Following the success of the company’s flagship Klimax Solo 800, Linn has announced its smaller sibling in the new Klimax Solo 500 monoblock power amplifier.
It may be a physical downsize when compared to the company flagship, but the new Klimax Solo 500 amplifier is, nevertheless, in line with the slimline elegance of Linn’s renowned components from its other lines. Further, the Klimax Solo 500 embodies many of the Klimax Solo 800’s advancements which have been adopted, in relative terms, into an almost diminutive architecture.
Klimax Solo 500’s rear panel features balanced XLR input/output and unbalanced RCA input/output, with each connecting option output allowing amplifier daisy chaining. There are 12V mini-jack in/out triggers, a front panel LED dimmer, an RJ45 service port, and a gold plated grounding post. An IEC socket and high quality speaker binding posts (catering to banana and spade options) round out the connectivity.
As its name suggests, the Klimax Solo 500 is rated at 500 watts into 4 ohms, with the output into 8 ohms stated as 250 watts. The output impedance is given as a low 0.01 ohms at 1 kHz while the Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise (THD+N) is specified at a very low 0.0005% at 4 ohms, 1 kHz at full power and 0.0004% with the same 1 kHz parameter at full power into 8 ohms.
On-board are Linn proprietary technologies also used in Klimax Solo 800. These include the Adaptive Bias Control and Linn’s advanced Utopik power supply technology. The Adaptive Bias Control has been engineered to measure and adjusts bias current at the amplifier’s output. As far as its distortion handling, Linn states, “Solo 500 measures eighty-five times lower total harmonic distortion and noise than its predecessor under typical listening conditions”.
In addition, the Klimax Solo 500 features a new ‘Hybrid Cooling Matrix’ temperature control system. Eschewing heavy and expensive heatsinks, the Hybrid Cooling Matrix features a “hard-anodised thermal plate” which is set at an optimised location within the chassis in order to draw heat away from the circuit electronics. Linn has employed simulation software to engineer the system to form a “labyrinthine network of precisely measured channels”. Plus, when things get loud – and potentially hot – an FPGA-controlled circuit activates dual cooling fans which further control heat dissipation. The result being that internal heat is efficiently drawn up and out of the chassis via the Klimax Solo 500’s top panel venting system.
Linn’s new Klimax Solo 500 monoblock amplifier is available via Advance Audio Australia’s established dealer network around the country.
Linn Klimax Solo 500 Monoblock Amplifier
Price: AU$52,995 each
Australian Distributor: Advance Audio Australia
+61 2 9561 0799
www.advanceaudio.com.au