The Lazy Days of Summer Case Review

Kingwin K11-BK-WM

The K11-BK-WM from Kingwin is not a bad introduction to the world of low-cost aluminum cases.

The Kingwin K-11 is a modestly priced, small, aluminum chassis that rounds out Kingwin's product line. Kingwin has been getting more aggressive with its marketing and the introduction of new and more updated models. The K11-BK-WM is a unique offering in the Kingwin family, as it is modestly priced for an aluminum chassis and has a very sharp looking black finish. It would appear that Kingwin has been spending more time on its branding and name recognition, and one sure way to accomplish this is to offer consumers affordable products with the hope that they will upgrade to more advanced and higher priced Kingwin offerings at a later time.

The appearance of the Kingwin K11-BK-WM is pleasing and is almost like a "Mini Me" version of Kingwin's higher priced models. As is always the case with moderately priced products, some sacrifices had to be made in order for this model to fit within Kingwin's product line. The K11-BK-WM offers a unique introduction to the world of Kingwin cases. The finish of this aluminum, jet black case is polished with a high sheen, giving it an impressive look; however, due to the compact size of the case, the inside is cramped in some areas, but is not as crowded as other cases in the same size range in this review. This is partly due to Kingwin's wise decision to stick with what has traditionally worked, modeling the K11-BK-WM after its other offerings. The case is very light, and can be easily picked up with two fingers (with nothing installed). It exhibits some bend and significantly more twist than usual with a lighter case. Kingwin uses several cross member joints that are riveted into the front and back of the case to offer more support, but it appears to us that the K11-BK-WM gains more strength from the acrylic front panel on the case. This seems to provide the case a unique ability to compensate for the thin aluminum used.