Munich 2025

At the Munich show, I ran into familiar faces: Mark Sossa of Well Pleased AV and Vinnie Rossi of Vinnie Rossi Audio, both far from their usual American stomping grounds. Seeing them overseas gave me a flicker of homesickness, but a journalist's job is to focus on the gear, not the friendships.

Sossa represents Merason DACs and QLN speakers; Rossi, his namesake electronics. Their Munich system included the new Merason Mountain DAC ($22,000), which had debuted at AXPONA; an Innuos Statement music server ($21,700); and an Innuos PhoenixNET network switch ($4250; all prices approximate, converted from Euros).

Amplification came from the Vinnie Rossi Brama line: preamplifier ($44,995), monoblock power amplifiers ($74,995/pair), and integrated amplifier ($47,995), all driving QLN Reference loudspeakers ($49,995/pair). Accessories included cabling from Transparent Audio, a Neo High End Double Quattron white matte rack ($4920), and various HOFA-Akustik room treatments.

I’ve heard the same core system at previous shows, but this time, something clicked. The synergy between the Merason and Rossi components and the QLN loudspeakers was a revelation. From Geoff Castellucci's low-octave version of “Big Bad John” to the lush jazz of Mélanie De Biasio and the bluegrass balm of Alison Krauss, this setup demonstrated exceptional coherence, seamless tonal integration and dynamics, and an almost uncanny analog-like naturalness. The system delivered an expansive soundstage and great richness and sonority—proving that a non-turntable-based system can achieve top-notch sonic reproduction.