The death of K400

[ThomasOK]

Linn has just announced the death of K400 speaker cable. It has been removed from the price list and stock is reportedly depleted.

As a replacement Linn has announced the new K200 which is a single-wire with two conductors, positive and negative, as opposed to the 4 conductor, bi-wire K400. It looks like a balanced Silver interconnect but with no shield and bigger conductors. A thin, flexible silver jacket over what appears to be a twisted pair of conductors. Here are some photos:





Here is how Linn describe it:
"K200 is a high quality, low-loss 2-core cable with a flexible and compact casing. This makes it very easy to work with during installation, even when using two runs of cables in a bi-wired system."

One thing for sure is that it is much more expensive than K400 as it sells for $40 a meter in the US compared to $24 a meter for K400. Since it is a single wire cable that puts it at over 3 times the price of K400 split in half.

As the long-standing reference speaker cable here is K400 split in half, this news is certainly received with some trepidation. We certainly look forward to hearing how it will compare musically and hope it is an improvement.

[moog_man]

Thanks for the update, Thomas.
Interesting development given the company's focus on cat5/6 speaker links for Exakt.
If the new cable offers an improvement on K-400 then it's encouraging that they continue to service their analogue customers. Hopefully, it's more than a cosmetic change.

[rowlandhills]

Interesting development.

Not really a surprise, I think it's been on the cards since the death of K600, which meant that 3 way speakers needed a split cable to run aktiv, and the market has certainly shown a willingness to pay a higher price for cables than K400/600.

I'm glad that I have a couple of spare runs of K400 and K600 for own speakers in storage though, at least until I get to hear K200 for myself!

Of course, it does beg the question of how we now refer to our current manually created "K200" (split K400s)...

[macrotech2]

I was told at the Forum event that it was forced on Linn due to supplier issues.

[WIJI]

Interesting development.
Of course, it does beg the question of how we now refer to our current manually created "K200" (split K400s)...

It will now be K200/0 and K200/1, or K200/D (for dearer) :P

Paul

[matthias]

It will now be K200/0 and K200/1, or K200/D (for dearer) :P
Paul

The price in the UK is 25 GBP per metre.

Matt

[Music Lover]

I was told at the Forum event that it was forced on Linn due to supplier issues.

So no improvement then or what?

[sunbeamgls]

The only discussion about "improvement" at the September factory event related to the sleeve colour and the enhanced flexibility. Hope it sounds better too - its a bit more expensive and is probably improving Linn's profits as part of the design brief ;)

[tokenbrit]

Just like the interconnects: 'K200'/Black & K200/Silver - wonder if the optimal length will still be 2.48m...

[Nature]

"...wonder if the optimal length will still be 2.48m..."

Who of you have come to this conclusion?

I'm looking forward to test Linn's new official K200.

[tokenbrit]

"...wonder if the optimal length will still be 2.48m..."

Who of you have come to this conclusion?.

There have been a few threads on this - https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=c ... 2Fforum%2F - but most notably Fredrik himself :)

[macrotech2]

The only discussion about "improvement" at the September factory event related to the sleeve colour and the enhanced flexibility. Hope it sounds better too - its a bit more expensive and is probably improving Linn's profits as part of the design brief ;)

Better in some areas but not in others was the opinion I was given. I wait to hear for myself.

[lejonklou]

"...wonder if the optimal length will still be 2.48m..."

Who of you have come to this conclusion?

I did through a lot of testing and I have since confirmed it many times. In fact the length is so important that if you've only listened to K400's that are shorter than 2 m or longer than 4 m, you don't know how good they can be.

I've made a few tests with other speaker cables and based on that my guess is that the new K200 will not have the exact same optimal length. And until someone finds out what that length is, we won't know how good K200 can be.

Yes, it seems really odd but length is that important.

Better in some areas but not in others was the opinion I was given. I wait to hear for myself.

I say it must be either better or worse.

[ThomasOK]

Nordost claims that the optimum length for their speaker cables is a bit over 4 meters and that it varies a bit with different models. When you order a 4 meter length from them you get the little longer length that is the optimum. I have not verified the findings myself, I just state this as an indication that different cables are very likely to have different optimum lengths. Since the construction of the new K200 cable is constructed quite differently with, at least, different insulation on the individual conductors and a different material for the jacket it is indeed likely it will have a different optimal length.

As to the idea of K200 Black and K200 Silver, using this naming as it is like the interconnects would tend to indicate that the Silver is substantially better. This remains to be seen. I kind of like the K200/0 and K200/1 but then as it is a completely different cable that isn't correct either. What about K400÷2?!

[David Neel]

What about K400÷2?!

Which could also be represented as K400/2 !!

[moog_man]

I like to term mine as Ljnk K-200.

[tokenbrit]

As to the idea of K200 Black and K200 Silver, using this naming as it is like the interconnects would tend to indicate that the Silver is substantially better...

I did consider that implication but, as you say, it remains to be seen, and there was a case recently of someone preferring Blacks to Silver. It was all a little tongue in cheek, which is why I put air quotes around the K200 .. that and the observation that it's rarely Black & White (or Silver ;) to all people; in all situations...

How about Klou200, or OK200 depending on who made it for you? :)

[beck]

I say go with the colour. It is easy to relate to and most people know that they have to listen before making up their mind about the quality of the cable. K200/Black and K200/Silver. K200B and K200S.

[Ozzzy189]

Why not k200 old, (0) k200 new (n)

[matthias]

For me the best is:

K200/B and K200/S

Matt

[Nature]

Having into consideration that Linn might release a black K200 in the same way as they have done with K40. K40 is now available in both silver and black.

[moog_man]

Bit of information about the 4mm conductors from Linn's loudspeaker designer, Phil Budd:
http://forums.linn.co.uk/bb/showthread. ... #pid372058

[matthias]

Bit of information about the 4mm conductors from Linn's loudspeaker designer, Phil Budd:
http://forums.linn.co.uk/bb/showthread. ... #pid372058

Unfortunately no information about K200 with tune-dem.

Matt

[moog_man]

Unfortunately no information about K200 with tune-dem.

Early days still.... no doubt they'll start to trickle in over the next months.

[Spannko]

Has anyone heard K200(S) or heard any rumours about the sound of K200(S) yet?