Julie Mullins

Audio Group Denmark: Børresen Acoustics, Aavik Acoustics, Ansuz Acoustics
Munich 2022News
Julie Mullins  |  Jun 06, 2022  |  2 comments
While walking through the aisles of Halle at Munich High End, heading for my last couple of assigned rooms (or areas), I came across designer Michael Børresen, who, with Lars Kristensen (above), gave me a quick run-down of his latest gear. There were new speakers at both the entry and extreme levels from Børresen, and new amplification at the top end from Aavik. The three brands on display—Børresen Acoustics, Aavik Acoustics, and Ansuz Acoustics—were consolidated under one umbrella company, Audio Group Denmark, in 2020.
Continue Reading >
DS Audio, Mobile Fidelity Electronics, Aesthetix Pallene and Dione, ProAc Speakers, Ansuz Acoustics Cables
Munich 2022News
Julie Mullins  |  Jun 05, 2022  |  0 comments
DS Audio's Tetsuaki Aoyagi, known casually as Aki, was at High End Munich introducing his new DS Audio Eccentricity Detection Stabilizer ES-001 device. The next-gen (read: young) designer attended with his parents—something seldom seen at hi-fi shows. (That said, my father attended AXPONA again this year.) And families do attend the High End Munich show, perhaps more regularly than others.
Continue Reading >
Nagra Room: Nagra Reference Anniversary Turntable, Wilson Chronosonic XVX Speakers, Crystal Cable, Shunyata Research, Modulum Audio
Munich 2022News
Julie Mullins  |  Jun 05, 2022  |  5 comments
There was buzz about many rooms at the High End Munich show but perhaps few were as talked about as the Nagra/Wilson Audio Specialties setup in Atrium 4.1 F130. It seemed to be among the more packed ones, a tough room to get into. I passed by twice before I was able to poke my head in, then was only able to return briefly near the end of the show.
Continue Reading >
Ana Mighty Sound Room: Stenheim Ultime Reference Two, Alumine 5 SE Loudspeakers; darTZeel NHB-18NS Preamplifier, NHB-468 Monoblocks, Döhmann Helix One Turntable, Plus Live Jazz from Jérôme Sabbagh
Munich 2022News
Julie Mullins  |  Jun 01, 2022  |  10 comments
Parisian high-end audio dealer AnaMighty Sound's room, F114 in Atrium 4, showed several products made in Switzerland from darTZeel, Stenheim, and Nagra. The room also became a mini-concert venue for a couple of demo sessions on Saturday that incorporated live music: Jazz saxophonist Jérôme Sabbagh played solo, accompanied by playback of his No Filter album bandmates on the room's system. They played 24-bit/96kHz versions of the tracks with Sabbagh's sax parts/tracks omitted.
Continue Reading >
The Wadax Room: Wadax Atlantis Reference Server with PSU Power Supply, DAC, and Transport X CD Player; Audio Research Reference 6SE Preamplifier and Reference 160 M Amplifiers, Wilson-Benesch Eminence Loudspeakers, Transparent Cable
Munich 2022News
Julie Mullins  |  May 30, 2022  |  9 comments
The Wadax room brought huge gear and huge sound to Munich High End, along with a couple of new product introductions. Their main demo, in Atrium 4.2's E207 room presented the Wadax Atlantis Reference Server ($64,900) with a new, upgraded Reference PSU external power supply ($49,000) that's said to improve performance (as well it should). Its output noise is said to be crazy low: reportedly setting a record of 200nV of RMS noise from 0.1Hz to 20kHz. It uses a feedforward topology that adjusts its power regulation circuitry in real time based on current load requirements; this helps minimize current variations, CEO Javier Guadalajara (above) explained.
Continue Reading >
Voxativ 9.88 Pi Speaker System and T-850 Integrated Amplifier, Weiss Medus DAC and DSP502 D/A Processor, EAR Acute CD Player
Munich 2022News
Julie Mullins  |  May 29, 2022  |  5 comments
Purists might disagree, but for many listeners, having equipment that enables subtle sonic adjustments is welcome. This rings true for me, as I enjoy a wide variety of musical styles. Evidently Voxativ's Founder and Chief Engineer Inés Adler does too. Adler, a former designer of engines for Daimler's Mercedes-Benz marque, has made modern updates and options available for vintage hi-fi approaches.
Continue Reading >
Gryphon Audio Designs EOS 2 Prototype Loudspeaker, Gryphon Apex Amplifier and Rosso Cables
Munich 2022News
Julie Mullins  |  May 28, 2022  |  0 comments
One of my first stops at the Munich show was to find out who made the shiny red loudspeaker shown in an atrium room—shown in the same room as the latest gargantuan Gryphon Commander preamplifier and Apex amplifier. The striking speaker was rotating on a round platform that you couldn't miss when you entered the room. Why the rotation? It was an attractive speaker from all angles. It, uh, turns out, it was indeed a Gryphon—the EOS 2, a prototype, as text in large letters beneath clearly stated.
Continue Reading >
The IAG Room: Mission 770 loudspeakers, Luxman L-507Z integrated amplifier, Lumin U2 Mini, P1, L1, Luxman D-10X CD player/DAC, Vintage Thorens TD124 turntable
Munich 2022News
Julie Mullins  |  May 27, 2022  |  6 comments
I went into a room looking for Lumin's latest components and found a broad range of gear, both classic and modern. The recently relaunched Mission 770 speakers demo'd in this room represent a prime example of heritage speaker revival. Behind this exhibit was International Audio Group (IAG), the company behind Mission and other British brands, such as Wharfedale, Castle, and Quad, as well as Luxman. Peter Comeau, IAG's director of acoustic design, gave me the download on the Mission 770 redux. He mentioned that he and John Atkinson had listened to 770 prototypes in 1978. (JA will be reviewing the new 770 in a future issue of Stereophile.) Comeau owned an original pair of the Mission 770s, so he knows all about them: "We used a lot of the same concepts but everything is now up to date to make them suitable for modern sources."
Continue Reading >
Hegel Reference H30A Reference power amplifier, P30A preamplifier, KEF Reference 5 Meta loudspeakers, and Nordost cabling
Munich 2022News
Julie Mullins  |  May 26, 2022  |  4 comments
My first stop in the Munich High End venue's huge halls, or Halles, was a treat—and not only because the Hegel folks had a box of Norwegian chocolate hearts to taste. Hegel introduced a couple of new analog components, the Hegel Reference H30A Reference power amplifier and the P30A preamplifier, which supersedes the P30 preamp. Hegel CEO, founder, and lead designer Bent Holter (right) was on-hand along with Anders Ertzeid "VP of This and That" (aka VP Sales and Marketing, left) to share details. The amp and preamp are both analog designs—the A stands for analog.
Continue Reading >
Ortofon MC Diamond Cartridge, Audiovector R11 Arreté loudspeakers, TechDAS Air Force V Premium turntable, SME V tonearm, Einstein and Mark Levinson amplification
Munich 2022News
Julie Mullins  |  May 26, 2022  |  0 comments
In the US market it isn't every day you see big, shiny red speakers—cars, yes—but less often flagship floorstanders. Here, a pair of tall, Danish flagships, the Audiovector R11 Arreté Titanium speakers clad in red enclosures graced the room. A model above the Audiovector R8 Arreté that Jim Austin reviewed, they use the company's Quasi Dual Drive Avantgarde Air Motion Transformer (AMT) tweeters.
Continue Reading >

Pages

X