Wolfson Enables The Ultimate Audio Experience In Linn's New Akurate DS – "the Future Of Music"

Second successive Linn audio player to use Wolfson's WM8741 DAC [The following is a release from Wolfson Microelectronics]

January 7, 2008

Wolfson Microelectronics today announced that the flagship WM8741 of its AudioPlus™ Pure Sound range, the world's best sounding DAC, is pivotal to the sound experience in Linn's new Akurate DS digital streaming source. The WM8741 manages the high bit rate audio conversion in the Akurate DS - the "future of music" and a new source product that elevates the performance of their most flexible, high performance Akurate component system, to unprecedented levels of accuracy and value. It is the second successive Linn product to use the WM8741, the first being the flagship Klimax DS. Key to Linn's device selection was the WM8741's ability to deliver exceptional quality sound and performance, with a perceived warmth to the music. This is due to Wolfson's proprietary, user selectable, digital filter designs bringing about a new level of audio performance. Furthermore, Linn cited the WM8741 as the "most accurate sounding" and "the only chip out there that fully meets our needs." The WM8741 has also been selected for Linn's flagship system, the Klimax DS, in a-five way competition. "Pure Sound" is part of Wolfson's AudioPlus™ strategy, adding incremental mixed-signal technologies that comprise key elements of the audio signal chain to its core audio technology. The flagship WM8741 chip builds on Wolfson's established track record and audio expertise to deliver its best ever sound. The DAC is capable of delivering 128 dB SNR (mono) and is configurable to meet the most demanding application requirements. It achieves low out-of-band noise and world leading linearity to improve sound quality and has a range of interface options for SACD and CD playback. "The Akurate System is targeted at the audio enthusiast who builds their system step by step and demands exceptional audio performance at every step of the process," commented Gilad Tiefenbrun, Linn's Director of Engineering. "Wolfson's expertise in digital audio conversion enables us to take a no-compromise approach to designing each part for the ultimate sound quality." "The WM8741 is Wolfson's flagship in audio quality" said Peter Frith, Wolfson's CTO. "That Linn's demanding engineers have used the WM8741 in successive product designs speaks volumes about what we as a company can deliver. The knowledge gained during the WM8741 design will also be used to deliver even better audio throughout the Wolfson product range, and everything from phones through game consoles and portable navigation devices will reap the benefits from the leaps made in the WM8741's design." The Akurate DS is being launched at the CES show in Las Vegas and will retail for approximately $6,850.

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