HIFI PIG’S OSCAR BRINGS YOU HIS FIRST HALL REPORT FROM HIGH END MUNICH 2024

Not just focused on Headfi, Oscar was snoofling through the Halls and Atria to cover as much of the show as possible, here is part 1 of Oscar’s coverage of the High End Munich 2024 Halls which covers hall 2 and part of hall 3. 

Fresh from snoofling around the Headfi and Headphone exhibits at High End Munich 2024, HiFi PiG’s Oscar dives deeper into the halls….

M2Tech

M2Tech had their new Classic integrated amplifier, I love the look of this amp with its older styling yet, internally it is a brand-new amplifier with a high-quality power supply for great current delivery alongside an MM/MC compatible phono stage, the amp delivers 60wpc into 8Ohms and 104w into 4Ohms. There is no electronic speaker protection, instead it’s protected by the power supply stage and thermal cut-off.

Matrix Audio

Matrix Audio unveiled a new range of flagship products, the MS-1 streamer, MP-1 pre-amplifier and MA-1 power amplifier, these were paired with a pair of Fink Audio Borg speakers. From the brief listen I had, this is some serious kit at affordable prices – the stereo power amp is Class A/B and kicks out 450w at 8Ohms and 900w at 4Ohms in bridged mono mode or 250wpc at 8Ohms and 450wpc at 4Ohms in stereo mode. The streamer is a fully fledged device with loads of digital inputs, balanced and RCA analogue inputs (including a MM and MC phono stage) alongside digital outputs for using with an external DAC and analogue outputs (both fixed and variable). The MP-1 pre-amplifier is a full class-a pre-amp with balanced and RCA inputs, trigger in/out, resistor array volume control (which is barely audible) and fully balanced internal design. 

Lehmann audio

Lehmann audio are well known in the industry with a comprehensive range of headphones amps, phono pre-amps and DAC/pre-amps, they were using the Sennheiser HD800s to show off the Linear D MKII.

Qualiton

Qualiton make a huge range of valve amplifiers, from pre-amps, to power amps they have a great range and were showing off a new integrated model with 300B valves. 

Lorenzo

In this room there were the Lorenzo LM1 speakers being use with their own 2A3 pre-amp and 211PP power amps. They were using a CEC TL0 3.0 CD transport and DA0 3.0 DAC, also in the rack was a NAGRA HD Phono, HD DAC X, PSU and SAT XD-1 turntable. 

Diptyque

Diptyque had their isodynamic speakers on demo, they were using the DP160 MKII alongside amplification from Kora – including power amps, pre-amps, phono pre-amp, DAC, CD transport. They were using a JR Transrotor turntable in this system. 

AV EMEA 

AV EMEA had a static display of a huge range of brands including Acoustic Energy, Primare, Storm Audio, Powergrip, Parasound, Piega and more.

Zeiler

Zeiler make beautifully crafted products, their range currently consists of a pre-amplifier and power amplifier, both of which use valves. In their demo setup they had a pair of their own Zeiler SP-01 coaxial speakers, they were using a lovely Garrard 4012 turntable too. The speakers are very sensitive at 97dB efficiency, making them an easy load for any amplifier. 

Zorin Audio / First Tech / D1 D+M

Zorin audio made the turntable in this room which is a linear tracker with an air-type bearing, they also had an active static removal device hovering over the record. The amplifiers being used were from Accuphase (Model C-280v pre / D-100 power amp) and the speakers were D1 D+M. At the back of the room they had another model of speakers from the same brand along with a few other static display bits. 

Clearaudio 

A big record shop with a great display of their turntables, Clearaudio had quite a large space with a huge array of kit from turntables to cartridges to tonearms. 

Kuzma 

Kuzma are another turntable manufacturer, they have some gorgeous wood plinth designs and great looking tonearms. 

HiFi Rose

I don’t think HiFi Rose really need any introductions, their streamers and amplifiers are incredibly popular and have a strong following. They did however have a new product on show, a DAC, that has had a lot of engineering to make it clean yet musical, rather than boring. It has all the inputs you would expect a modern DAC to have along with balanced and RCA analogue outputs, the front panel display can also be switched off, allowing for distraction free listening. They had a few different demo systems in different booths, the one I went in was using the Piega Coax 711 speakers with the new DAC, RA280 integrated amplifier and RS130 network transport.

Dual

Dual are well known for their turntables, and they had quite a few of their models on display. 

Tedeska

Tedeska seem to make some boutique cartridges, something different to your usual range of plastic/metal bodied cartridges. 

Thoress

Thoress are a German brand specialising in valve amplifiers, they are very utilitarian looking which I personally quite like. They look rather vintage and seem like they are built to last, using point to point wiring inside for ease of service and high reliability. 

Thuono Audio

More high end turntables, this time from Thuono Audio, with plinths made from marble thse are definitely unique looking turntables. 

Venture

Venture had their QA-3 active speakers on demo, there are more and more active speakers coming out and they are nailing the sound. They had their VP200D DAC acting as the pre-amplifier into the speakers with Furutech cable risers too. 

DearWolf Audio

This is one room where I was offered to play anything I liked as soon as I entered – so I went through Trains by Porcupine Tree and Chocolate Chip Trip by Tool. The DearWolf Longhorn speakers on demo were simply fantastic with ceramic coated midrange, aluminium honeycomb woofers and diamond dome tweeters they were punchy and tight, with excellent detail and soundstaging. They were driven by a Marton Opusculum Reference V3.0 amplifier, a Perfect Connection Orpheus audio streamer and Lampizator Poseidon DAC. Also in the system was a Benny Audio Odyssey turntable, Lampizator Vinyl Phono VP4-Silver, Gigawatt power master and Taiko Audio Olympus Music server. 

Line Magnetic

Outside of the booth there was a static display of some Line Magnetic amplifiers, inside the room you had some lovely horn speakers alongside a full Line Magnetic system of amplifier and pre-amplifiers. They were using a Lumin streamer and DCS Vivaldi Apex DAC. 

Triode Japan 

Triode Japan also had a large static display of their amplifiers including a new integrated model called the TRV-A150XR (it just rolls off the tongue). In their demo system they were using the Peak Consult Sinfonia speakers with the new Evolution Musashi integrated amp, Evolution Pre, TRX-EQ7 phono pre-amp and TRV-CD6SE CD player. They also had a Cyrus turntable and Grimm Audio MU2 music player, speaker cabling was Inakustik Referenz Air.

LAB12 

It was hard to miss the orange branding of LAB12, they had a huge range of their products on static display, they are a super friendly bunch and it was brilliant to meet Stratos, the owner and designer. Lin and Stu have known LAB12 since they debuted on the Newcomers (now Start-Ups) stand at Munich many years ago, they also use LAB12 gear at home in their upatairs system. It was an enjoyable stand to look around (who doesn’t love valves). Definitely check out their new Integre4 MK2 amplifier.  You can read more about the new LAB12 models here.

Orchestalls 

These are an odd-looking speaker; their looks will divide opinion and their sound may not be for everyone too. But, it’s always nice to see people push the boundaries, they were using a HiFi Rose streamer with a Ella Sonika class-D amplifiers.

Xtonebox

Another brand I haven’t come across, Xtonebox, make a range of vintage looking speakers, amplifiers and pre-amplifiers. The retro aesthetic has made a big comeback, these really do look cool in my opinion. 

Lu Kang Audio / Audioware

In the Audioware room were a pair of Lu Kang Spoey series speakers which sounded natural and smooth. They were using a Technics 8500 integrated amplifier, Ayon streamer, EA Hybrid battery power supplies were feeding the clock, switch and streamer. Cables were supplied by MPSource, there was a huge range of their cables on display outside the booth. 

Vinylcare

A couple of vinyl cleaning machines starting with the Kleeny models which cost between €629-699 and then the Nessie Vinylcleaner Pro for €1399. Not the costliest of machines and the Kleeny looks like it would be great for the budget minded vinyl enthusiast. 

Argon Audio / HiFi Klubben

HiFi Klubben were at the show with a range of products from Argon Audio who make some small class-d streaming amplifiers, small streamers, and a range of budget active speakers. They seem to be making the products that will get a new generation into HiFi, and I love this kind of approach. The aesthetics were spot on, as were the prices. In the demo room they had a pair speakers form Vestlyd, the V15C, which are coaxial and are highly sensitive making them easy to drive – they kick out a big sound for not a lot of money. They also had the Argon Audio Forte A55 MK2 active speakers which have built in streaming, once again offering up usability and impressive sound for their €999 price tag. Argon also make a couple of turntables too, ranging from €229 to €999. 

Vivid Audio / Mola Mola

At the end of day 3 of the show I found myself in the Vivid Audio room with their new Moya M1 speakers playing. These were being bi-amped using 2 x Mola Mola Kaluga power amplifiers per speaker, a Mola Mola Makua pre-amplifier and Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC. Source wise they were using an Audionet Planck2 CD player. They played Childish Gambino – This Is America when I was in the room and the sound quality was jaw-droppingly good. The way the bass pressurised the room, without sounding over the top, it was effortless punch and depth whilst vocals and details were easily picked out. Looking at the speakers you might be worried they would be too bass heavy, they are not, they are very well balanced and highly enjoyable to listen to.

Sigma Acoustics / CanEVER Audio

Sigma acoustics had their flagship MAAT Vector XAC speakers on show with CanEVER Zero Uno pre-amplifiers, La Scala power amp and Malibran power amplifier too. They had a turntable in the system that looked very bespoke along with a Pink Faun 2.16 streamer and a Soulnote SACD player. Seismion isolation platforms were in use with most of the products. 

StromTank

Well-known for their mains power sources, StromTank had a huge array of their products on display including the new S-4000 ProPower MKII.

Ideon Audio

Ideon audio make a range of DACs, Master clocks and streamers – in their demo room they had the Sigma Wave USB isolator, eos DAC, eos Stream and eos Time on display. The demo system included the Ideon Absolute stream into the Sigma Wave, Absolute Time Signature, ION DAC/Pre-amp, JMF PRS 1.5 pre-amplifier into the JMF HQS 6002 stereo power amplifier. They were using a JMF PCD 302 mains conditioner and some prototype Baun Audio speakers. 

Houchmand

A new-ish brand who featured in the start-up area a few years ago had their own booth this show, with active speakers that come in rather shiny finishes and a digital player that is well suited to hooking up to the active speakers. These are designed to be a statement piece and a visual work of art as well as sounding excellent, they make them in a range of different finishes to fit with your décor. The system was kitted out with Viablue cabling.

IO Design

Naked is not a name many would pick for their speakers but, IO are a bit different. Their Naked speakers are open baffle with an aluminium frame, planar magnetic midrange, ribbon tweeter and custom-made woofers. The demo system had their Naked RS Limited Edition speakers, Ypsilon PST-100 MKII pre-amp and Hyperion monoblocks, Ideon Absolute DAC, Absolute Time and Absolute Stream as the front end and Silversmith audio Fidelium cabling. 

GIK Acoustics

Another company that needs little introduction, GIK make a huge range of acoustic panels including their new Slat Fusor series which is a little more aesthetically pleasing than some of the plainer looking panels. Room acoustic treatment is often forgotten about but, it makes a huge difference to the performance of a system.

Acoustic Signature 

Another big stand at the show was taken by Acoustic Signature and their comprehensive array of turntables, tonearms, and accessories., which are made in Stuttgart, Germany. These are very much German engineering of the highest quality, Stu and Lin have visited the factory and seen them being made and can attest to the production standards.

TAD Audio Vertrieb

This big stand was taken by TAD Audio Vertrieb, the German distributor for Rega, Russell K, Ruark, Unison Research, Cyrus Audio and more. Here’s a few photos of their stand including the new Rega cartridges. 

Atlas Cables

It’s always a pleasure to talk with Atlas Cables, they’re a no-nonsense cable brand using high quality bare materials to get out of the way of the music/signal. The EOS 2.5 mains distribution block now comes in a black finish and they have upgraded the EOS 4.0 to handle up to 16a by using a C19 mains plug. They also have a couple of new installation cables, designed for in-wall cabling they have the 4×1.6 cable (4 x 1.6mm OFC cabling for bi-amping/bi-wiring or just twisted pair) alongside a new 2 x 2.5mm shielded cable that has dual drain wires along with a Teflon shield. 

Riviera

Another Italian brand, Riviera Labs, had a range of their amps and pre-amps on display – they have a new APL-1 pre-amp and AFS-32 stereo power amplifier. They also have a nice headphone amplifier in their range, the AIC10 which is a tube hybrid design that runs in full class-A and sounded very nice with the Susvara – it even runs 10w into 8Ohms for sensitive speakers. 

IXOOST

This stand was drawing a fair bit of attention from attendees, making lifestyle speakers in the form of automotive parts is different. Fancy a Bluetooth speaker in the shape of an AMG bonnet, or Lamborghini rear end, IXOOST have you covered. A novel idea, but will it catch on in the world of HiFi? 

Pure Acourate Sound

This room was next to GIK and were using their panels in the demo room. Putting it “simply” this is a room and speaker correction solution that takes a measurement and applies it to the setup. This is a technical showcase but should find its way into products in the future, and it does require speakers that do not have internal crossovers.

Unitra

Unitra make a wide range of products from integrated amplifiers (quite vintage looking designs too), to speakers and turntables. Interestingly they are using direct drive motors on their turntables. 

Magnetar

Magnetar filled the spot once occupied by Oppo, with a range of excellent 4K blu-ray players that have well designed audio paths and high-quality components. They do also make an SACD player which was on display too. In the demo setup they were using Waterfall speakers which are quite funky looking with their transparent cabinets. 

Lumin

Known for their streamers Lumin had the new P1 Mini on demo with the Lumin Amp and L2 library and Network switch. These were running a pair of Vivid audio Kaya 90 speakers, and the whole system sounded very clean yet natural. Around they room they had more of their models on display too. 

HSE Swiss

HSE Swiss had a static display of some of their models. 

Weiss

Weiss make some lovely streaming DACs, I’ve heard good things about them and a brief demo with their products definitely left a good impression. Most of their products run headphones and analogue outputs into an amplifier – they are versatile along with being well engineered and have the sound quality to back it all up.

Tove Audio

Bubbly speakers from Tove were on display, sadly no demo room though. 

Tonar

Always a big yellow presence at shows, Tonar make a huge range of accessories from styli to vinyl record cleaners to isolation feet. 

Luphonic

Luphonic make really interesting turntables, they’re distributed in the UK by Auden and I got a chance to see and hear one at Audio Show Deluxe. The minimalistic design is attractive and they have solid build and engineering behind them too. 

Genuin Audio / Thixar

Genuin Audio had their Ava active standmount speakers with their Drive turntable, they had an SPL pre-amplifier and the rack and isolation products were from Thixar. 

Trigon Audio / Dr. Feickert

Trigon Audio and Dr. Feickert had a wide range of products on display from phono pre-amps, integrated amplifiers, turntables, active speakers and more. In their demo room they had a pair of Geithain RL921K active speakers, Dr. Feickert Analogue Trio SE turntable, Trigon Exxceed CD player, Exceed streamer and Excellent integrated amplifier. 

Keces

Most of Keces audio equipment is designed for HiFi use however they S3 is an excellent DAC/Headphone amp with discrete ladder relay volume control and their S4 pre-amplifier (review coming soon) also boasts an excellent internal headphone amplifier. They also had a range of their power conditioners / power supplies, their S300+ power amplifier, E40 integrated amplifier and their new streamer the Ebravo. All the Keces kit delivers on a sonic front with a neutral yet natural leaning signature and the S300+ power amp has a high bias mode which outputs 5w in pure class-A before gently switching to class A/B topology. 

Cambridge Audio

Cambridge audio brought the big red bus back this year – a British Icon much like the brand itself. On board they had their Edge models, AX models, Alva TT, Evo range, MXN10, DACMagic 200M and the Evo S speakers with the CXA81 MKII / CXN100 and CXC transport. 

Project / Musical Fidelity / EAT 

This was quite possibly the largest area dedicated to one company in the main halls, Pro-Ject brought along a huge range of turntables, tonearms, and accessories along with a sushi bar style conveyer belt displaying a variety of tweaks. Musical Fidelity also had a huge space with multiple models on display including the old X series. EAT had a range of turntables and phono stages, Music Hall also had a space with some turntables as well as some Guru speakers. You could easily get lost for some time looking at all the models in this section. 

Thorens 

Well known to those who use turntables it is no surprise that Thorens main focus was of course, turntables. They also had a range of phono stages and a demo room with a luxman M-900u power amp, Thorens TPP 1600 phono stage, Thorens New Reference turntable and Thorens SoundWall HP600 speakers. 

Java / Benny Audio / Audio Solutions

These have more coverage and video in the HiFi PiG reports from Lin and Stu but I had to mention them. The Java amplifiers are simply gorgeous bits of kit, especially the carbon finish on the Single Shot integrated amplifier. Benny Audio make some gorgeous turntables and Audio Solutions make a range of loudspeakers with an online configurator that allows you to customise the finish to your liking (there is a huge range of colours and trim bits that you can change to your personal preference). This allows you to have a truly unique pair of speakers that sound as good as they look.

Levin Design

Levin Design are a design company who can also make prototypes and limited runs of products. On their stand they had turntables and amps made of stone and others from wood, they were unique looking products and just a showcase of what the company can make. 

Stay tuned for Oscar’s High End Munich Halls report part 2!

Now read our High End Munich 2024 Reports:

High End Munich 2024 Report – Lin and Stu’s Report Part 1

High End Munich 2024 Report – Headphones And HeadFi

Oscar Stewart

Additional photography by Kelly Bowden

ALL IMAGES AND TEXT ARE COPYRIGHT HiFi PiG AND MAY NOT BE USED WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT FROM THE EDITOR

For all the HiFi PiG High End Munich 2024 coverage, click here