We have been doing some experimenting recently with a new look for our amps, DSPs, pre-amps, and integrated amps. We have landed on a wood front that everyone here seems to really like. A big advantage to these wood fronts is they can be made to match your Axiom speakers or your electronics cabinet or anything else you’d like. Everyone’s input on this new look would be greatly appreciated. The metal piece in the centre would be the same size for every model. The amps would have the power switch on one end and the blue LED on the other. The pre-amps, integrated amps, and DSPs would have all the additional controls between the power switch and LED.



3U Chassis in Maple





3U Chassis in Cherry





3U Chassis in Walnut





2U Chassis in Rosewood


In case you are asking yourself “what pre-amps and integrated amps?”; we have had one available in our line of DSPs in the Customize Yours section of our LFR Series Omnidirectional speakers for quite some time. We will now expand this to make it available as a separate pre-amp, integrated amp, or integrated zone amp.

Nice!

“what pre-amps and integrated amps?”

Ian, I love the look of the original face plate but really like the idea.
My next amp will match the first, either that or I'd need(want) to send the 1000 back and have matching faces installed.
I'm looking for a pre amp too. If it hasn't been considered already maybe a video could be produced which would speak more about them, the level of customization, number of channels, etc.
Good to hear you're still working R&D in the background.
Too bad I couldn't be a guinea pig, you send me a cool product, I use it, buy it, you know...


Edit: one more thing, would it be possible to have the top and bottom edges (or sides or both) match that of the corners of the towers?

Hmm,

My Salamander equipment shelves along with my Axiom VP180, M80s and all other speakers(6-QS 8s) are in the "High Gloss" piano black finish. Will that finish be an option and since it seems to be just one piece connected by four screws(or is it more complicated than that), any idea yet as to a projected cost?

They look pretty sweet to me.

All our High Gloss finishes would be available.

Ian,

I'm not sure that i am a fan of the wood front plate. Personally, i'd rather have the machined piece of aluminium.


I would say if you're going to go forward with the wooden face plates. Switch to counter sunk hardware, as this will increase the the overall presentation of the end product.


that's my 2 cents.

Definitely brushed aluminum for me.

I like the idea, too, even if I'll stick with the existing look. Great option for people looking to coordinate their aesthetics even more.

Will the machined aluminum still be available?

I think the original look is better. These look too homemade.

I am from the school that believes the case should be minimal, with all relevant engineering and money spent on the inside to build the best possible product - at least in audio anyway

The plan is to have the centre piece available in three brushed aluminum finishes; Black, Silver, and Gold. There is no reason the whole thing could not be done in any of these finishes for someone who did not want the retro wood around it.

I like the look of the electronic pieces from back in the 1970's. Such as a Marantz gold front plate with some rich looking wood framing it.

I used to have a Soundcraftsman 10 band per channel (stereo) equalizer with a brushed silver front plate and a wooden cabinet. Loved the look.

My preference would be to have the machined front with wood side panels. 1976 is calling me.

A fantastic option IMO.
Our main floor system would work better with a steel finish while the basement system could work with wood. Having both media available makes sense.

Personally i like the outset screws as well. It is different from alot of other brands that use a flush screw.
One thing about 'high end' audio is that the aesthetics need to astonish or you won't get the price premium on its sticker tag.
The lovely blue lights of a Mcintosh continue to mesmerize me...and Aragon had a cool architectural aesthetic.

only problem I see is most other electronics are aluminum and these would not match them. very cool option to have though, as long as you can still get aluminum.

I think they look a little strange all naked and alone like that, but in situ I bet it would be a whole different story. Would it be a pain to make the case screws flush with front panel (and perhaps the top, too)?

Story of my life.

I think it would look better beveled like the speakers, but I do love the brushed black face.

It reminds me of what the love child amp of Bel Canto and Blue Circle Audio would be.

Another vote for aluminum here.

I will be honest and say I can't quiet adjust to the wooden plates. It just looks a bit too "home made" in my minds eye for a piece of high end electronics.

However, it's all subliminal and subjective in the end. So offering more choices is never a bad thing if the business case works.

If only one piece of equipment had the wooden front there's a good chance it would look out of place, but I gather from Ian's initial post that the product line is expanding to the point that you could potentially have a rack full of similarly configured components. At that point I think the wooden fronts would start to look pretty slick.

One question I had is whether the sheet metal holding the controls would be flush with the front of the wood or whether the controls would end up recessed into the cut-out. I'm not sure which answer I want, since recessing the controls would make it easy to support a metal front or a wood front but would also interfere with access to controls.

The one use case I see being problematic is the following :

- initially customer buys a single Axiom component to use with their other existing electronics (so black metal front plate strongly preferred)

- subsequently customer purchases other Axiom components, now having them all with matching wood fronts might be really cool

This implies an update path from metal to wood without recessing the controls too far behind the wood. Maybe we just need really thin wood ?

I imagine a reversible panel with black metal on one side & wood on the other would be too much to ask for

I am also wondering how a full rack of equipment with the new wood fronts would look. Would all the cutouts make it look too busy? To help with this would it be possible to have an option to have a plain wood face only for equipment such as amps and DSPs that don't really need front controls?

I'm picturing a wood equipment rack where all the wood-faced equipment looks like drawers. Put them all on extra-length drawer sliders and you can pull 'em out to rewire them!

Imagine (or photoshop) square ends on the cut-out, instead of rounded. It would look less home made. Also, maybe a rabbeted edge on the cut-out.
As it is, it just looks like a routed slot - the kind of thing I could do downstairs in half an hour.
I'm making this more complicated and more expensive...
I also like the idea of wooden side panels.

Did somebody request a photoshop? Here's what I think you're talking about:

Nice. Now it's just missing the glowing Cylon eye moving back and forth.

It looks like it would be one of those laser disc players from the 80s.

Very interested by the integrated amplifier. Any spec yet or release date yet ?

That's just what I was thinking of. Thanks!
But now that I've seen it, I'm not convinced. this may be one of those ideas that sounded really good until we tried it.
I have lots of those.


What do you call a wooden toaster?

These look nice! Though, I am partial to the aluminum myself. I have the ADA-1000 (love it!) and the aluminum front plate. I was glad to read elsewhere that aluminum will continue to be available for those that want it.