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Linn Digital Stream Players

Linn's DS players represent a new category of hi-fi source product: open, digital music players that stream digital audio over a standard home network.

There are currently two DS players in the range:

Klimax DS

Akurate DS

Key features:

• Play the highest quality music formats available today, and are software upgradeable for future releases.

• Dynamically reconfigure themselves to handle the format or sample rate at native quality.

• Music is stored remotely on a standard networked hard drive array, delivering a secure, flexible, reliable and upgradeable solution.

• A hand-held, wireless touchscreen provides quick and easy access and control of music; incorporating Linn graphical touchscreen control software, the touchscreen delivers a rich user experience and controls the full hi-fi system.

• Remote storage and no moving parts within the DS players means that the delicate music signal is never disturbed.

• Open for control by third-party control devices.
• Support FLAC, WAV and MP3.

DS players operate within a standard Ethernet network. There are six components involved in the network.

1. Ethernet switch

This device is the connection point for all other components on the network allowing all components to communicate with each other.

For more information, see Ethernet switch.

2. Wireless Access Point (WAP)

Plugs into the switch thereby allowing wireless components to communicate with wired ones.

For more information, see Wireless Access Point.

3. PC/laptop

The PC or laptop is a standard computer that is used during setup and configuration of the DS system. The same, or another computer, may be used after setup to add new music to the NAS. In order for the computer to communicate with the DS system, it must be connected to the switch.

For more information, see PC/laptop.

4. NAS

Securely stores music on a hard drive array. Additionally, the NAS runs three important pieces of software:

a. Media Server: Indexes and allows retrieval of the music from the NAS.

b. DHCP Server: Responsible for allocating IP addresses to all devices on the network.

c. Network Sharing Protocols: Allows computers to place new music on the NAS.

For more information, see NAS.

5. Wireless control point

Allows the user to browse, select, and control the playback of music. It requests information about the location of the music from the Media Server and then passes this information to the DS player.

For more information, see Wireless control point.

6. DS player

Follows instructions from the wireless control point to retrieve music on the demand from the NAS and then transforms the digitally stored music into high quality analogue audio. The DS players are compatible with WAV, FLAC and MP3 files.

For more information, see Klimax DS or Akurate DS.

The above describes the default network architecture for a DS system. Many other network configurations are possible, depending on specific requirements.