Ken Micallef

After meeting Thuono Audio co-founder Eleonora Bonollo at the brand's static display in 2024, it was a pleasure to see the Italian entrepreneur demonstrating a full playback system at this year's High End Munich.

Lansche Audio just celebrated its 25th anniversary, marking the occasion by unveiling a carefully curated system at the Munich show. The setup integrated new products from two renowned analog companies: Klaudio of Japan and Reed of Lithuania.

This system, largely composed of Viva Audio components—including three world premieres—was supported by a mix of modest and high-end source components.

Germany’s Brinkmann Audio Systems unveiled a full system of its own components in Munich, featuring new releases alongside upgraded legacy models.

Dual sales manager Lothar Mertens presented the company’s full line of manual turntables, along with an intriguing prototype: the CS 718Q, a manual direct-drive 3-speed model.

Reporting on High End Munich is like navigating a blizzard. As I pushed from room to atrium to hall to lobby, products seemed to whiz by me, their presenters vying for attention in this international maelstrom of hi-fi. Amid my mad dash, a small speaker manufacturer from Sweden caught my attention: Guru.

Danish loudspeaker maker Storgaard & Vestskov, a relatively young company, operates from Bornholm, a small island in the Baltic Sea. Their 150,000ft² production hub handles everything in-house: R&D, milling, varnishing, and final assembly.