Older Linn Klout serial 23xx (early 90's) opinons

[olds1959special]

I picked up an older Linn Klout serial 23xx which appears to put its age around 1993. I'm not sure if it needs a re-cap but it works. The sound is good but the presentation is more laid-back and not so upfront. Is this the typical Linn Klout sound?

[GdnrBob]

You got another amp?😵

At this rate, you'll have an encyclopedia of amp knowledge by the end of the year.

Bob

[olds1959special]

Previously my Rotel RB-1050 was good enough that I didn’t think about it, since then all the amps I’ve tried have not been quite as good overall, with the exception of possibly the Linn Klout. The last amp was the Rega Brio and I was fortunate enough to find a local used audio dealer that traded that amp for a Linn Klout. The Rega was congested sounding. The Linn is much more open, but feels laid back, as if I’m a few rows from the music, and sometimes feels wooly. It has good bass control though, and connects easily with banana plug terminated speaker cables that I can biwire.  I’m not sure if it’s better than the Rotel was though.

Edited April 9, 2023 by olds1959special

[GdnrBob]

I don't know if I put in my 2 cents before, but I would look into trying anything from Ayre, Belles, Aesthetix, and McCormack. These brands seem to work well with Vandy's. (And, any amp with Zero Feedback seems to do the same).

@ctsooner, seems to hold the NAD's in high regard, too. See other recent posts.

I only post this to save you time, energy and dissapointment(.- And, after having been on this treadmill before, I hate seeing others repeating it. Though, if you don't find it disagreeable, then please disregard this post).

.025 cents...

Bob

[ctsooner]

There is a reason Vandy dealers sell those brands Bob. They help sell speakers lol. I’ve had Linn in my bedroom system and it was way too laid back  per se. To me Linn is thought of as an ecosystem that is based around their amazing turntables and server/streamers. Their source gear is awesome and that can’t be denied by most. Some Vandy dealers sell Linn to line Jon in Milwaukee and Joe and Mike in Houston. 

[olds1959special]

What about the Schiit Vidar 2? 

[olds1959special]

For that matter what's wrong with another Rotel RB-1050?

[stratocaster]

Maybe it's not the amp but the positioning of your speakers that might need tweaking. If you want to chase amps then it might help to look at a local dealer who is willing to lend amps on a trial basis. That would help you experiment with different brands and help you make a decision.

[Bruskie]

I had a Klout powering my Thiel CS2.3s many years ago. Yes the Klout has a very warm and laid back presentation. At 30 yrs old it will need recapping. I had mine recapped by Derek at Class A Audio in Sheffield  UK.

Bruce

[olds1959special]

I ended up trading it for a Rotel RB-1050 and feel like the Rotel is much, much better. Clean and powerful sounding, and not wooly sounding like the Klout was in my system. Plus the Rotel has volume trims for this purpose. I had to use a second (passive) preamp with the Linn Klout to use it this way. 

Edited April 18, 2023 by olds1959special