their Sizmik demonstrator. So, unless you bought yours from them, Linn have sold at least 2 in the UK.

Do you find the settings ever need tweaking according to the material you're listening to?
 
Buying a demo is not a bad idea. It will have already been run in, and you know that all is OK. You can get VERY good deals on Linn demo equipment if you try hard.

No, I don't change the settings. I have a hi-fi in another room, so the cinema system only gets the full surround treatment.

My advice would be to find a good Linn dealer and borrow one, although even this is not foolproof as it can take weeks to get the setup right. It's worth it, though....
 

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