Linn Klimax Solo 800 Mono Power Amplifier

Introduced in January 2024, the Klimax Solo 800 is a single-channel amplifier built around what Linn calls Adaptive Bias Control. A conventional Class AB stage has its bias current set once at the factory and then drifts with temperature, load and signal level, which is where crossover distortion creeps in. In the Solo 800 the bias of each of the sixteen output transistors is measured and corrected continuously while music plays, so the amplifier holds its intended operating point whatever the speaker and volume. Linn pairs this with voltage rail control (the company's "Class-V" scheme) and a 2 kW Utopik switch-mode power supply with precision-regulated rails and soft switching, in which a resonant circuit brings the voltage across each switch to zero before it changes state. On the bench that yields THD+N of 0.0004 percent at 400 W into 8 Ω and 0.0006 percent at 1.2 kW into 2 Ω, with an output impedance of 0.01 Ω. Amplifier and supply circuitry mount directly to large machined heatsinks, so the chassis runs silently with no fan; the roundel on the front reports status through 100 individual LEDs.

Reviewers describe an amplifier that adds little of its own. Jason Victor Serinus, writing in Stereophile, called the Solo 800 "one of the most neutral monoblocks I've reviewed," praised its fine detail and its distinction of tonal color, and found the bass "quite fine," while noting that it is a little less forthright than his reference monoblocks and that some rivals produce denser, weightier images. Alan Sircom in Hi-Fi+ heard tight bass control, a wide and well-defined stage and composure at every level: "Everything under control, everything in reserve." He reported that the amplifiers stayed cool driving Wilson Sasha DAW speakers at near-PA levels, and cautioned that listeners who prefer a warm, soft presentation should choose partnering components with that in mind.

Each Solo 800 has one RCA and one balanced XLR input, a matching pass-through pair so a second amplifier can be daisy-chained for bi-amping, and a single pair of binding posts. Gain is 28.6 dB on RCA and 22.6 dB on XLR. A music-sensing trigger drops the amplifier into a low-power state after twenty minutes of silence, or a 12 V trigger can do the same. The Exakt Link socket is for service only; this is an analog power amplifier and takes its signal from any preamplifier. In a Linn system the source is a Klimax DSM or Selekt DSM, and the obvious partner is the 360 Passive with Active Bass, whose passive 360 Array can be driven from one stereo pair of monoblocks or tri-amped from six channels. With 800 W into 4 Ω it will also drive low-sensitivity or low-impedance speakers from other makers without strain.

The Solo 800 sits above the Klimax Solo 500, which uses the same Adaptive Bias Control and Utopik supply in a chassis a third of the height and delivers 250 W into 8 Ω and 500 W into 4 Ω. The step up buys more than double the power, a 2 Ω rating and far more heatsink mass for difficult loads. The listed price is for one mono amplifier; a stereo system needs two. It is finished in silver or black anodized aluminum and weighs 59.6 lb.