linn artikulat vs espek

Schneir1, what amps are you using to drive your Espeks? I still haven't totally given up on trying active Espeks in my system at some point, especially if I can do so with the Chakra amps (which are simply awesome). Anyone who knows Linn gear will readily acknowledge that you haven't really heard Linn speakers anywhere near their best until you hear them active. But historically it has been an expensive proposition with a three-way speaker like the Espek.

Sorry for the late response but it's been awhile since I came to this forum because my work keeps me quite busy.

For the bass section I am using a 2250. It may be somewhat to powerful, however I already had the amp on hand. For the highs and midrange I am using the new Chakra 4100. Two cards were put in the 4100 and of course one card in the 2250.

This weekend I am working at the Montreal Audio/Video show and I had the opportunity to listen to the Artikulat 340. They were hooked up on the Unidisc 1.1 and a Klimax preamp. Although they sounded real good, I wasn't overwhelmed by the results, or in any case I am not ready to run to my local dealer to get a pair. But let's be fair. A show in a hotel room may not be the best way to demonstrate the full potential of a sound system but somehow I was expecting much more from these speakers.

At this point I still think that the Espek in an active setup is a wise decision. However I fully agree on the fact that if they're not to be used in an active configuration, there are better values out there.

Very interesting, thanks for the response. I am going to be auditioning some active Espeks in a couple of configurations. First with a Chakra 6100 driving them, and second with two Chakra 2200's combined with a C2100. I was unaware you could use a 2250 with Chakra's, as I thought they took different cards.

I love the Chakra 2200 amp, and wish I could swing a way to hear the speakers driven by three them. But either way, I am anxious to hear the Espeks active. I'm waiting for my dealer to get the cards in, and also for my new preamp to arrive. Once that happens (and I shake off this nasty bug that’s been dogging me for a couple of weeks) I’ll be in business.

Let us know about the results.

Cheers