Linn Ikemi.

The Linn ikemi is a cd player from Scottish hifi manufacturer Linn. It is a midi sized unit and is surprising in that it cost £2,200 and weighs virtually zero! It really is light as a feather although do not think that it isn't well built as it has incredible build quality.

The reason it is light is because of Linn's insistence of using switch mode power supplies. The bonus is they weigh nothing and they are also not affected too much by mains condition. The other thing about this player and it is a huge bonus, is the cd draw itself. It about the best engineered piece of metal work you will see.

It is amazing and is so sturdy you can actually pick the whole cd player up by its draw! I have done this a few times, probably not recommended but it shows the kind of engineering that has gone into the building of this fine machine.

Sound wise this is typical Linn. Fast, refined, smooth and very detailed. You can hear just about everything in the mix. Although rather than sound analytical it sounds warm and silky. It has beautiful tone and the way it flows from passage to passage is a real delight.

The best thing about this particular unit is the way it handles pitch. Linn always make the claim of producing pitch perfect hifi and they are not kidding! I have never heard anything at any price that handles pitch the way this does. It gets every harmonic perfect within a note, so when a singer sings it is pitch perfect (you would hope!) You would think that pitch is something that all hifi, especially at this price level achieves but it so rarely does and once you hear it done properly there's no going back!

Other strengths include timing. It is always on the beat. It also sounds very energetic. You get a real sense of musical energy. It is also incredibly relaxing to listen to, this is probably down to how well it separates the different instruments within a particular piece.

It has also something to do with the perspective it places on the recording. Linn equipment does not sound live, it very much follows what ever is recorded and the music always sounds very far back from the speakers. It is not projected in your face you will have most probably heard the expression laid back when people talk about Linn products, this is what they are referring to. It is certainly very distinctive and Linn fans love it!

If there are any bad points about the ikemi I have yet to find them. It is dynamic enough, times well, is very smooth, there is certainly no grain, it sounds like a proper hi-end cd player. If you are a fan of Linn and have a lesser machine I can recommend you listen to this as soon as possible.

To be honest even if you are not a fan of Linn I would urge you to hear one of these players. Only If your after a live sounding machine or perhaps want something slightly bigger and bolder sounding would I suggest that there are other avenues to venture down. Other than that try one soon, you might like it!

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Almost impossible to judge what these players will cost. Because Linn products thankfully have a long shelf life it will depend on the age and condition. Expect to pay not much less than £750 for an early model and not much more than £1000 for a late model.