Linn Genki (1999–)

The Linn Genki was introduced in 1999 at $1,995. It was positioned as the affordable way into Linn's balanced-design philosophy (Audio, December 1999, p.53). The Absolute Sound described the core idea as a fully balanced topology, balanced from the DAC to the output, at a price that undercut the usual cost of entry. Inside is a 24-bit/192kHz Burr-Brown PCM1738 DAC. Linn dropped the digital filter entirely and used a simple first-order analogue filter instead. The output stage runs in pure Class A. The power supply has a sealed toroidal transformer, with separately regulated supplies for the analogue and digital stages. The rear panel has both balanced XLR and single-ended RCA connections, plus a phase invert switch.

Audio magazine (December 1999, p.53) reviewed the Genki under the headline "A CD player for grownups," and the review was mostly enthusiastic. The bass had the weight and substance you'd expect from a 12-inch single, with speed and punch that were almost reason enough to forgive the format's decline. The reviewer rated the Genki's handling of HDCD discs among the best he had heard. He did hear a hint of artifice in the treble - not sibilance, but a slight nasality on some material, as with Steve Stills' voice, that he couldn't quite pin down. The review also noted that the remote's display could scroll through every track and time permutation, and that it indicated HDCD disc presence and level when using the variable outputs.

Other period commentary was also mixed-positive. Stereophile found it "musical and involving" with outstanding low-level resolution. It also noted the treble could sound slightly rolled-off on some recordings, that the player lacked the last word in dynamics, and that it couldn't quite match the timing of the best Naim players. Period reviews compared the Genki against players from Naim and Rega, and against a field that included the Krell KAV-300cd at $4,200, more than double the Genki's price (Audio, December 1999, p.61).

Known Specifications

DAC: Burr-Brown PCM1738, 24-bit/192kHz
Topology: Fully balanced, DAC to output
Digital filter: None — simple first-order analogue filter instead
Output stage: Class-A buffered
Power supply: Sealed toroidal transformer, separately regulated analogue and digital supplies
Outputs: Balanced XLR and single-ended RCA
Extras: Phase invert switch, remote control with variable output
Intro price: $1,995 (1999)

The available sources don't document exact electrical measurements - THD, signal-to-noise, frequency response. No production end-year has been confirmed. What exists on the Genki is a handful of period reviews, not a full technical record.