Wiring and configuration of Linn DS with Surround Processor

Connection diagram

LINN DS with Linn pre-amplifier and any surround processor

The early Linn DSM products do not have surround sound module to decode and playback surround sound streams such as Dolby Digital, DTS etc.
In later Linn DSM products, with HDMI2 switch boards, do have the option of the Linn Surround Module

With the Linn DSM products you can setup an input on the some Linn Preamplifers, (such as the Klimax Kontrol/new Akurate Kontrol) to be unity gain. This will allow you to select the surround processor in Kinsky/Kazoo and control the volume etc directly on the Surround processor

The solution is to set the Linn DSM to have a unity gain input or if you are using a Linn DS products you can setup an input on the some Linn Preamplifers, (such as the Klimax Kontrol/Akurate Kontrol) to be unity gain.

If you are using the LINN DSM as a HDMI switch which is then feeding the HDMI into a Surround processor before feeding the Front Left/Right analogue channels to the Linn DSM analogue inputs; Make sure that the Surround Mode is set to STEREO on the Linn DSM configuration. (In Surround mode: Surround NO audio is passed out of the HDMI OUT connector on the Linn DSM.

Linn DSM and analogue surround processors

e.g AV5103/Kisto/Kinos/Akurate Kontrol) and/or with Exakt speakers

By default, the Linn DSM can only process multi-channel [Surround_Sound| PCM surround audio via the HDMI connections]].
The alternative is using DSM products with HDMI2 connection and Linn Surround Module

To use a Linn DSM with Multi-channel PCM (that is, WITHOUT a Linn Surround module:

If you are using analogue video (SCART/Composite/RGB etc) surround processors, the surround audio is only available via SPDIF/TOSLINK. This type of connection does not support Multi-channel PCM audio, (this is the only surround format that the Linn DSM products can process).

Source settings - click to enlarge

The solution for the Linn DSM is to use an analogue input of the Linn DSM as the left/right audio pass-thru: (diagram on top of this page)

1. Setup an analogue input on the DSM for Unity Gain
   
2. Setup the Delay mode for Video sync or Minimal(If this is set to Songcast sync, this will add at least 150mS delay to the pass through audio)
   
3. If you are using the Exakt outputs on the Linn DSM you will need to compensate for the Exakt delay by changing the speaker distances in the Surround Processor/Receiver:
   

• Front left/Right (Exakt speakers) to the furthest distance possible on the Surround Processor speaker position (28ft/8.5M on the Kinos/Kisto)
• all other speaker distances, (including centre) to 0ft/0M

This will send the audio to the Linn DS at least 28mS before the rest of the audio is output from the AV Processor and minimise any Exakt processing delay.

The Linn DSM will have no control over the Kisto/Kinos, so we advise that

• start-up source Enabled on Linn DSM is enabled and
• set Startup source to the analogue input to which the Kisto/Kinos audio outputs are connected into.
  
  

The user will have to bring the Linn DSM out sleep mode, this will then automatically select the analogue input.
NOTE: the IR commands for the Kisto/Kinos may also change the inputs on the Linn DSM, so we advice that the IR is disabled on the Linn DSM and only controlled by the Kinsky/Kazoo UI.