High End 2015
High End 2015: RHA
RHA Audio makes earbuds in the same way that Jaguar makes cars. That is, they’re terrifically solid, are awesome on the road, and are sure to make your friends make all manner of silly noises […]
High End 2015
High End 2015
High End 2015: Viva Audio Egoista 2A3
It’s old news by now that the Viva Audio Egoista may be the motherlode when it comes to headphone amps. It’s big, it’s hot, it cranks out a ton of power. To be fair, it […]
High End 2015
High End 2015: Soundsmith
This year in Munich, I finally got the chance to meet in person two living legends of cartridge design, Jonathan Carr of Lyra (who went so technical that it knocked out both Scot and I, but […]
High End 2015
High End 2015: Mytek Digital goes Analog
For those of you not keeping score, Mytek Digital is one of the first manufacturers to support DSD file-based playback with their little Stereo 192 DAC ($1500 US). That little DAC is a fine example […]
High End 2015
High End 2015: Manger and Lindemann
An alternative title for the report could be: “Affordable high-end for your bathroom,” given the bathroom styled curtains standing behind Manger’s P1 speakers. Manger is a company who built its fame around the innovative driver they […]
High End 2015
High End 2015: Ypsilon, Bergmann, Perfect8
Ypsilon Electronics gave another excellent performance this year with their complete line up of tube hybrid amplifiers and sources. An upgraded version of the Aelius mono power amps ($36.000), with silver interstage transformers, and driven […]
High End 2015
High End 2015: Audiodata
This was probably the most pleasant surprise Munich offered this year, and yes, I’m aware that this is quite a statement. Audiodata is by no mean a new comer. Actually the company is quite old, […]
High End 2015
High End 2015: Tune Audio, ModWright, VPI, Skogrand
Panagiotis covered a fascinating room featuring some wild speakers from Tune Audio at Munich last year and at some point along that trajectory, become pals with Manolis Proestakis. That’s probably why he took a bow and left […]
High End 2015
High End 2015: Astell&Kern
I blame Astell&Kern for my “portable audio” problem. I had, wrongly, assumed that the iPhone was as good as it gets and that anything above and beyond that was pretty much just daydreaming. I mean, […]
High End 2015
High End 2015: Audio Tekne and DC10
One of the most impressive amplifier kits that I had the chance of listening during my student years in Italy came from Japanese legendary designer Kiyoaki Imai, founder of Audio Tekne. This is a very […]
High End 2015
High End 2015: Devialet
The best thing about high-end audio, at least in my book, is that it’s rarely boring. There’s always something new, something “out there”, something off-the-wall that really just leaves you grinning with outright admiration. This […]
High End 2015
High End 2015: Wilson Audio’s Sabrina
Wilson Audio finally brought their latest speaker, the Sabrina, to Europe. The debut did not happen within the walls of Munich’s High End show, but in a dealer’s show room. Actually not just any show room, […]
High End 2015
High End 2015: Stenheim, CH Precision, Audio Consulting, ZenSati
Usually, all the “serious players” show up in the upper floors of Munich’s Order Center (aka MOC) where the High End show has taken place in recent years. Usually … but not always. This year, […]
High End 2015
High End 2015: Lyravox
I’m not sure how “soundbars” have impacted the evolution of high-end audio, but I’ve gotten (several) ear-fulls from audiophiles with rather … strong … opinions on the matter. Were it up to me, a full 5.1 or […]
High End 2015
High End 2015: Harbeth 40.2
Harbeth UK is one of those brands. If you’re an audiophile, you already know them. If you like speakers, you’ve already heard them. If you’re a collector, you probably own (or have sold) at least […]
High End 2015
High End 2015: Physical Emotions’ Caeles
I have a soft, warm spot reserved in my heart for all things analog, and probably because of that (ha!), Munich always manages a more than a pleasant analog surprise. This year, actually, I knew that something […]
High End 2015
High End 2015: Scansonic and Raidho
Do you like Raidho speakers? Frankly speaking, do you drool over Raidho speakers? Do those snappy transient responses and the sense of air typical of the Danish firm make you go crazy, but you know […]
High End 2015
High End 2015: Focal Sopra
Focal was pushing teasers weeks before the show, letting just a few hints “escape” about a new line of speakers that will officially hit stores early this summer. During the first day of the High […]
High End 2015
High End 2015: Lansche Audio with Mola Mola and EMM Labs
Now this is a very interesting speaker coming from German designer Lansche. A three-way (nothing weird), 0.3” plasma tweeter (not common) with a 2” horn loaded tweeter taking care of frequencies from 400Hz to 2,5KHz […]
High End 2015
High End 2015: TIDAL Loudspeakers
Somewhere near 5,000 steps (according to my FitBit), I stumbled into the TIDAL Audio room. Fans of the site may know that I have a thing for designer Jörn Janczak’s big glossy megaliths as I also happen […]