Did she specify what she didn’t like? I have a pair of 702s2, but don’t like the look of the signature range. Loud/busy veneer, and high gloss on top. I wouldn’t have gotten them for that reason alone (had they been available at the time)
Hi n-lot
“Loud/busy veneer, and high gloss on top”
Exactly this, plus the sharp angles. And to be true full, I’m in agreement with her.
Dashing
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The non-signature versions are of course still available and look much nicer.
From what I’ve read the upgraded crossover alone is not worth the premium for the signature versions.
And perhaps the schematics will become available so at some point so we’ll be able to upgrade ours to signature 
Well, I’m planning ahead here, next for me is an amplifier before speakers. When I get round to actually choosing a pair, they could be something else on the market.
Dashing
I wonder what Mrs Dashing would make of these. Rather than something from the 60s they look like something from the 80s to me. I don’t like modern curvy blingy shiny speakers - a speaker should look like a speaker.
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Thank you HH,
Actually, I’ve been admiring you system for some months now. I like the simplicity of it and perhaps I shouldn’t admit this, I’ve downloaded an image of it, so I can refer to it, occasionally. Hope you don’t mind?
But, I wouldn’t want the streamer, I’m satisfied with the Muso.
Dashing
Sound first for me, but looks are still very important. One of my favourite understated pieces of hi-fi I have ever owned was the original Cambridge P50/II from the 70s (no relation to the Cambridge company of today):
My current Linn Klimax DS/1 streaming DAC also falls into this category:
On the ‘bling but nice’ front, I would put my old Transcriptors Hydraulic Reference turntable (which I used with the Cambridge amp) and my current Michell Gyro/Orbe. But one of my favourite pieces of hi-fi kit I have owned was my old Primare 928 pre and 928 Monoblock amplifiers (when they were a Danish Company). I am sure that they will have a marmite impact on people, but I loved both their sound quality and their looks:
They were a long time resident on display in the Danish Museum of Industrial Art, and a long time resident in my main Hi-Fi system up until around 6 or 7 years ago.
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For me both are important, with sound being the most important, but that doesn’t mean i would have some pig ugly speakers or boxes in my set up, just because they sounded a bit better.
I dont mind just plane looking black boxes, but i have to say looking at the lovely lines you get on the rossini and clock, tend to make you feel that most don’t even try, which is a shame these days.
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One thing I’ve found is that if the hifi is ugly or even just neutral in appearance, you’re much more inclined to think about your upgrade path and what to get next. Whereas the truth of things that look really good and, more importantly, look really good in a room, is that you hold off because it just visually works so well in the room.
I certainly don’t have a problem with a lot of black boxes or multiple racks. I have the space and no opposition from Mrs. FZ. But I recently dropped in system temporarily that looks so damned good, and gives such a warm fuzzy feeling, I’m not sure I’ll be able to switch back.
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That’s absolutely true for me. I even notice this when I have demo items at home. If they blend in, I’m not as critical and vice versa.
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Yes - a little, although the current Primare is pretty much an entirely different company.
The original company was Danish, and concentrated on very high end (and expensive) amps and CD players, and and the Primares I had were from that vintage. I hasten to add that I purchased my amps second hand from the designer himself who was replacing them with his latest design. I wouldn’t have been able to afford the ridiculously high new price.
Primare were taken over by a Swedish company who moved them to Sweden and more into a mainstream product range. They still make some exceedingly good stuff though!
That Luxman set is simply gorgeous…
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I also had a Cambridge Audio P50
I think I bought it both on looks and a very good review which I kept longer than the amp but have now lost it 
Wish I kept the amp for looks alone.
Also had the matching T55 Tuner
http://www.hifi-antique.com/images/cambridge_audio_t55_brochure.pdf
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Always liked the “form follows function” way of doing things
The older Kudos Titan T88s work for me both in looks and sound
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The picture shows my Bow Technologies ZZ One amp. Bo Christensen founded the company after he left Primare. The first products were the One amp and Eight as matching CD-Player. I had both in the original black/gold finish. The player is still around, but no longer in use, as its mechanism tends to act up. I foolishly sold my amp and still miss it. A little more than a year ago I bought a virtually unused late model from a limited run in “Bentley Silver” finish. That’s the one in the picture.
Sugden a21se.
Am I the only one that goes a little wobbly kneed when looking at this special cast signature version ?
Just look at that power on button. Who wouldn’t want to have a little swagger when getting up to turn up the volume.
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Ah yes - I should have realised that . I actually considered buying the Bow CD player (another of his designs) at one point, but it was just too expensive for me at the time. Lovely bits of kit in their day.
I actually bought my Primare 928 Monoblocks from Bo Christiansen himself. He had just replaced them in his own system with one of his later designs. Although he no longer had a 928 pre, he did offer to try to locate one for me, and around 2 months later one of his friends who was a hi-fi dealer in Denmark sent one to me. The Primares were lovely and served me well for many years. I still remember Ken Kessler describing them in ‘HiFi News’ as the best amplifiers he had ever heard driving his Martin Logan electrostatic speakers.
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