Hearty Thanks to You, Munich High End 2022

Triumphing over multiple pandemic-enforced cancellations and postponements, the "is it really going to happen?" four-day event drew 9472 trade visitors from over 80 countries and 9878 consumers from 69 countries. Among them were 450 exhibitors from 40 countries and a grand 417 media representatives from 36 countries. Audio brands topped out at a whopping 800! Thanks to the customary high level of organization that has made Germany's High End Society such a central part of the audiophile industry, Munich High End 2022 was a resounding success. The industry-organized show attracted 19,767 visitors to the 28,000 square meters of halls and atriums it occupied in Munich's sprawling MOC Event Center.

Although I missed brand ambassador Alan Parsons (above), who was just awarded an OBE by Prince William, his greeting was reportedly as enthusiastic as was singer Lori Lieberman's. What no one could possibly miss, however, was the enthusiasm and excitement that electrified many an encounter. As exhausting as the show may have been, it was also one big glorious high. True, some Americans were forced to remain in Europe, quarantined due to COVID, and others are recovering at home after testing positive upon their return. But the excitement of reuniting with old friends and exploring new products continues to sustain us through it all.

With hopes that Munich High End will restore the customary shuttle buses for industry and press, the Stereophile team extends its sincerest thanks to the High End team of Claudia Kazner, Head of Press and Public Relations, Stefan Dreischärf, Managing Director, and those who served with him this year: Ali Ibrahim, Manuel Pinke, Bert Seidenstücker, and Fabienne Hohmann. We remain, as ever, grateful for your service.

Photos on this page: Julie Mullins

COMMENTS
teched58's picture

Is this a story aimed at Stereophile readers? What is its purpose? Who is editing this site, and for whom?

If you want to write love letters to the industry, should that not be done through business channels? Why do you clutter up the site with this?

If you wanted to write a show wrap up, that WOULD be of interest to us readers. But this is not that. Three paragraphs of mush begging for a shuttle bus.

Jason Victor Serinus's picture

What you call mush consists of attendance figures, a show overview, personal reflections, and acknowledgments. After multiple cancellations, the most important audio show in the world—one in which industry attendance almost equaled that of consumers—finally took place. Given that many prospective attendees couldn't make it due to pandemic restrictions, this is a major achievement. Those who made Munich High End possible deserve acknowledgment.

ChrisS's picture

... [edited]

(Ok, how about...?)

Dammit!

Flyer's picture

Can this response please be moderated? I totally agree that we should be thankfull that shows like these are organised. And many setups at the show have been presented on this site too.

mns3dhm's picture

Great to see manufacturers and distributors once again show casing very high-end hardware for the public. While I cannot afford most of the gear you covered in Munich I am still interested in following along and seeing where the hobby is going. My issue right now is product availability. For example I am interested in a Parasound amp / preamp combo but one or the other has been unavailable or the finishes don't match. That being the case I thought I might try a class D integrated amp from NAD but that model is also out of stock for the foreseeable future as well. Hopefully this situation will clear itself up sooner rather than later as I'm sure while it's frustrating to the consumer, it's financially debilitating to the manufacturer.

Jason Victor Serinus's picture

I had no idea it's this bad. What a bummer for everyone.

JRT's picture

Congrats on your promotion to Senior Contributing Editor.

The commentor did not mention exactly what he was looking to buy, but a retailer ~17 miles south of your alma mater has a lot of NAD and Parasound listed on their website, and they do telephone mail order sales. Perhaps he might expand his search to find what he wants.

mns3dhm's picture

Believe me, I’ve tried all the online retailers and these products are out of stock and there is no expected delivery date for them. If you look closely at sites like Crutchfield, Audio Advisor, Music Direct, etc., you’ll see many products are not available presently. Zero Covid policies in China, shipping delays, etc. are not imaginary problems. I’m just hoping they’re transitory.

Julie Mullins's picture

Have you also tried dealers to see what they might have in stock? I believe those products are sold both directly online and through dealers.

JRT's picture

... try telephoning the distributor / distribution agent. I suspect that you will find some friendly helpful people on the other end of that telephone call.

Jason Victor Serinus's picture

:-)

jason

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