Munich High-End 2024 Show Report.

Apart from the Sonetto G2 launch, the other big Sonus faber event news was an offsite demonstration of the Sonus faber Supremas in the large and decidedly “disco” ballroom of a downtown Munich hotel. Sf’s Livio Cucuzza, Mario Passarelli, and Roberto Gamba were in attendance after having spent the afternoon dialing in the system. Power and control electronics were courtesy of McIntosh, of course, and the speakers were in a grey wood finish that I thought was insanely striking and I think is now my new favorite Sonus faber finish.

The sound in this ballroom space was positively outstanding and, for my taste, notably superior to the previous time I heard the Supremas. The system sounded much more balanced and cohesive in this big room with plenty of space to breathe and perform some audio gymnastics for the crowd.

Speaking of Perlisten, they were showing off a stack of their new sealed single-driver subs. There are an 8”, a 10”, a 12”, a 15”, and an 18”. Each comes with the full suite of Perlisten’s controls and DSP options. The company was also teasing a prototype of a massive sealed in-wall subwoofer. The D8iws in-wall sub features four pairs of 8” carbon fiber woofers in a force-canceling configuration. Over 170 lbs and with 3000 watts of power this baby will not be for the faint of heart!

We made a stop by the Gold Note display for a pre-show launch event on Wednesday evening. One may not understand the full breadth of products that this Italian manufacturer produces until they see a display like this that pretty much covers every type of gear they make. From streamers to turntables to speakers to amps, it was all here, all in the company shades of gold and black. I’ll need to swing back to get updates on a few new products but one that immediately got my attention was the new HP-10 headphone amplifier. This stout little powerhouse looks to cover all the connection bases. A fully balanced analog Class AB amplifier design (with no DAC) the HP-10 has two flavors of single-ended and two balanced headphone outputs along with balanced and single-way analog inputs and outputs. Its high power output allows it to play even the hardest-to-drive headphones. Tom from Gold Note was telling us that some final tweaking was being done on the analog EQ and Crossfeed system. Price is being finalized and availability will be Q4 of this year.

Always fun to run into the lads from Cyrus Audio. Nick Clarke and Bartosz Hajbowicz were all too happy to show off their half-size but full-featured gear on display. While I’m thinking about it, we will be releasing a review of the new Cyrus TTP turntable soon.

Pro-Ject had a massive display of several of its products. An ocean of turntables, tonearms, and accessories greeted the attendees at Munich High-End!

Innuos was featuring their complete line of streaming solutions at Munich High-End.
While showing static displays of their Pulse and Zen-based offerings, they also were running a demo that was switching between their Statement Server and Zenith Server to see if anyone could hear a difference. The system in use had gear from Gryphon Audio Designs and Nagra, along with power treatment and supply by Stromtank. The speakers were a stunning all-black pair of Kroma Atelier Irya from Spain. If you press me, I “thought” I heard a little more meat in the music with the Statement server in play over the Zenith. Whether that would hold up in a double-blind test, I don’t know. Regardless though, I would be quite happy with either solution in my system.

These two Italian brands had one of the nicer sounding rooms at the show, and that’s been a reoccurring situation at any show that I’ve run across this Italian pairing lately. The system consisted of a gorgeous pair of Alare Remiga 1 Loudspeakers driven by either a hulking pair of Audia Flight Strumento No. 8 monoblock power amps or a pair of FLS 8 monoblock amps. The source and volume control were courtesy of the new Audia Flight FLS20 SACD player. Everything I sampled sounded excellent on this setup with nothing missing in terms of detail, dynamics, and sheer visceral impact. The fact that the components and speakers are also stunning to look at is just icing on the cake! I’ll be visiting these brands after the Munich show and I hope to give you a closer look at how and why they produce such superb equipment.

ELAC

ELAC had their typical large footprint at Munich High End with a full array of all their products on display. The big news from the company though was the release of the third generation of their affordable Debut line, the Debut 3. The line consists of 2 towers, 2 bookshelves, 2 center channels, and an on-wall/elevation speaker. We will be looking forward to reviewing this very popular series of speakers when they officially hit the market. US pricing is TBD with availability around Q4 of this year. Also snuck a listen to the beautiful white Concentro speakers that were being demonstrated. A lovely sound and some kick-ass bass were coming from those elegantly shaped speakers.

In my eyes, Kostas Metaxas has got it made. As an artist, he gets to create these various audio sculptures that become high-performance hi-fi components that look and feel like nothing else out there. As an engineer, he knows how to extract the best performance out of his creations using the best parts and techniques. The new electrostatic speakers Kostas has been developing the Prinz (smaller) Czar (medium) and Emperor (larger) look to be very cool and impressive additions to his portfolio. He’s even designing a set of Electrostatic headphones to partner with his Ethereal headphone amp. This is bespoke boutique hi-fi at its finest and while it’s the stuff of dreams for most of us, it’s nice to see that there is room in this world for such creativity to flourish. Rock on Kostas!

When I think of NAGRA, I think of professional quality and Swiss precision. Well, the company brought a whole load of that, and more to the show this year. This had to be one of the most gorgeous displays of high-end gear that I think I have ever seen! And paired with the Stenheim Reference Ultime Two loudspeakers, the sound quality in this room more than matched the looks! While keeping on that Swiss precision theme for a moment, have a look at the clear platter of the Reference turntable. Totally looks like a huge Swiss automatic watch movement in there. Inspired design touch that!

The beautiful new Marten Coltrane Quintet loudspeakers paired with Halcro amplification. Smooth and engaging, the combo made for a very nice listen. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

Monitor Audio/Vitus Audio

Monitor Audio brought their top-of-the-line clothespins…. I mean Hyphn loudspeakers to Munich and they were mated to top-shelf control and amplification from Vitus Audio. As striking as this pairing looked to the eye, unfortunately, the ear was not as impressed. I’ve heard these speakers a couple of times before and they are capable of much better sound than this room was permitting here. A bit of a letdown.

I think it should be declared that Wilson Benesch be made the official speaker manufacturer for every Sith Lord in the outer rim galaxies! This setup is the perfect thing if you fancy owning what could pass as Darth Vader’s stereo rig. And take a gander at the design of their new tonearm. If that is not a product of a practitioner of the Dark Arts, then I don’t know what is! Absolutely gorgeous artful sculpture. And while the Wilson Benesch aesthetic may be totally Darth Maul, the sound quality is totally Yoda. Balanced, powerful, and completely in sync. Suitably accompanied by the fine electronics of Ypsilon.

YG Acoustics had a full-on display of what seemed like the majority of their lineup at Munich and it was visually impressive. Powered and controlled by Boulder Electronics, they were featuring the new limited edition XV 3 Signature loudspeakers. This is a 4 chassis design that has two completely separate bass sections from two main towers. The speakers were presented in a more subdued gunmetal-type finish that I thought was striking. Sonically these aluminum beasts pressurized the room like nobody’s business. The bass was exceptionally tight and impactful. The top end may have been a little bright for my tastes but I chalk that up to the room. YG was also running their active XX Live speakers (an active version of YG’s 20th Anniversary XX3 loudspeaker) at various points during the show, but I, unfortunately, couldn’t make it back to experience one of those listening sessions.

Do you like horns and field coil drivers and stuff of that ilk? Well Chinese manufacturer ESD Acoustic brought out the big guns in Munich with their just-shy-of-a-million-dollar Super Dragon speaker system. It was a humongous system that took up a humongous room. While I was visiting, they played some Japanese taiko drum tracks and then Pink Floyd’s Time from DSotM. It was certainly a powerful and different sort of presentation.

Last year ARCAM launched its new Radia line of components, ushering in a completely new feel and design language for this stalwart British brand. Here in Munich, ARCAM released their second wave of Radia gear to bolster the line. Just released are the new and larger SA45 streaming integrated amplifier with built-in streaming, 180 watts per channel, dual subwoofer outputs, and DIRAC Live. Next is the SA35 with the same feature set but with 120 watts per channel, and then the ST25 stand-alone streamer which supports all major streaming services and will be ROON Ready after launch. US pricing is TBD and availability should be by Q3 of this year.

The “belles” of the ball at Munich High End were the 2 new and very stylish passive headphones by FOCAL. They are the just-released Closed-back Azurys and Open-back Hadenys. Priced at $549 and $699 respectively these new headphones look to bring the quality and style that FOCAL is known for to a more approachable price point.

Unison Research/Opera Loudspeaker is another set of Italian sister companies I will be visiting after Munich, they had some interesting new products that they were featuring at the show. First were specially upgraded versions of their popular Simply Italy, Triode 25, and S6 tube integrated amps. Globally called the “Black Edition”, these products have upgraded internals and circuit paths to allow for lower distortion and crosstalk and increased overall performance. They also feature an updated all-black aesthetic with nickel-plated accents that modernize the look.
Next, Opera was showing a new entry-level line of loudspeakers that is premiering with two models. First is the Prima two-way bookshelf loudspeaker and next is the three-way Quinta floor-standing loudspeaker. Both models are still completely handmade in Italy using high-quality, locally sourced components and the only real cost-saving measure I could detect was the use of vinyl wrap instead of real wood or veneer. US pricing and availability are TBD.

STAX

It was an absolute blast catching up with Audrey Felix and Douglas Ip from STAX. They are just downright lovely people and they had some exciting news to share. Launching at the Munich show was the new STAX SRS-X1000, a compact turnkey introduction into the world of electrostatic headphones. A “My First STAX” if you will. But make no mistake, these are not toys. The SRS-X1000 starter set combines the brand-new SR-X1 headset with the SRM-270S amplifier in a streamlined affordable package targeted at $1K in the US. Could this set possibly sound worthy of the name at this price point? Only one way to find out. It was at the end of the show on Saturday so things had quieted down significantly, and we were in a closed-off small meeting room which helped with distractions. The earspeakers were light and comfortable with nice soft sheepskin earpads. They have a standard STAX connector on the end so no proprietary connections to be saddled with. The amp is simple and straightforward with a paralleled signal bypass so it can be easily integrated into a stereo system. And then the sound….O.M.G! When I was a teenager looking at STAX Lambda rigs at the HiFi shop and thinking they were far out of reach, I so wish that this had existed back then! These sound a lot like my Lambda SR-L700, so much fun, and they have bass! Not ridiculous amounts but it’s there and very solid. I just started to giggle uncontrollably. I REALLY like these and only some more time and a more thorough review will tell but, I think STAX has a barn burner of a product on its hands!

HIFIMAN

It is always a pleasure dropping in on HIFIMAN at any show because one never quite knows what they may be up to. And at Munich, they were up to quite a lot. First I presented Dr. Fang Bian with our 2023 Best Closed-Back Headphone award for the HIFIMAN Sundara Closed Back. Next, I got to listen to a production sample of the new Mini Shangri-La Electrostatic headphones and matching amplifier. Taking some design cues from some of the latest company products, the Mini Shangri-La seems like an easy and approachable way to get into the sound of electrostatic headphones. The sound quality is typical of a number of HIFIMAN headphones with an airy, extended sound.

Ferrum Audio/Clarus Cable

I always like checking in on our Polish friends at Ferrum Audio. They had a seriously packed booth every time I passed by. And a stack of their Hypsos power supply, Oor head-amp, and Wandla DAC still makes for one of the best and most flexible headphone listening rigs out there. Ferrum was sharing a booth with Clarus Cable which had examples of their Crimson Mk II cable on display.

ViVA Audio

I was pleased to drop in to see Giampietro and Amedeo Schembri of ViVA Audio and present them with a 2023 Thumbs Up award for the Egoista STX electrostatic headphone amplifier. Also in attendance was US distributor Ozan Turan of High End by Oz.
While at the booth, I snuck a listen to a new dual chassis, dynamic and electrostatic headphone amplifier prototype based on 845 tubes. With it’s sharper lines and massive proportions it easily drove the HIFIMAN Susvara headphones that I had hooked up. Very smooth and liquid sound with excellent bass slam when called for. No info on pricing or availability yet, but keep your eyes peeled for this one!

Matrix Audio

Chinese manufacturer Matrix Audio has developed a reputation over the years for its high-quality yet reasonably priced DACs and streaming components. Here at Munich, the company surprised with a decidedly more upmarket approach with a new series of separates. Beginning with the MS-1 Streamer ($9599.00), then the MP-1 Analog Preamplifier ($6699.00), and finally the MA-1 Stereo power amplifier ($7,999.00). The MS-1, besides being a streamer, can act as a preamp with a couple of analog inputs and an MM and MC phono input too. It converts all incoming analog signals to digital for processing and can digitally output them as well. For its analog outputs, it goes the extra mile with a reed relay-based precision analog volume control.
The MP-1 is a completely analog statement piece with multiple analog outputs that can be independently level-adjusted. A fully balanced design, again with a precision reed relay volume control system for optimal channel matching.
The MA-1 is a Class AB power amp rated at 250 watts per channel into 8 ohms, which will almost double that figure into 4 ohms. When mated here with the Fink Team Borg Episode 2 speakers the sound was dazzling, and about as transparent as one could want.

Silent Pound

Another pleasant surprise at the show was found off-site from Lithuanian speaker manufacturer Silent Pound. This unique design called the Challenger II featured an MTM driver array that disperses sound in a cardioid pattern while the bass section was completely open baffle in execution. Using a fully passive crossover design with no DSP, the Challenger II threw an enormous and enveloping image yet seemingly without sacrificing midrange and treble details. Imaging was, in fact, very specific with instruments and vocalists being precisely placed in space. And being true to the Pound in the company name, the bass did just that, it pounded. Hard. The company is currently seeking US distribution and if they find some, they were estimating a pair of Challenger II to cost in the $25K to $30K ballpark for a pair. I hope they find it. These speakers sounded too crazy good not to share!

Orchestalls

I love seeing unique and unconventional designs in HiFi and Orchestalls loudspeakers certainly qualify here. With their speaker’s individually isolated and adjustable driver enclosures, it makes for a system that can be acoustically tuned, to some degree, for your listening position. Listening to the larger of the two models on demo, I have to say that they rendered the classical music pieces that were played with great detail and scale. I didn’t get a chance to try them with other types of music though, and I would have been curious to have heard how they fared. Very neat concept!

HiFiROSE

HiFiROSE is on a roll with its interesting product offerings and unique design language. New at Munich the company was showing off new RD160 DAC with its block diagram style display and the RA280 integrated amplifier with Class D GaN-FET amplification. The display unit’s casework looked and felt gorgeous as did the actions of the controls. No US pricing or timing was given, unfortunately.

Diptyque/Kora High Fidelity

Diptyque and Kora High Fidelity were sharing a room in Munich. Diptyque had much of their product line at the show and during my visit, the DP160 MK II planar speakers were in play. They were sourced, controlled, and powered by a full suite of Kora High Fidelity electronics. The sound was excellent for a show. Spacious yet detailed with no lack of drive in the bass regions. Very much what I expected from Diptyque and I could have sat for a lot longer and just wiled away the hours. It was also excellent to catch up with Eric and Giles from Diptyque.

Meze Audio

Winding my way into some headphones, Meze had a standout display at the show with a couple of notable products on hand. First was a new pair of open-back cans called the 105 AER. This stealthy black set of headphones shares some design cues from the 109 PRO but is essentially a different beast altogether. Tuned with a more neutral-sounding presentation, I found them to be an engaging first listen and would like to spend some more time with them.
The next was a new affordable in-ear monitor called the Alba. Designed as a “gateway drug” to the Meze brand, the Alba is said to also be tuned with a generally neutral sound signature, but with a touch of warmth. The Alba also comes with a USB-C dongle DAC/headphone adapter allowing these little pearl-colored IEMs to be used with any USB-C-enabled smartphone. Prices for both products are TBD.

Feliks Audio

Dropped in to see Feliks Audio at the Munich show and presented them with our 2023 Best Headphone Amplifier award for the Feliks Audio Envy 300B. Congrats!