Munich 2024

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Brilliant CornersMunich 2024Phono Cartridge Reviews
Brilliant Corners #18: Adventures in Schwabylon, Ortofon Cadenza Mono Phono Cartridge
Alex Halberstadt  |  Aug 21, 2024  | 
Meeting up at High End Munich: Grover Neville (left), a contributor to Stereophile's late headphone blog InnerFidelity, with his dad, Craig, a civil engineer from Chicago.

"Schwabing isn't a neighborhood, but a state of being," declared the Countess Fanny zu Reventlow, an early feminist who scandalized German society by parenting out of wedlock, carrying a revolver, and practicing what today tends to be called ethical nonmonogamy. Thomas Mann described the fellow denizens of this northern corner of Munich as "the most singular, the most delicate, the boldest exotic plants." At the turn of the last century, Schwabing was on its way to becoming the artistic epicenter of Europe, a laboratory for the most progressive social ideas, and arguably the birthplace of modernity. Kandinsky made Western art's first abstract painting while living there; local cafes once patronized by Lenin would soon host a young Adolf Hitler. Some called it Schwabylon.

These days, Schwabing's spotless, freshly paved streets are lined with the glass-and-steel facades of Hiltons and Marriotts. Its proximity to MOC, Munich's titanic convention center, has turned the neighborhood into a destination for business travelers from near and far.

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Munich 2024
VTL shows the tried and true with dCS, Wilson, VPI, and Nordost
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Jul 12, 2024  | 

VTL and Wilson have delivered great sound at previous shows, and they did so again here in a set-up of which Peter McGrath, Brand Ambassador for Wilson Audio, was especially proud: VTL’s MB-450 III Signature monoblocks, TL7.5 III Reference preamplifier, and TP6.5 II.

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Munich 2024
Western Electric’s new Series 100 and Series 80
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Jul 12, 2024  | 

Munich, redux: Western Electric owner Charles Whitener and Sales Director Trent Suggs together gave us a first look at Western Electric’s upcoming products. Dumb me failed to turn on my video until late in the presentation, but below you can catch a bit of Suggs’ presentation.

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Munich 2024
The Forthcoming D’Agostino Momentum C2 Preamp
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Jul 12, 2024  | 
My reference preamp of the past few years, the D’Agostino Momentum HD, is ceding to the new D’Agostino Momentum model, to be called the C2 preamp. Termed “a complete departure from the HD,” the C2 derives from the superb, top-line D’Agostino Relentless preamp (review forthcoming).
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Munich 2024
Munich: Abbey Fonn / Nick Getz / Wilson XVX, D’Agostino Relentless, VPI Titan, Nordost, Stromtank
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Jul 12, 2024  | 
As one of Munich’s most prestigious distributors, Mansour Mamaghani’s Audio Reference again pulled out all the stops in a huge, glass enclosed central Atrium space that showcased more brands than there is space to list.
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Munich 2024
Still More from Munich: Tedeska Cartridges
Ken Micallef  |  Jul 12, 2024  | 
Unfortunately, there are always manufacturers at shows from which I fail to gather enough information to file a thorough report, so then I have to to follow up later. I finally caught up with Berlin-based cartridge manufacturer Tedeska Vinyl Groove Pick-Up Technology and their kind representative Francesa Lee, who explained their new wares, which were on static display at High End Munich.
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Munich 2024Spin Doctor
The Spin Doctor at High End Munich 2024
Michael Trei  |  Jul 12, 2024  | 
Last month, I talked a bit about some of the new gear being exhibited at AXPONA, America's big hi-fi show, held near Chicago. Well, every year, as soon as that show is over, it's time to get ready for the Big Kahuna of audio shows, High End Munich.

Admittedly, I have never attended the big shows in Shanghai, Hong Kong, or Warsaw, but it would be hard to imagine either one outdoing Munich. The Warsaw show calls itself the second biggest show in Europe, deferring, presumably, to the Munich show. Munich is so big that it even has a sideshow, HiFi Deluxe, just down the road. HiFi Deluxe caters to exhibitors who got shut out of the big show, which despite its hugeness is oversubscribed. It can all become a bit overwhelming.

The main Stereophile crew covering the Munich show—Ken Micallef and Jason Victor Serinus—did all the heavy-duty legwork, posting highlights here. I toured the halls to see what was new, collecting the best, most Spin Doctor–ish things for this report. Here's a smattering.

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Munich 2024
Baun Audio, Ideon Audio, and JMF Audio
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Jun 15, 2024  | 
My second press day at Munich High End began with an intimate press conference at the Ideon/Baun loudspeaker booth in Halle 3. Benno Baun Meldgaard, former speaker designer for Gamut, Raidho, and Gryphon, was not on hand to discuss the latest developments in his forthcoming speaker line. I didn’t have time to view the latest prototype of those speakers, which I first encountered at the 2023 Pacific Audiofest, but the first speaker in the Baun line-up is due by the end of 2024. Designed to sit very close to the rear wall, the speakers will range upward in price from about $23,000/pair.
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Munich 2024
Fink Team and Epos
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Jun 12, 2024  | 
Speaker designer Karl-Heinz Fink’s Fink Team recently bought British loudspeaker brand Epos. “We have changed the Epos designs considerably,” Fink told me about the company’s three speaker models. “Epos loudspeakers are less expensive than Fink Team’s, but the engineering is nearly the same as the Fink Team’s.”
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Munich 2024
Marten’s Coltrane Quintet
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Jun 11, 2024  | 
I cannot recall a single instance where I was less than thoroughly satisfied—thrilled, usually—by the sound Marten loudspeakers made at shows. Given how tricky show set-up often is, Marten’s track record of stellar sound is no mean achievement.
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Munich 2024
Triode Japan
Ken Micallef  |  Jun 11, 2024  | 
Triode Japan premiered two products at High End Munich: the Triode Evolution Pre Preamplifier and the Triode Evolution Musashi Integrated Amplifier ($10,830). The latter runs in class AB in a push-pull configuration, outputting 100Wpc into 8 ohms. It uses four KT 150 and four 12AU7 tubes for its power and pre stages, respectively.
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Munich 2024
Straight2Tape / 2inch Records
Ken Micallef  |  Jun 11, 2024  | 
I followed the throng towards the Straight2Tape booth. A darkened entryway beckoned, promising access to a hidden music haven. But as I neared, the illusion shattered. The passageway was a masterfully crafted cardboard facade, complete with lifesize musicians frozen in mid-performance, a gleaming microphone outstretched, and a realistic pop filter catching the nonexistent light.
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Munich 2024
Tune Audio, Trafomatic, Rockna, WoodYard
Ken Micallef  |  Jun 10, 2024  | 
In the Tune Audio/Trafomatic room, the Tune Audio Marvel (€15,840/pair), a 97dB, 8 ohm nominal, two-way, horn loaded loudspeaker, stood sci-fi bold and fantastic looking in slate gray with a candy apple red horn. The Marvel’s single 8" full range driver joined to a folded back-horn was paired to a 1" compression driver given expression by an epoxy compound tractrix horn.
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Munich 2024
Lansche Audio, Thrax Audio, Hachidori, Inc., Dyrholm Audio
Ken Micallef  |  Jun 10, 2024  | 
This large system employed a reel-to-reel deck and a DAC for sources, abetted by a new product designation, at least for me, a combination tape/phono stage.
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Munich 2024
More stuff from Munich: Q Acoustics, Cambridge Audio
Ken Micallef  |  Jun 10, 2024  | 
I get excited when a room showing “budget" gear knocks me for a loop. As is sometimes the case, a well-curated, carefully set up budget system can make music in spades, hitting the high notes of tone, staging, and dynamics.
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