Linn's carefully hidden Exakt separates system consists of the following key components:
An "Exakt ready" streamer / pre-amp (such as Klimax DSM / Akurate System Hub / Majik DSM amongst others)
A proprietary Exaktlink cable which uses standard Ethernet cables
An Exaktbox which is essentially a digital active crossover and digital signal processor, amongst other things (such as Akurate Exaktbox10 / Klimax Exaktbox)
Power amps, which can be from Linn or any other manufacturer.
However, there is an option to combine the last 2 elements - the Exaktbox and the power amps. This is called an Exaktbox-i and combines 8 channels of DAC / digital active crossover and 8 channels of power amplifiers in Linn's normal just-a-bit-narrower-than-standard box. There's really only one of these in the range, but it has evolved in the 4 or 5 years it has been available:
1 - Intitially it was a Majik Exaktbox-i containing Majik level DACs and 100W power amps, all in the Majik level casing
2 - Then it was re-badged the Akurate Exaktbox-i but still contained Majik level DACs and 100W power amps, but now in the more substantial Akurate casing. This version was very short lived, soon replaced by:
3 - Akurate Exaktbox-i with Akurate level Katalyst architecture DACs but sill with Majik level 100W power amps in Akurate level casing
As is often Linn practice, those who bought the earlier products don't get left behind when there's an upgrade. So it is possible to have a Majik Exaktbox-i upgraded to Akurate Katalyst Exaktbox-i internals but retaining the Majik casing. The first Akurate Exaktbox-i can also be upgraded but I expect most of those were done pretty much automatically as there was a deal where the cost to upgrade was only the difference in price between Katalyst and non-Katalyst versions. It would be very odd to find one of these that hadn't been upgraded, given the small price to do so.
I've been using an original "pre-loved" Majik Exaktbox-i for a while for Exakt filter design activities. For some reason, now seemed to be the right time to take that up to Katalyst specification. So that has allowed me to make comparisons between the circuitry of the non-Katalyst and Katalyst versions.
A similar comparison of the Akurate Exaktbox10 (April 2018) is here.
Much has been written about the musical capability of the upgrade from Linn's previous generation DAC to the Katalyst DAC, and I can't think of anyone who has anything but praise. An example is here regarding the upgrade in Linn's onboard active Akubarik speakers. So I'll not write about that here as it is well trodden path. With the upgrade being applied to the Exaktbox-i back at the Linn factory, there's no ability to directly compare the 2 products back to back.
To the photos. Note that every single audio board (DACs are combined with the power amps) and the Exakt processing board are changed in the upgrade - the photos with the green circuit boards are the Majik non-Kat version, the black circuit boards are the upgraded Kat version. The PSU and the casework is untouched, save for the addition of a Katalyst sticker on the underside.
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| Externally the box is unchanged |
BEFORE AND AFTER UPGRADE COMPARISON PHOTOS:
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| The most obvious difference from an overall perspective is the change from green to black and gold boards |
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| Each side of the enclosure has 4 channels of power amps (the chips bonded to the heatsink are the obvious components) and 2x stereo DACs. The DACs above are the cross-shaped cluster of an oblong chip surrounded by 8 smaller chips |
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| Here you can see the difference in the DAC architecture - now we have the 2x stereo DACs which are the 2x flat square chips - the board layout is very different |
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| The "flyover" board down one side of the enclosure is the Exakt processing board. The above original layout has 3x FPGA processors - the large flat square chips. The one on the left is the "master" processor with the other 2 processing 4 channels each |
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| On the new board there is one more powerful FPGA chip in the centre doing the work formerly done by 3x separate chips |
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| Board labelling for channel 5 to 8 DAC / power amp board has been relocated |
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| Relocated labelling for the Exakt board |
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| The increased complexity and density of the components surrounding the DACs is clear in this comparison. The Katalyst DAC has multiple different regulated power supplies which probably explains this increase in components |
SOME KATALYST ONLY PHOTOS:
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| Xlinx FPGA that does all the Exakt processing |
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| DACs and power amps for channels 1 to 4 live in the shadow of the Exakt board |