Klyne Audio Arts, Ltd. was established in 1980 by current President and Chief Product Designer Stan Klyne. In the late ‘70’s Mr. Klyne, then a member of the Faculty at The Evergreen State College in Olympia Washington, was independently investigating the fundamental reasons that transistor circuits of that era did not sound as good as vacuum tube circuits. As a result of this basic research, his subsequent solid state circuit designs were to achieve the natural sound quality and dimensionality of vacuum tube circuits without the attendant problems of vacuum tubes. Formation of the company was a natural result of these activities. The first product to be produced was the highly acclaimed SK-1 Moving Coil Step-up Amplifier.

Mr. Klyne’s background heralds a rare combination of Science and Art. He holds two Engineering degrees and has considerable training and experience as a practicing artist. He has received several awards for both his cast bronze and hand-blown glass sculpture. Mr. Klyne has been a Professor of art, design, engineering and environmental design while serving as Member of the Faculty for four years at Lower Columbia College in Longview Washington, and for 12 years at The Evergreen State College. This unique combination of talents is clearly evident in every product designed and produced by Klyne Audio Arts, Ltd.

Company philosophy is based on treating the design and manufacture of premium quality stereo components as an art form, achieving a refined, elegant balance of aesthetic, economic and technical considerations while producing the highest product quality and innovation in circuit design. The ultimate design reference is live music heard in its original setting. Continuous research examining the fundamentals of the physical sciences provides clues to the improvement of these products.

The primary goal is to build music reproduction equipment that gives every owner both the pride in ownership of a handcrafted object and the most satisfying artistic listening experience possible. Thus, in the tradition of all the great arts, the components are completely hand assembled by skilled craftsmen in the Klyne factory. The attention to detail goes into every aspect of the design and production of these exquisite products. Even the face panels and knobs are hand grained and hand polished prior to plating, a continual reminder of the artistic approach which sets these products in a class of their own. Hence the inclusion of the word Arts in the company name.

The distinctive company logo K was designed by renowned American calligrapher Tim Girvin, and has been in use since the inception of the company. Also at that time, a stylized dragonfly image was incorporated by Mr. Klyne as a secondary logo. The dragonfly image can be found gracing the circuit boards of all products, and appears on the front panels of the System Seven products.

Why a dragonfly? A thing of beauty in itself, the dragonfly is considered King of the insect world. It has remained unchanged for some 250 million years, signifying timelessness in design, and complete mastery of its environment. The incredible flight capabilities and general presence of the dragonfly was a childhood fascination to artist/designer Stan Klyne. As a contemporary student of natural history, he reveres to this day the dragonfly as a reminder of the marvelous complexity of the natural world. While the dragonfly symbolizes this great respect and appreciation for nature, it also serves as a reminder of the design goals and accomplishments that Klyne products proudly possess.