Munich High End hifi show 2016 - Show report
First of all, a trip to the the Munich high end show may appear to be a jolly for any audio junkie, but the truth is a little different...
The show has to be experience to appreciate it's sheer scale. There are over 500 exhibitors, spread over 5 arenas and three floors, which took a full two days to take in.
This report isn't limited by magazine space or picky editorial, it will try and convey an honest account of the event, not just the obvious crowd pulling 'oil rig' turntables and speakers that have to have a house built around them, but the many smaller companies that produce some truly great, sensibly priced audiophile products for whom the sheer financial outlay to even attend a show like this, shows a true dedication and passion.
Being a shop specialising in vintage gear, we were thrilled to see a large number of vintage turntables being used, including at least 4 Thorens TD-124's, a couple of high-end Technics, a lovely old direct drive Luxman, a lovely Micro Seiki DDQ1000 and the normal spattering of Garrards.
It was also great to see at least a dozen reel to reel machines being used too, including a number of Nagra and Revox machines, topped off for me, by Tim de Paravacinni's very rare and sublime sounding re-worked Denon.
'Vintage chic' is definitely back, as many companies were showing 'retro' styled products, the wooden cheek is definately having a revival, with even Pro-ject adorning an entire range of electronics with them, and they looked very nice too!
The show has to be experience to appreciate it's sheer scale. There are over 500 exhibitors, spread over 5 arenas and three floors, which took a full two days to take in.
This report isn't limited by magazine space or picky editorial, it will try and convey an honest account of the event, not just the obvious crowd pulling 'oil rig' turntables and speakers that have to have a house built around them, but the many smaller companies that produce some truly great, sensibly priced audiophile products for whom the sheer financial outlay to even attend a show like this, shows a true dedication and passion.
Being a shop specialising in vintage gear, we were thrilled to see a large number of vintage turntables being used, including at least 4 Thorens TD-124's, a couple of high-end Technics, a lovely old direct drive Luxman, a lovely Micro Seiki DDQ1000 and the normal spattering of Garrards.
It was also great to see at least a dozen reel to reel machines being used too, including a number of Nagra and Revox machines, topped off for me, by Tim de Paravacinni's very rare and sublime sounding re-worked Denon.
'Vintage chic' is definitely back, as many companies were showing 'retro' styled products, the wooden cheek is definately having a revival, with even Pro-ject adorning an entire range of electronics with them, and they looked very nice too!
But how did it all sound??
Well, obviously there were the not-so-good, the outstanding and everything in-between.
There were a number of rooms that really pushed the bar, and produced a truly emotional response from the listener, this was down to the obviously high quality of the equipment used but also a true understanding of room acoustics and in many cases, a large amount of effort to get the the room sounding it's best, as you will know, this is just as important and in some ways more important than the equipment itself.
But the most important aspect of the show, was obviously the music... There were some beautiful tracks played, but it has to be said, that there was an awful lot of jazz and female vocal that could be heard blasting out of many of the rooms, which is always nice to listen to, and rightly so, as some of the recordings were simply captivating, but i swear if I hear take 5 once more, I will kick the speakers over... No matter what the cost!
So we will share a track list of some of the most notable tracks of the weekend, this will follow this report, in a day or two, so you can get an aural as well as visual feel of the Munich High End 2016.
So here we go... This may take up more than your lunch break...
Well, obviously there were the not-so-good, the outstanding and everything in-between.
There were a number of rooms that really pushed the bar, and produced a truly emotional response from the listener, this was down to the obviously high quality of the equipment used but also a true understanding of room acoustics and in many cases, a large amount of effort to get the the room sounding it's best, as you will know, this is just as important and in some ways more important than the equipment itself.
But the most important aspect of the show, was obviously the music... There were some beautiful tracks played, but it has to be said, that there was an awful lot of jazz and female vocal that could be heard blasting out of many of the rooms, which is always nice to listen to, and rightly so, as some of the recordings were simply captivating, but i swear if I hear take 5 once more, I will kick the speakers over... No matter what the cost!
So we will share a track list of some of the most notable tracks of the weekend, this will follow this report, in a day or two, so you can get an aural as well as visual feel of the Munich High End 2016.
So here we go... This may take up more than your lunch break...
Great Sounds of the Show
Here is our personal pick of some of the most impressive sounding rooms of the show... in no particular order.
Boya Volya - speakers from the Ukraine
|
These speakers using traditional Ukrainian 'Petrikovsky' hand painted artwork, first appear to be be a tad silly... until you realise their context and cultural background.
They are hand-painted by award winning artist Lyudmila Gorbulya and designed by leading Ukrainian speaker designer Yevhen Kozhushko, who graduated from the State University of Dnepropetrovsk in 1996, majoring in Radio Physics. The sheer size of these beautifully crafted speakers dominates the room, and you really hope that the sonic signature matches their dimensions... From the first notes of James Cotton's CD 'Down at you Buryin' it was evident that these were seriously good! the guitars were super focused and the gravely textures of James' vocal sent shivers down my spine... Top stuff indeed, but i'm sure, not visually to everyones taste... but i think that may be the point... It was clear when speaking to the team, that they were immensely proud of their products, and rightly so. Circa £100,000 a pair (smaller ones not priced) 
|
|
Audio Hungary, Qualiton
|
Audio Hungary were demonstating their Qualitron range in a small but well presented room, in the main hall. What we liked about the system was just how musical and engaging it was, you could stay in there all day, as it was so relaxing... The stand out tracks played were Christy Baron's cover of Bill withers' 'Ain't no sunshine' from the album 'I thought about you.' and Rosa Passos' Garote de Ipanima' from the LP 'Jazz Latinas' |
|
Restek amplifiers, Acoustic Solid turntables.
|
The Acoustic Solid/Restek room, had a really great sound, one of the most focused soundstage i have ever heard and very lively in it's presentation. This was one of Sarah's favourite rooms, and as she was so into it, that she forgot to note down what the speakers were... and the music played! The build quality of the Acoustic Solid turntable was exquisite, a real good looker and the compact Restek electronics were very smart too. All in all, an understated, no nonsense system which impressed on every level. |
Bauta speakers
|
The Huge Bauta 3 way passive speaker with built in 15" active subwoofers had a huge presence and the bass was seismic, without being too ' in your face'.
The brainchild of London educated and Grammy award winning sound engineer Jacek Gawlowski. At 91db sensitivity, and being powered by huge Accuphase mono blocks, we had the impression that these could be used in massive rooms with ease, giving Nightclub level SPLs... The Acoustic Guitar delay seem to circulate the room, as if there were rear speakers on Gustavo Santaoalalla's Leyendo En El Hospital from his Album 'Motorcycle Diaries with additional music' beautifully finished too... |
Deluxe Acoustics - DAT Speakers
|
One of the more whacky products of the show, were the Deluxe Acoustics DAT range of speakers, primarily for use with Computer based systems, but the larger 'Bumble Bee' looking ones, were big enough to use in a dedicated hifi system. They are available in five different flock coverings, which is unusual to see! can't help thinking that this is a good move as some of the side-ways reflection will be damped by this fluffy finish... They won't appeal to all tastes, but hats off to them for doing something different... But what really became evident, was how good the were! Their stand was position bang in the middle of a hall, so a decent bass response should have been hard to achieve, but these little babies nailed it, producing a solid and deep bass, with almost clinical imagery, even the little DAT-200 sounded great... The brochure even included actual examples of the felt colours available. Music played was from Yello's album 'The Eye' |
|
Lansche Audio, Cubus speakers
|
German high-end brand Lansche Audio, were showcasing their Cubus Mk.2 speakers, which feature a Plasma Tweeter, first developed by Lansche in 1990.
These massive speakers, with stunning high-gloss finishes, feature a horn design and active bass units (the ones at the show, may have been the passive versions) They were not short of superb... we really liked this room, the sound had a stunning realism, that only a small number of rooms achieved Here is a bit about their exclusive Corona Plasma tweeter from their website: "You, too, can enjoy the near-magical precision and clarity of this tweeter. This system contains no inductive voice coil, no inhomogeneous magnetic field, no resonance-bound membrane, no mass-spring system vibrating back and forth, and no non-linear suspension. All there is, in fact, is light and air." Superb sounding Electronic from EMMLabs and cables by Graditech... 
|
Lansche semi-active No.8.2 speaker
|
Vitus Audio - Alluvity Speakers, Vitus Audio Amplifiers
|
Vitus Audio were showing off their stunning SS-103 Power amplifier using some terrific sounding Alluvity speakers.
The speakers were closer together than most of the room in the show, even though they had big room, but this paid off, as the speakers seemed to be invisible, in what was actually quite a live room... The system conveyed breathtaking clarity and pinpoint imagery, Sarah's favourite room of the show... Sometimes the synergy of speaker and amp create proper audio magic, and this was one of those times.. It was so enjoyable, we sat through 3 tracks, including Josefine Cronholm's gorgeous song 'In your Wild Garden' which can be found on the Dali CD Vol. 2, which is fast becoming a classic must-have audiophile demo album. |
|
Raidho acoustics
What was immediately evident in this room, was the sheer scale of the music, it was so powerful and captivating and even though it was playing at a very high volume level, it did not make you wince or run for the door, it was silky smooth and the bass dropped so low, it just moved the chairs and the kick drums felt like they were in your chest....
Vocals were rich and engaging and projected an image that was one of the best i have ever heard. They were partnered with relatively modest equipment, which was a smart move, as it was clear that the speakers were the main event. I had to be dragged out of this room, as i could have spent the rest of the day there, and coupled with the sheer beauty of the construction there can't be much to touch these, as any price point... £175,000 ($249,000) a pair. |
|
Totem Acoustics
|
Unlike a lot of the exotic brands on show, Totem sell 'real world', sensibly priced speakers, that have established a world wide distribution, so we get them in from time to time here at the Hangar. We sold a Thorens TD125 long base turntable to the owner a few years back, who proudly showed us a picture of it on his phone! We have always liked their presentation, they always sound much bigger than their physical dimensions. The New Totem Forest was no exception, we really got into these, and they were brilliant with a Vinyl source, we heard Ben Webster's 'Soulville' LP on an original Verve pressing... and very nice it was too... |
Thrax Audio
This room was awesome, it was culmination of superb quality equipment and an extensive room treatment install, that took 4 guys 8 hours to complete... it really shows the importance of treating a room, as everyone who entered this room stayed for at least 2 tracks... imagery was pinpoint, textures were rich and the bass extension of the system seemed bottomless.
Stand out track for us was Renaud Garcia-Fons' 'Al Camaron' Certainly one of the top rooms for me, it used Thrax speakers and electronics, plus a stunning sounding Vintage Revox Reel to Reel lovely looking and sounding Room treatment by Artnovion http://www.artnovion.com |
|
CH Precision Sarl - Giya Speakers, CH amps and cd player
|
This was an interesting one, apart from the stonking sounding system, which used CH amplification and CD Player driving the established and almost Iconic GIYA G1 loudspeakers, we were treated to a demonstration of the newly developed Glass CD... Yes, Glass!
We were told that the cost of a single Glass CD was a staggering £1,500 and to be honest there was only a slight difference from the already hi-end HQ CD (in fact i asked to hear the the A/B again, just to make sure i wasn't imagining the difference) the stage was a little wider, hi-hats were sharper and more defined and the bass a little smoother, but at the price, not sure if it will catch on! |
|
Audio Technica and the AT-Art1000
Audio Technica's Room was a triumph in interior design, as well producing a very good sound.
It borrowed heavily from classic japanese style and it felt warm and welcoming. Nice to see a classic Technics SP10 in use too... Loved the specially commission 'Botanic' prints, showing Valves and Transistors amongst flora and forna! Another reason that made this room stand out, was the launch of their new cartridge, the AT-ART1000 "Hand-crafted in Japan, the AT-ART1000 uses a direct-power system with the moving coil placed directly on top of the stylus tip. This means that the ‘direct’ signal transmission from the stylus tip to the moving coil won’t be affected by interference." Audio-Technica says this allows the cartridge to pick up “even the most subtle sonic detail” and will “deliver unsurpassed transient response”. The only problem that AT have found with their new super cartridge, is the cleaning aspect... when talking to one of the reps over a coffee he said , "We seem to have found a solution in the Dust Buster a product produced by Mark Sears at the Missing link/Vinyl Passion, which simply lifts the dust/dirt off the style without any movement, which could damage the exposed coils." |
|
Input Audio and Harbeth Speakers
|
German distributor Input Audio deal with a variety of UK products, including Michell, Creek and Harbeth, and in their room, the were demonstrating the great sounding Harbeth 40.2 Reference.
Wonderful monitor that would be just as at home in the studio, as in the living room, it had the BBC tone, with lovely warm mids, a real comfy sounding speaker that doesn't rip your ears off... my kind of speaker. The turntable looked a bit Garrard 501, but i'm not sure what it was.. plus everthing was in German... Just a tad over £10,000 per pair. |
|
Pylon Audio
|
These really well made and very affordable speakers, with a choice of any colour you want, are made in Poland in their own factory, they even make their own drive units for their amazing value Emerald and Opal ranges, which start at around £250 for the standmount...
The finish on both the coloured gloss and the wood veneers were top class, not a fancy speaker, but with smart conservative styling, they will be perfect for the UK market and defiantly have a high wife acceptance factor... We were very impressed with this company, they oozed confidence and really believed in their product. The top of the range Diamond was around £1,250, and it seems that all finishes cost the same, which is nice to see. They sounded superb, and punch well above their price point, and because most of the speakers they produce are around 89db sensitivity, they can be driven with low powered valve amps with ease. We recon this is a company to watch out for.... |
|
The Bonkers Selection !
A collection of some of the crazy stuff at the show... no words needed, the pictures say it all!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Brits on tour
A few familiar faces.... flying the flag for Blighty.
Max Townshend looking very pleased, having had a great show, I know he's not technically a Brit, but he's Flying the Flag!
Tim De Paravicini demonstrating his rather wonderful old Denon, completely re-worked and sounding sublime...
Derek Hughes and myself, after an enlightening chat about the LS3/5a and Spendor's History, Derek is the son of the legendary Spencer and Dorothy Hughes.
Graeham from Audion Showing off his beautiful Silver night Amplifiers and the new Revolver Rebel Prototype...
Turntable veteran, co-founder of Pink Triangle and founder of The Funk Firm, Arthur Khoubesserian taking it easy behind a funky Funk deck.
Bring out the Old Girls
We spotted some lovely old kit at the show, here's a selection....
|
|
The New and the Interesting......
A selection of cool new stuff, and some interesting ideas.
B&O's new Beolab 90... just under £54,000 a pair, bags of power and with impressive room correction function The design harks back to classic B&O style
Very affordable Valve kit from Eastern European firm LAB 12... with VU meters!
Graham Audio and the new BBC LS3/5, complete with a man from the BBC! (not me, obviously)
Oh yes... a cool Virtical play turntable from Pro-ject!!
Some proper traditional looking separates from Pioneer...
EMT's new tracking-error correcting tonearm (Back to the old BJ principle)
Thorens' retro feeling new range of TTs
Lovely sounding Speakers from Audium, The full range is available from us!!
Primary Control ;Reference' Tonearm... certainly a break from the norm.
Heco's new monster 3way prototype version of the Direkt with a 15" bass driver
This speaker sounded great, and is the size of a large washing machine... 
Some lovely workmanship when into these unusual looking speakers.
Sleek looking KT66 valve integrated. The Magnum II from Cronus.
|
Cool Nixie tube clock... surely a 'must have' this Xmas!
Active speakers that fit into your existing light fittings... what a bright idea!
Interesting Omni-Direction wood work.
The Technics 1200 is back.... but at around £4000, it's a gamble...
Very smart looking Omni-Directinal speakers, with Gorgeous Real wood finishes
Some beautiful new kit from Chord Electronics.
If Ikea made speakers, this is what they would look like... quite smart really.
TAD's stunning finishes on there new beautifully made bookshelf speakers.
The Cyrus One is back.... well, sort of.
The Blackstone... A new Idler wheel deck is in town, Italian made, but sadly not playing... looks very interesting...
Egglestonworks range of striking looking speakers, sounded great too...
A two box valve phono stage from around £600, now that's a bargain...
Pylon superb value Opal range staring at just 357 Euro per pair!!
|
So, there you have it, a little bit of the Munich High-End 2016...
It was great fun, and i urge anyone who enjoyed this account of the show, to get over there next year, as there is so much to see, this report only scratches the surface!!
Cheers for reading,
All the best
Steve & Sarah
Cheers for reading,
All the best
Steve & Sarah