The Coltrane Quintets were driven by Audia Flight Strumento N°8 Signature monoblocks ($98,000/pair) and a Strumento N°1 Signature preamp ($52,000). The rest of the…
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In the Marten Audio room—where Marten loudspeakers partnered with Audia Flight electronics and Jorma cabling—the main objects of attention were the striking Marten Coltrane Quintet Extreme loudspeakers. At $415,000/pair (all prices approximate when converted from euros) and with a production limit of just 10 pairs, these speakers are for listeners who don't merely gawk at unobtanium—they bring it home and plug it in.
From Munich's English Gardens to the Marienplatz, all audiophiles seemed to be talking about Qobuz Connect. I sat down over lunch with David Solomon to get the skinny.
Qobuz Connect, the French music-streaming company's answer to Tidal Connect, is a one-stop solution that lets you manage your music library and control streaming with the Qobuz app. To quote the company's website, "With Qobuz Connect, you can seamlessly switch from your headphones to your hi-fi system, and your music will continue from the exact moment you left off."
"If you use Qobuz Connect, there are no other…
A chance encounter with Daniela Manger, CEO and engineer of Manger Audio led me to the exhibit with the company's latest offering: the striking red, p2 floorstander ($15,000/satin matt lacquer - $17,900/Ultra high gloss), whose optimized driver has a stronger motor for faster response and more transient information. The specified frequency range is 30Hz–45kHz. (See Herb Reichert's review of the Manger Audio p1.) This passive speaker was demonstrated with (and without) a standalone external crossover, the SPL Crossover Mk2.
Manger told me that her latest "bending mode" driver, designated…
Italy’s Riviera Audio Laboratories, represented by CEO Silvio Delfino and designer Luca Chiomenti, introduced the new AFM‑70 monoblock power amplifier (price TBA). The launch follows the release of recent Riviera models such as the APL‑1 line‑stage preamplifier and the AFS‑32 stereo power amplifier, both priced at $28,000.
The class‑A AFM‑70 delivers 70Wpc into 8 ohms, and 140Wpc into 4 ohms. Its hybrid design incorporates triode tubes, bipolar‑junction transistors (BJTs), and MOSFETs. The amplifier uses zero‑feedback circuitry and offers both RCA and XLR inputs.
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Métronome unveiled its very first music server, the small but mighty Métronome x Audirvāna DSAS ($6950, due in September), in an all‑French system. This “Digital Sharing Audio Server” (DSAS) uses Audirvāna Studio to manage both local and streaming music. It includes 2TB of storage (expandable to 4TB) and comes with a free three‑year subscription to Audirvāna.
In Munich, the server was paired with Métronome's DST CD transport ($5800), which debuted at AXPONA; the DSC Mini DAC ($5700); a Jadis i70 integrated ($14,000), and loudspeakers from Davis Acoustics. The system sounded…
Friday, August 1–Sunday August 3: Audio Advice Live 2025 will take place at the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel. It is located at 421 South Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC.
For more information about the show or to get tickets, follow this link.
Ryan Truesdell: Shades of Sound: Gil Evans Project Live at Jazz Standard Vol.2
Truesdell, conductor; 23-piece orchestra
Outside in Music 2014/2025 (reviewed as CD). 2025. Truesdell, Dave Rivello, prods.; James Farber, Tyler McDiarmid, Geoff Countryman, engs.
Performance ****½
Sonics ****½
Truesdell, conductor; 23-piece orchestra
Outside in Music 2014/2025 (reviewed as CD). 2025. Truesdell, Dave Rivello, prods.; James Farber, Tyler McDiarmid, Geoff Countryman, engs.
Performance ****½
Sonics ****½
Ryan Truesdell launched his Gil Evans Project in 2012 with Centennial. It contained 10 Evans arrangements, including two original Evans compositions, that had never been recorded. The project was made possible by the fact that Truesdell had been granted access to the Evans family archives…
South Korea's Silbatone delivered sound with startling intensity and scale. In a show known for polished, high end presentations, its Munich demo was an all out sonic spectacle—part sensory onslaught, part performance art. This was music as a full contact experience.
Michael Chung, who owns Silbatone, co hosted the room alongside former Sound Practices editor Joe Roberts. Together they walked visitors through the system's technology. Silbatone designers J.C. Morrison and Stefano Bae were also present.
Center stage stood an enormous 1935 era Western Electric field coil…
While Thorens CEO and owner Gunter Kürten was busy with customers, company representative Michael Gorny walked me through the brand's latest lineup of high-end products.
The sharp‑looking new TD 404 DD turntable ($4950, all prices approximate if converted from Euros) features a resonance‑damped platter, the direct‑drive motor from the TD 124 DD, an electronic tonearm lift, integrated stroboscope with pitch control, three height‑adjustable spring‑loaded feet, gold‑plated RCA outputs, balanced XLR connectors, and is compatible with the optional TPN 124 linear power supply.
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Ken says: At High End Munich, IsoAcoustics introduced its new GAIA Neo and GAIA-TITAN Neo series of isolation feet. Designed for both consumer and OEM use, the Neo models improve on the established GAIA line with updated engineering. The first custom versions will be integrated into the new JBL Summit Makalu, Summit Pumori, and Summit Ama speakers, as well as the Marten Coltrane Extreme loudspeakers—all of which debuted at the show.
IsoAcoustics founder and CEO Dave Morrison, along with his son Sean, were on hand to answer questions and demo the new technology. Their Munich demo system…