My new DAC: Linnenberg Satie

[Kimo]

Should have it by mid next week.  

 

 

Seems to check all the boxes.

 

http://linnenberg-audio.de/html/satie.html

 

I will report on performance.  It will also serve as the preamp for the Innuos, Sony, and VPI.

 

Anyone have any experience with this model?

[Kimo]

49 minutes ago, ArthurOtt said:

How do you know what boxes it checks? Their website is pretty short on details.

 

Fully balanced, discrete design, multiple femtos, Sabre 9038 pro.  

 

What's missing?

[Kimo]

27 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

Cool, I hope you like it!

Thanks.  Had to get it to match the amp.  

[Kimo]

1 minute ago, ArthurOtt said:

What inputs does it have? I'd like to see photos of the rear of the unit and some reviews. 

 

Comes with the standard fare; I suppose.  2 Coaxial, 1 USB, 1 optical, 1 AES, and 1 balanced analog in.  Looks like balanced and single ended for outputs.

 

http://linnenberg-audio.de/Manual_SATIE_1.pdf

 

[Kimo]

1 hour ago, matthias said:

 

@Kimo,

what is your set-up upstream of the Satie?

Thanks

 

Matt

 

Innuos Zenith Mk II server and a Sony ubp 800 player for blu ray and dvd.  Belkin gold USB cable, and Apogee coaxial.  VPI table, Soundsmith cartridge, and Avid Pellar phono stage for analog.

[Kimo]

10 hours ago, matthias said:

 

Did you consider a source upgrade, maybe from Zenith to Statement, before upgrading the DAC?

Thanks

 

Matt

 

 

 

Down the line, I may upgrade to the III and add the re-clocker.  

[Kimo]

2 hours ago, matthias said:

 

I mean it would be worth to explore if Statement plus Telemann outperforms Zenith 3 plus Phoenix plus Satie. According to Source First the former combo should be superior.

 

Matt

 

Telemann has already left the building.  I did get a chance to compare, however.  Telemann and Satie have different characters.  Telemann is very lively and bold.  Satie is even keeled, digs in a more, and has less sheen. 

[Kimo]

1 hour ago, mevdinc said:

I'm also looking to upgrade my DAC soon and looking for alternatives.
Linnenberg Satie looks good on paper, hope to read a few reviews before considering more seriously. It has analog input and also built-in preamp, which I like in DACs.

 

I will provide details, as the new unit burns in.  I have heard both Telemann and Satie into Wydor.  They do have different presentations, but both are very clean.

[Kimo]

52 minutes ago, matthias said:

 

IIUC, you compared DACs directly, but not the combos directly, right?

So you do not know which combo sounds best.

 

Matt

 

Both with Zenith Mk ii, Wydor, Alta.

 

Neither with the Statement.  Statement is probably beyond my price point anyway.

[Kimo]

11 hours ago, ThenewGearPPK said:

The jitter numbers look incredibly good.

 

How much was it?

 

 

Retail around 10K.  

[Kimo]

2 hours ago, RickyV said:

 

Isn't that a bit expensive for a of the shelf DAC chip DAC.

 

It is, but it is also serves as a balanced preamp with a very nice analog volume control.  It is hand made by the owner, to my understanding, and imported from Germany, so that adds to the cost, as well.

 

I have the matching amp, so hopefully I will be getting maximum bang for the buck.

[Kimo]

23 hours ago, Air said:

That mine friend has Style!

 

Looks Great!

 

Hows it sound

 

Still burning in, but I am a little stunned.

 

Precise placement with instrument spacing, both front to back and side to side.  Lock solid on imaging.  Neither forward, nor recessed with excellent depth. Low noise floor is obvious.  No hardness, no hash.  No gloss. Plenty of color, yet very clean with great detail.

 

I am pretty amazed at this point.  Sounds better than I can recall, but then again I previously heard a very early unit.

[Kimo]

8 hours ago, matthias said:

 

I had the Telemann for a short time in my set-up.

Please, can you compare Satie to Telemann?

Thanks

 

Matt

 

Telemann is clean, bold, a little sweet, and very extended.  Satie is a much more precise version of Telemann.  Spacing and detail are superb.  Bass is more textured and lines are easier to follow.  Top end is cleaner and just as sweet.  

 

For example, when listening to a studio pan of Santana's guitar, with Satie you can tell the precise moment the left channel hits zero. Lennon's vocal on "Come Together" is more obvious via the studio effect than I had ever heard it before.  On the Lindsey Buckingham "Gift of Screws" CD the compressed mess of the title track is rendered as different instruments clearly defined and jammed together via compression, as opposed to a compressed wall.

 

It also works well as a balanced passive preamp.  No edge or dynamic drop with my phono rig, though it is straight up fully balance input through output.  No RCA options in sight.  I think it would be crazy not to run the Satie directly into your amp.

[Kimo]

I have more hours on the Satie, and it seems to have settled in a little bit further.  The change was not necessarily profound.  Everything seems a bit more cohesive.  

 

I also have paid a little more attention to the line input and have to say it is probably the quietest preamp that I have heard in my system.  I imagine that a fair bit of the performance can be attributed to the analog stage.