HIGH END MUNICH 2022 START UP AREA

Every year the High End Society gives a free stand to a small group of lucky young HiFi businesses. Previously this was called the Newcomers Stand but it is now the Start Up Area.

We always cover the Start Up/Newcomers as we see it as the future of the industry, one of the best things is seeing brands that we met on these stands growing and becoming exhibitors in their own right.

Here are the Start Up businesses that we met at this year’s High End Munich in Hall 2.

LUPHONIC LABS

Luphonic Labs are a new German turntable brand with a really novel concept, and it was great to see them in action at the High End Show.  They showed the Luphonic H1 and Luphonic H2 turntables and Luphonic K2 tonearm. The H2 turntable features a very novel operating concept using a small puck that is placed on the turntable. This was one of the coolest new concepts at the show and it worked well, now looking forward to hearing it.

The Luphonic H1 is 1,690 euros. The H2 model is available for 2,490 euros. The K2 tonearm is 890 euros. All models are available immediately.

The clever ‘puck’ controller for turning the turntable on and off and changing speed

HOUCHMAND

Houchmand is a German start-up with a holistic approach to HiFi. Their system consists of a streamer that connects by wired or wireless connection to two active speakers, the system also has DSP. The product has a very luxurious look to it with high quality finishes.

The products had a very luxe finish

FULIANTY AUDIO

Fulianty Audio are a Polish brand making a High End Headphone amplifier, but without being retro or old fashioned about it. It is handmade, hand finished and has a solid aluminium chassis with a Corten steel front panel, individually hand-made and finished. The headphone amp features class A triodes, OTL SE circuit (output transformerless and single-ended), P2P soldering installation (point-to-point), no global circuit feedback, a robust power supply, an anode voltage delayed switching system based on an electron tube, AC vacuum tube heating and there are only four components in the signal path. Fulianty use new old stock and carefully chosen valves from well-known manufacturers, fabricated during the golden age of vacuum tube production.

ZLATOUST

Zlatoust are a young brand from Czechia whose first product is the Precision Preamplifier. They aim to make well built products that last for years and also give a good tactile experience. Features include precise control calibration and a real hardware experience with milled knobs and buttons with shutters. Switchable tone control with frequency adjustment for high and low frequencies. Six line inputs, including one specialized for CD. Separate moving coil and moving magnet inputs, the moving coil one has switchable gain and is expected to support the majority of available cartridges. Accurate RIAA preamplifier with a modern subsonic filter. High quality headphone amplifier with a dedicated volume control plus tape recorder support: input, output and monitor mode.

BAUSOUND

Bausound’s speakers were eye catching and are designed for modern, multifunctional living spaces. They have a patented, angular arrangement of five drivers for wide sound propagation. The enclosures are made of high-density solid-surface material and have a Mid-Century modern aesthetic. They looked a lot of fun.

OPERLY

Young company Operly GmbH from Germany produces “next-generation” full-range horn speakers. I would have loved to have heard these, the fibreglass shells were pretty stunning, and apparently a comfy place to sit.

Operly speakers make a great place to rest after being on your feet for three days

ARAKAS

Arakas Acoustic Mirrors looked an interesting concept, though I didn’t get a chance to speak to the team. Basically, they are described as a completely new sound tool. Easy to set up they focus sound details into the listening zone, with different round and square acoustic mirrors recommended for on top of speakers and in different positions around the listening room. One to try and see what they do.

JAZE

Jaze is a new video streaming platform specifically for Jazz, Their stand was unmanned when I was covering the Start Ups but it sounds like a neat idea for Jazz fans.

Linette Smith

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