Jason Victor Serinus

High End Munich 2015

Into the Home Stretch at High End Munich

Jason Victor Serinus May 23, 2015

Just two weeks before PS Audio premieres the BHK Signature 300 mono amps at Newport Beach, the company showcased its BHK Signature 250 stereo amplifier ($7499) in Munich. This was my first opportunity to hear this Bascom H. King specialty in the context of an all-PS Audio system, and despite the sub-optimal room acoustics, it did not disappoint...

High End Munich 2015

Munich Day 4 Brings More to Explore

Jason Victor Serinus May 22, 2015

Okay. I'm not a poet, and I know it. So let's quickly move on to the towering presence of Duelund's Frederik Carøe. Every time I look above the crowd and see Frederik's countenance, I know that Duelund has a new capacitor on the market...

High End Munich 2015

Day 3: High End 2015 Hits Its Stride

Jason Victor Serinus May 22, 2015

While Saturday was packed by American show standards, getting an early start enabled me to spend a lot of time in one of the best sounding rooms at High End 2015. Tucked into a low ceilinged inner sanctum in Hall 2 of the MOC stood the world premiere of Stenheim of Switzerland's imposing four-tower Reference Statement loudspeaker system (approx. $400,000, above).

High End Munich 2015 News

MQA in Munich

Jason Victor Serinus May 21, 2015

An entire page of the High End magazin was devoted to an introduction to Meridian's MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) technology. Bob Stuart, who with Peter Craven, invented MQA, spent a generous amount of time with me discussing both the latest developments with the process, and some of the scientific research behind it. Already, Arcam, Onkyo, Roon, and Tidal have signed on as MQA supporters, and over 100 potential business partners have been identified...

High End Munich 2015

Friday + Holiday = Packed

Jason Victor Serinus May 21, 2015

An hour after High End 2015 opened in Munich on Friday May 15, the stairways to the second floor were packed. Multiply this mob scene by 7, and you have an idea of how many consumers and dealers were eager to fill the corridors, halls, and rooms at the show.

High End Munich 2015

Trade Day—Let's Go on with the Show!

Jason Victor Serinus May 21, 2015

One of the major entertainment attractions at High End 2015 was US jazz vocalist (jazz-sängerin) Lyn Stanley. Performing twice daily in the room of her sponsors, Purist Audio Design, Stanley sang live into a microphone to recorded accompaniment, and then invited people to compare the amplified results to the playback of the same track on her LP (using Purist cabling, of course).

High End Munich 2015

Trade Day at High End 2015

Jason Victor Serinus May 21, 2015

Ready, set go. It may not look crowded at 9am on the first morning of High End 2015 in Munich, but we who were dashing in an hour early for the Devialet press conference soon found Atrium 4.1 (shown) filled with people. Attendees included, in addition to consumers, dealers from multiple continents, some of whom are now skipping January's CES in Las Vegas because they find the trip to Munich more productive and far more enjoyable. Also present were manufacturers and reps who prefer to make the rounds rather than display. All in all, it's fair to say that, for many in the industry, High 2015 is as much a trade show as it is a consumer showcase.

High End Munich 2015

Munich High End Beckons

Jason Victor Serinus May 15, 2015

As soon as one arrives in the Munich airport, days before the start of High End 2015, posters announcing the event are visible. This is no marginal show, with expectations of appealing only to a fringe group of dying, gray-haired audiophile fanatics. Rather, it is a major event, with an appeal that extends far beyond a set age group, as well as national and geographic boundaries. Extending for four daysthe first day of the show, on Thursday, May 14, is open only to the trade, which means dealers and press from all seven continents of the world are here...

AXPONA 2015

AXPONA/Audio Con Chicago 2015: A Major Success

Jason Victor Serinus Apr 29, 2015

How do you measure success? Some show promoters count the number of lanyards they've given out and call those "attendance figures." According to Liz Miller, AXPONA/Audio Con Content and Marketing Director, “We sold 5137 tickets, an 18% increase over 2014."

AXPONA 2015

Day 3: Countdown to the Finish

Jason Victor Serinus Apr 29, 2015

After happily discovering that there were only three rooms to blog on floor 2, first up was the huge exhibit from one of the most dedicated dealers in the business, Doug White of The Voice That Is. Doug showcased a not-too-shabby system that included several premieres...