Now read that again but with all verbs in the past tense. That’s right: it’s auf Wiedersehen to the Bavarian capital, because starting in mid-May of 2026, the show will be held annually in Vienna's more modern ACV (Austria Center Vienna), 220 miles due east. Whether the sleek new…
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Munich’s annual High End show took place May 15–18 at the MOC Event Center. Considered the biggest and most important audio show in the world, High End Munich is where distributors meet with brand principals and often expand their portfolios. The show also draws throngs of European audio lovers and journalists.
For several decades—from well before I toured the Boulder factory in 2016—I've wanted to get a handle on the best sound the now–41-year-old company can offer. Multiple listening sessions at shows had more than hinted at excellence. But neither my time in Boulder's large, dedicated music room, which was intentionally dry, nor exposure at various hi-fi shows left me convinced that I'd heard Boulder's full potential.
My first opportunity for an in-home audition came in 2021, when I reviewed the 866 stereo integrated amplifier ($17,500 with DAC, $16,000 without). But that entry-level (by…
And the sound
My initial impressions were uniformly positive. More than positive. Boulder's 1151 monoblocks sounded really beautiful. I began by sampling unfamiliar recordings for possible review. Electric Fields (24/48 WAV, Download/Alpha), from Barbara Hannigan, the Labèque Sisters, and David Chalmin, struck me as a bit too Hildegard von Bingen meets new age immersive, but it was compelling and intriguing enough to warrant a review. As I continued to listen, the warm, glowing bath of sound from the 1151s kept drawing me in.
One of the first things I wrote in my notes was "I…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Mono class-A power amplifier with "Smart Current" biasing. Analog inputs: 3-pin XLR. Digital inputs: USB (for software updates). Loudspeaker outputs: two stereo pair 0.025" (6mm) binding posts for biwired loudspeakers. Maximum input voltage: 1.14V for maximum rated output at full rated power. Power output: 250W continuous into 8 ohms (24dBW), 350W peak power into 8 ohms, 600W peak power into 4 ohms, 750W peak power into 2 ohms. THD, 8 or 4 ohms, 250W: 0.002%, 20kHz: 0.01% THD, 2 ohms 250W: 0.0003%, 20kHz: 0.02%. Equivalent input noise, 20kHz: 2.2µV.…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital sources: dCS Varèse five-piece music system, Vivaldi Apex three-piece music system, Rossini CD/SACD transport, EMM Labs DV2i DAC, Meitner MA3 Integrated DAC; Innuos Statement Next-Gen Music Server and PhoenixNET network switch; Small Green Computer Sonore opticalModule Deluxe (2); Broadcom/ Avago AFBR-5718PZ 1GB SX-SFP, Gen 5 fiberoptic modules (2); Nordost QNet switch and QSource linear power supply (2); Sonore Audiophile Linear Power Supply; Synology 5-bay 1019+ NAS with Ferrum Hypsos linear/switching hybrid power supply; Linksys MR9000 mesh…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I performed a complete set of measurements on one of the Boulder 1151 amplifiers (serial number 14142) with my Audio Precision SYS2722, then repeated some of the tests with the magazine's higher-resolution Audio Precision APx555. I preconditioned the 1151 by following the CEA's recommendation of running it at one-eighth the specified power into 8 ohms for 30 minutes. At the end of that time, the temperature of the top panel was just 89.8°F (32.1°C) and that of the side-mounted heatsinks 97.3°F (36.3°C).
"What is the most important element in a high-end audio set-up?" As much as the question is asked over and over again, as if it were a requisite baseline test for admission into the Holy Fraternity of the High End, most responses start with the end of the chain rather than with the fundamentals.
It's like asking which comes first, the cart or the horse, while ignoring what's in the cart. For audio, the cargo is music. Without music, there's just noise (as in test signals and chatrooms).
After music come the medium (cart) that contains it, e.g. the file, platter, or disc, and the…
Stereophile has favorably reviewed three loudspeakers from Swiss manufacturer Stenheim. Art Dudley reviewed the Alumine standmount in April 2012 and the Alumine Five floorstander in March 2018. More recently, Herb Reichert reviewed Stenheim's three-and-a-half-way Alumine Three tower in October 2021. My assignment for this month's issue was to review the company's Alumine Two. Five floorstander, which, at $23,500/pair, fits neatly between the Alumine Two ($13,500/pair) and Three ($36,500/pair).
Stenheim was founded by four engineers who previously had worked at Goldmund. A couple of years…
Listening to music
Straight out of their flight cases, the Alumine Two.Fives sounded bright. The manual recommends 200–300 hours of break-in, but the treble balance became more neutral after only a few days of casual listening. (The review samples had been previously used at a hi-fi show, so I figured that they already had plenty of hours on them.) Nevertheless, while the Stenheim's midrange was impressively uncolored, its low-treble balance was not an optimal match with the Ayre preamplifier, which itself sounds somewhat forward. So I performed all my critical auditioning with the MBL…
Straight out of their flight cases, the Alumine Two.Fives sounded bright. The manual recommends 200–300 hours of break-in, but the treble balance became more neutral after only a few days of casual listening. (The review samples had been previously used at a hi-fi show, so I figured that they already had plenty of hours on them.) Nevertheless, while the Stenheim's midrange was impressively uncolored, its low-treble balance was not an optimal match with the Ayre preamplifier, which itself sounds somewhat forward. So I performed all my critical auditioning with the MBL…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way, reflex-loaded, floorstanding loudspeaker with aluminum enclosure. Drive units: two 6.5" (170mm) coated cellulose-cone woofers, 1" (26mm) soft-dome tweeter. Frequency range: 35Hz–30kHz. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms. Sensitivity: 93dB (half-space). Maximum power handling: 125W, 250W peak. Minimum recommended power: 10W. Supplied accessories: precision mounting spikes, floor-saver discs, and a spanner.
Dimensions: 37.2" (945mm) H × 9" (230mm) W × 10.8" (275mm) D. Weight: 100lb (45kg) each.
Finish: Metallic Light Gray, Dark Gray, with black…