Linn has just announced the release of a limited number of Klimax products in a Black Anodized finish as shown in the photo below (click on it for a larger image). The Klimax DS, Kontrol, Twin and Solo will all be available in this finish as will a very limited number of Radikals.
Following the release of the limited edition anniversary versions in Black Anodized finish recently, which sold out before many Linn dealers were even told they existed :( , Linn received so much interest in the black versions that they have made a number more in this finish. The limited, numbered anniversary edition versions (only 30 total) which featured Ivor's signature had to be purchased as a set and had a price premium. In contrast, the currently available black units may be purchased singly and sell for the same price as the silver versions.
Linn is not saying how many of each they have available but I would hope that there are more than 30. Maybe if they sell well enough it will eventually become a standard finish, as it should. :)
I don't understand the point in making this finish a limited edition anniversary thing - at a premium price. Plain silly - just add them to the range right away!
Klimax Xovers were not listed among the items available.
I agree with Fredrik on the questionability of the anniversary special editions - especially as they were celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Klimax Solo with special versions of the DS and KK??? I expect they mainly served to enrich Linn while also gauging the interest in a black finish.
I am hopeful that this further "limited" batch is also designed to see how popular they are and that quick sales of the already built units will lead to black becoming a standard finish for all Klimax products. Since Linn is able to offer these items at the same price as the silver units it must not cost them more to make them, so why not just add them to the standard finishes. I don't expect they will have any problems selling them.
I think silver and maple or black and darker brown woods work best, although I've seen black and maple also work well.
Agree that the LK boxes look really good in black and not nearly so good in silver. The black Kolektor I picked up looks great in the flesh - not sure black LKs come across so well in photos to do them justice. It looks really solid and purposeful in the flesh. Silver LKs took a bit plastic and cheap.
Think silver has a higher WAF as black tends to draw more attention to the stereo - not good. I used to have black Kans with black stands and black components on black rack. It was way too much and when I first moved in with my wife she hated it. All-black can work though in the right room, but you probably need white walls to contrast the black and make it into more of a feature (God listen to me - I sound like a home interior designer) Azazello's system works very well I think in all-black. That's in a reasonable sized room as well which helps.
I'm sure there are quite a few who like silver. We tend to sell a fair number of silver boxes from all our companies who make them (Linn, Rega, Arcam, etc.) but black still sells better overall.
I think the problem is that the silver finish on the LK boxes (and the AV as well, as far as I'm concerned) just doesn't look as classy as the black finish. The Arcam silver finish, which uses an aluminum front panel, really looks better than the standard Linn finish.
The Klimax series, with their machined from solid aluminum case, are the exception. They are very classy looking and I have had no complaints having that clean, slim box at the top of my stack of black LK boxes - soon to be a shorter stack of black AV and LK boxes. But, as you can see in the photo the black Klimax is easily as classy looking as the silver. I expect a black Klimax will look even better on top of that black stack!
I somtimes wonder if the Klimax chasing was designed by pininfarina and not a hifi company.
If you start to analyse it , its design is differece from all the other hifi gear i have seen.
Im incline to say that a femal designer had somthing to say when the design toke place.
One of the evidence of this is that everything is so well poportioned, there is nothing that sticks out.
Most hifi gear have somthing that lest you know that it wassnet designed by somone that knows the meaning of exquisite
Most gear are ether to large, have big voltmeters , big feet , to small feet , to wide , to tall,to big buttons, and the list goes on.
What i espicaly like about the silver coloure and i suspekt it migt have been the design teams idea to , is the way the halfmoon black screen stands in contrast to the silver chasing.
It jost looks so right to me, having it all black ruins this effect IMO.
But again looking at the klimax kontrol , down to the small silver buttons in the fornt ,to the placment and size of the screen and the sligtly curved cut in the aluminium, and the placment and synagi in the design , it simply couldent have been done without a serious (none stereotype hifi ) design team behind it.
No there dossent excist a better looking Hifi design IMO then the Klimax
ThomasOK wrote:just doesn't look as classy as the black finish.
Most items are classier in black; cars (check), clothing (check) house (check). Black items are simply more elegant in a relaxed laidback way.
And what is nicer than a sun tanned blonde? :mrgreen:
ThomasOK wrote:just doesn't look as classy as the black finish.
Most items are classier in black; cars (check), clothing (check) house (check). Black items are simply more elegant in a relaxed laidback way.
And what is nicer than a sun tanned blonde? :mrgreen:
How can you compare "Classier black" with sun tanned blonde? Not the same level..... (Sorry OT)....
