International audio shows are a white-knuckle thrill ride. The moment I first entered one of the four colossal, cathedral-like "Halles" of High End Munich 2024, my brain short-circuited. Among the products that gripped my senses that weekend, the Brutalist allure of the BennyAudio Odyssey Turntable ($45,000) spoke to me loudest.
Here's what real influencers do: If you're Carl Perkins, every song on your first LP was covered by Beatles. If you're Muddy Waters, the Rolling Stones named their band after one of your songs.. If you're Chuck Berry, you influenced anyone who has ever considered themselves rock'n'rollers. And if you're Johnny Cash, you were the original Outlaw Country artist, and you invented the country-rock nexus.
Ola Björling speaks with Tiago Novo of Orpheus Lab at High End Vienna 2026 about the company's forthcoming A Four N200 integrated streaming amplifier and their new, gargantuan H Three M1400 monoblock amplifier that weighs 330lb (!).
Ola Björling speaks with Martijn Mensink of Dutch & Dutch at High End Vienna 2026 about the company's new 6c loudspeakers, their RoomMatching technology, and their new app for speaker calibration.
Bill Voss of Technics retired in June 2026 after 44 years with parent company Panasonic, the past decade as US Business Development Manager during Technics' successful relaunch as a hi-fi major player.
AVM Evolution AS 5.3 streaming integrated amplifier
Jun 11, 2026
I'm known as an unrepentant tube-amplifier devotee and turntable missionary. I spin vinyl in listening spaces, make jazz-vinyl videos, and review turntables, cartridges, and record cleaning machines. I'm a semi-Luddite for whom streaming is a last resort rather than a daily need. I prefer the analog-playback setup gauntlet to the setup gauntlet that comes with streaming amplifiers and network bridges.
Degritter decodes the Fonoteek record cleaning station at High End Vienna 2026
Jun 11, 2026
Ola Björling speaks with Hindrek Reiman of Degritter at High End Vienna 2026 about the Fonoteek, the company's new record cleaning station that blends brush and ultrasonic cleaning together in one device.
SV-Audio launches Astrid loudspeakers at High End Vienna 2026
Jun 11, 2026
Ola Björling speaks with SV-Audio Marketing Manager Lærke Vestskov Poulsen at High End Vienna 2026 about the company's new Astrid floorstanding loudspeakers.