Linn exits CD market, claims digital streaming is the future of high-quality music delivery

In a surprise move, high-end home entertainment manufacturer Linn Products Limited has announced that it is ceasing production of CD players from the start of 2010.

In what the company is describing 'a testament to the supremacy of digital streaming technology', the company is shifting its focus onto Linn DS digital music streamers and the ability to download 192kHz original studio masters to listen to in the home.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Managing Director Gilad Tiefenbrun (pictured left) claimed that, 'While we expected a slow shift from CD to digital media streamers following the launch of our Klimax DS player  back in 2007, the truth is that in the past two years sales of CD players actually declined by more than 40 per cent. Meanwhile, DS player sales surpassed expectations, increasing by over 40 per cent to the point where they now make up almost 30 per cent of Linn's overall sales'. Today the DS range has grown to encompass six different models, varying in the level of performance, integration and application requirements.

Up to the task?
When asked about the current internet infrastructure in the UK and whether it was up to the task of fulfilling Linn's vision of the future of high-quality music delivery, the company's MD thinks the existing problems lie elsewhere. 'I think that the internet is up to the task of delivering high quality audio, the download speeds are there. The main problem is that the major record labels haven't got their act together yet when it comes to making original studio masters available'.

While Tiefenbrun believes that the natural move for the high-quality audio market is away from CD to digital streaming, the company will still support vinyl. 'We're going to continue to innovate around vinyl' he says, 'We think there's no reason why the analogue and digital propositions can't live side-by-side as methods of getting high-quality music. We're still absolutely committed to vinyl'. He also stressed that the company would continue to support DVD in the interim, due to a lack of clarity both in the industry and for consumers as to the immediate future of video delivery (be it DVD, Blu-ray or digital streaming) due to the number of competing formats.