Munich 2015

Sort By:  Post Date TitlePublish Date
Jason Victor Serinus  |  May 23, 2015  | 
In addition to jazz chanteuse Lyn Stanley, who was sponsored by Purist Audio Design, the High End Society presented three quasi pop-up ensembles that, unless you followed the schedule, appeared without notice in hallways and at the top of stairways. Thus, while moving between Aurender and AudioQuest, did I encounter the Karinettensextett Karlischnättra. The six or eight bars of blessedly unamplified music I heard at the very end of their presentation sounded lovely...
Jason Victor Serinus  |  May 23, 2015  | 
Just two weeks before PS Audio premieres the BHK Signature 300 mono amps at Newport Beach, the company showcased its BHK Signature 250 stereo amplifier ($7499) in Munich. This was my first opportunity to hear this Bascom H. King specialty in the context of an all-PS Audio system, and despite the sub-optimal room acoustics, it did not disappoint...
Jason Victor Serinus  |  May 22, 2015  | 
Okay. I'm not a poet, and I know it. So let's quickly move on to the towering presence of Duelund's Frederik Carøe. Every time I look above the crowd and see Frederik's countenance, I know that Duelund has a new capacitor on the market...
Jason Victor Serinus  |  May 22, 2015  | 
While Saturday was packed by American show standards, getting an early start enabled me to spend a lot of time in one of the best sounding rooms at High End 2015. Tucked into a low ceilinged inner sanctum in Hall 2 of the MOC stood the world premiere of Stenheim of Switzerland's imposing four-tower Reference Statement loudspeaker system (approx. $400,000, above).
Jason Victor Serinus  |  May 21, 2015  | 
An entire page of the High End magazin was devoted to an introduction to Meridian's MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) technology. Bob Stuart, who with Peter Craven, invented MQA, spent a generous amount of time with me discussing both the latest developments with the process, and some of the scientific research behind it. Already, Arcam, Onkyo, Roon, and Tidal have signed on as MQA supporters, and over 100 potential business partners have been identified...
Jason Victor Serinus  |  May 21, 2015  | 
An hour after High End 2015 opened in Munich on Friday May 15, the stairways to the second floor were packed. Multiply this mob scene by 7, and you have an idea of how many consumers and dealers were eager to fill the corridors, halls, and rooms at the show.
Jason Victor Serinus  |  May 21, 2015  | 
One of the major entertainment attractions at High End 2015 was US jazz vocalist (jazz-sängerin) Lyn Stanley. Performing twice daily in the room of her sponsors, Purist Audio Design, Stanley sang live into a microphone to recorded accompaniment, and then invited people to compare the amplified results to the playback of the same track on her LP (using Purist cabling, of course).
Jason Victor Serinus  |  May 21, 2015  | 
Ready, set go. It may not look crowded at 9am on the first morning of High End 2015 in Munich, but we who were dashing in an hour early for the Devialet press conference soon found Atrium 4.1 (shown) filled with people. Attendees included, in addition to consumers, dealers from multiple continents, some of whom are now skipping January's CES in Las Vegas because they find the trip to Munich more productive and far more enjoyable. Also present were manufacturers and reps who prefer to make the rounds rather than display. All in all, it's fair to say that, for many in the industry, High 2015 is as much a trade show as it is a consumer showcase.
Jason Victor Serinus  |  May 15, 2015  | 
As soon as one arrives in the Munich airport, days before the start of High End 2015, posters announcing the event are visible. This is no marginal show, with expectations of appealing only to a fringe group of dying, gray-haired audiophile fanatics. Rather, it is a major event, with an appeal that extends far beyond a set age group, as well as national and geographic boundaries. Extending for four days—the first day of the show, on Thursday, May 14, is open only to the trade, which means dealers and press from all seven continents of the world are here...
X