Linn Classik All-in-one box solutions

The Linn has pre-out. Great feature! Down the road, you can piece-meal a higher quality separates system. You can plug in an outboard amplifier, bypassing the Linn amp, while maintaining all the other Linn pre-amp, tuner & CD functions. It's a great way to bettter the Linn sound, and logically build into a separates system, or a second system.
btw, I find the CD sound quite pleasing in the Linn. The remote us absurdly large, not particularly logical in its layout, and not well balanced ergonimically.

A really great sounding 2 box solution is the Quad 99 CDP (CD player with analog variable volume control and extra digital inputs for DVD, cable, etc)and a Quad 99 or Quad 909 amp. Check out the professional reviews. Absolute Sound and others have loved this combo.

Enjoy,

TIC

Great feedback guys! Thanks to all.

Steuspeed,

I have another rather unorthodox suggestion. If you desire good sound, but don't want to spend much money, try to find a Sharp SD-EX111. This is trickle down technology from the original $15,000 Sharp Digital Integrated Amp that graced the cover of Stereophile a few years ago. The EX111 was sold on close-out at Overstocks.com for $70! I bought one after reading about it at audiocircle.com. There is a 2000+ post thread about it there.

Anyway, the Sharp is pretty darn good. It has digital switching amps, a pre-amp, CD and tuner in one small, cheap plastic package. It looks decent, sounds very good and can be bought for $100-200 when they show up from time to time. Also, Vinnie at RedWine Audio has several different mods for this unit that can take it to a much higher level of fidelity.

I've read a few post where folks have replace multi-thousand dollar separates with this unit.

Enjoy,

TIC