Koss Totem Mani-2 User Manual
Page 10
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Planet 2000, Reference 3a MM de Capo-i
speakers, a Moon I-3 amp, an Inouye line
filter, Atlas Navigator cables, GutWire
power cables, and Puresonic Competition flat
speaker cables.
My question is what to upgrade now?I
am thinking of trading up to a Moon I-5.
Is there a big enough difference between
these two integrated amps? The sound of
this system is very nice at low to moderate
volume, but loses something above a certain
volume. I don’t listen at extreme levels but
would like to get a little more volume before
the sound starts to harden up.
Pete Doan
RIDING MOUNTAIN, MB
We found pretty much the same
thing you did when we reviewed the
Moon I-3 in UHF No. 71, Pete. We liked
it a lot, but when we raised the volume
we could tell we were listening to a small
amplifier. It will perfectly suit a lot of
music lovers, but you’ll be happier with
the I-5. Ironically the I-5 is less powerful
than the I-3, but current is as important
as power, and subjectively the I-5 appears
to have four times the power.
By the way, there is now an updated
version, the Moon I-5.3.
I have just come across your magazine
and am impressed. I don’t believe the local
bookstores here carry it.
I have four Linn LK’s Aktiv on 5140 and
5120 speakers, primarily for home theatre.
Would you recommend upgrading these amps
to something else in the Linn line, keeping
the Aktiv speakers, or blowing out the whole
thing, at no small cost?
Jay Avril
CLEARWATER, FL
No small cost indeed, Jay, and a move
to be undertaken only if you have reason
to believe that you made a mistake going
with this Linn system in the first place.
And we don’t think you did. We like the
idea of biamplifying, and although this
is not a Linn invention it was Linn that
made it so simple.
The bad news is that the company in
January discontinued not only the whole
LK line, but also announced it was drop-
ping the Aktiv system entirely. We don’t
approve, but the marbles belong to Ivor,
not to us.
If you’ll be staying with Linn, you’ll
need to move while LK products remain
in stock. Linn does make a chassis that
will power your crossover modules so
that you can use them with an amplifier
that does not have a slot for them. You
may then want to look at an amplifier
upgrade. That can be one of Linn’s
newer amps, though of course at that
point you can choose your manufacturer
and still remain active…er, Aktiv.
I’m in search of a quality bookshelf
speaker and have narrowed my short list
to the Reference 3a De Capo-i’s. My room
dimensions are 12’ X 10’. My system is
centred on the longest wall, so I don’t have
much choice but to place my speakers near
the back wall with the rack in between. Since
the De Capo’s are rear-ported, would this
seriously hinder sonic performance? I could
place them at about a foot from the rear wall
and not much more.
I haven’t heard it yet, but I would also
consider the Veena. Is it rear-ported too?
Would it be too big for my small room?
Michel Fleury
VAUDREUIL, QC
ULTRA HIGH FIDELITY Magazine