Hifi Pig

There’s always a certain excitement in the run up to Munich High End and this year was no different in that respect. For weeks (months actually) Mrs Hifi Pig (Lin) has had the train and plane tickets booked and has managed to wind herself into a fever of anticipation. We did the journey a little differently this year and instead of getting to Paris and taking the “cattle class” overnight train to Munich we got to Paris and flew the rest of the journey.

The omens were good that this year would be a fabulous extravaganza of music and hifi when on the train to Charles De Gaulle a group of Spanish (or perhaps Italian) buskers got on and treated us to some great tunes.

Now, Terminal 1 at Charles De Gaulle is not the most salubrious of places and so please take note Mr Boss Of The Airport, a skanky sandwich that looks like it’s been sat in the display cabinet for the last millennium does not the weary traveler satisfy… we were forced to sate our hunger (OK thirst) with the regulatory buckets of tepid wine.

Not that this experience was all bad…I witnessed what must qualify as the most proficient and expert chat up of a young woman that I’ve ever seen. I’ll set the scene…body guard and heavily tattooed American rapper (I’m presuming here, but he was wearing “rap clothes” and a gold chain that wouldn’t have looked out of place on the front end of an ocean liner with an anchor on the end) walk into the lounge, body guard walks up to the bar/”refreshment” area and orders drinks and snacks. Whilst all this is happening our rapper friend (OK, he could have been a classical musician on the way to perform in Stuttgart, but I really don’t think so) makes a beeline for a stunning looking lady, mutters something to her and awaits her response which comes quickly as “I can’t speak, I have to fly now”. Undeterred our hero follows her to the seat she’s escaped to uttering “There’s no need to be afraid of me baby doll” ….then within perhaps twenty seconds they are exchanging telephone numbers, the gate opens and they board their flight to Stuttgart…I’d have loved to have known how that ended out. More »

Successor to the BBC’s old LS5/8 monitor loudspeaker, Harbeth’s new incarnation launched at the Munich High End has improvements on all fronts over the 1970s’ two-way and said to be a significant upgrade to the Monitor 40.1 model.

“The three-way Monitor 40 solved the inadequacies of that old BBC model, which attempted to force a 12-inch polypropylene bass unit to behave as a midrange as well.” says Harbeth’s Alan Shaw, “An idea doomed from the start; no wonder BBC engineers struggled with the LS5/8’s  weird sonic balance.”

The Harbeth design has now been upgraded to a new generation with a totally revised crossover and increased sensitivity.

“The M40.2 is more sensitive, more efficient, works with small amplifiers, has greater power handing, creates a more open and transparent sound – its three drive units are perfectly integrated and the whole experience even more engaging and, as always, sweet and clean”, adds Alan Shaw.

Therefore, the new model is as happy in both broadcast studios and home listening rooms, straight out of the carton. All this thanks to a ground-up redesign of the crossover network, using the latest software simulation tools and measuring systems. Production is due to begin shortly at Harbeth’s Sussex factory. The expected UK retail price will be around £12,000 for cherry veneer.

The new model is on display at the Harbeth stand in Munich (Hall 3, F12) where a new, bespoke range of Bavarian-designed and built stands will also be unveiled.

DigiBit is introducing today at Hi-End Munich two new products: wamp a wireless streamer and power amplifier and aria mc, a media centre. 

wamp

wamp is a computer audio device, and the first to market to combine such technologies as a wireless power amplifier and wireless media streamer. wamp seamlessly converts your preferred passive loudspeakers into active and wireless using a non-intrusive and unique solution.

wamp consists of a pair of mono block power amplifiers which use Class-D technology with volume control, each rated at 100W. Each is styled as a plinth, designed to act as a support for floor standing loudspeakers, thereby converting any loudspeaker in to an  active wireless hifi system. Using Airplay™ users can stream music up to 24bits-48KHz and up to 24bits-192KHz via Wi-Fi 802.11ac, for added convenience Bluetooth 4.0 support is also provided. wamp also supports wireless and wired LAN up to 24bits-192KHz and DSD as a DLNA renderer. A stereo 2 x 50W bookshelf wamp model will also be available for customers using shelf mounted loudspeakers.

To complete the feature list of wamp, it also comes with a built in 32bit- 384HKz and DSD64/128/256 compatible DAC.

wamp will be available in Q3 2015. Price to be announced later.

aria mc 

The new aria mc (media center) is the response to customer demand to introduce a low-cost yet powerful media centre with many of the attributes of the aria music server series. It has hi res support for PCM and DSD music, aria mc also incorporates support for High Definition video and pictures.

aria mc streams audio, video and pictures from the internet, PC, Mac, iOS and Android portable devices and smart phones as well as from any attached hard disk, NAS or other networked device.

It also has the ability to connect your preferred device to aria mc via Bluetooth™ 4.0, Airplay™ or DLNA™ to stream content in hi-res.

aria mc connects either to Blu-Ray players like OPPO™ via HDMI and USB (OPPO 105 DAC) to play audio and video in hi-res and HD, or to an A/V receiver via its HDMI input. aria mc comes with 2 LAN ports that facilitate the connection to your network and another device.

aria mc supports the latest audio formats in PCM (up to 32bits-384KHz) and DSD (64/128/256) both in stereo and multichannel.

aria mc includes 16GB SSD for the OS and its software, for your media library different versions are available from a diskless to 2TB, 4TB and 6TB HDDs.

The free apps for iPad™/iPhone™ and Android™ control aria mc with our acclaimed easy-to-use GUI, enabling you to listen to music via your aria mc without having to turn-on your TV. Additionally, the unique content streaming to iPad™/iPhone™ and Android™ devices feature allows you to enjoy your media library from any place at home. Last but not least, aria mc supports multi-room streaming to Airplay and DLNA compatible devices.

aria mc will be available in Q3 2015. Price to be announced later.

During High End 2015, Joseph Audio will show for the first time in Europe the new Joseph Prism loudspeakers. According to Jeff Joseph, the company’s President and Design Engineer, “The Prism is a compact monitor that thinks it’s a big speaker!”

The new Prism borrows several technologies from its famous “big brother” – The Pulsar. It combines a dual section dome tweeter that delivers “smooth and cleanly defined treble, along with a super duty woofer with incredible throw for deep powerful bass”.
“The Prism offers about 80% of the sound quality of the Class A ranked Pulsars at less than half the price. It’s an exciting addition to the Joseph Audio family not only in terms of performance, but in terms of value as well.”

The US Suggested Retail Price is $3699/pair.

Joseph Audio is in Halle 4 , Booth C 17.

Launching at the High End Show in Munich (14th – 17th May), the brand new R-Series 2000 from T+A, sees significant updates and new thinking behind one of the company’s most respected product lines. Designed from the ground up and utilising much of the technology developed for the company’s HV Series, the new R-Series promises exceptional sound quality in a diminutive package.

The new R-series is a brand new development, and for this reason, the models bear new type numbers: 2000 R for the low-profile cases and 2500 R for the taller models. At present, the series consists of the PA 2000 R Integrated Amplifier (£4,204.00), the large PA 2500 R Integrated Amplifier (£5,577.00), the MP 2000 R Multi-source player (£4,204.00) and the G 2000 R Turntable (3,432.00 (MM) and £4,719.00 (MC)). Further products are already in development, including the P 2000 R Pre Amplifier and A 2000 R Power Amplifier, which will be launched later in 2015.

PA 2000 R Integrated Amplifier – £4,204.00 inc VAT

The amplifier stands only 8.2 cm tall, the PA 2000 R features linear output stages with very low negative feedback and a new power supply. The result is that the PA 2000 R can deliver a continuous power of more than 180 Watts per channel into 4 Ohm loudspeakers.

Gas-tight gold-contact relays are employed to switch loudspeakers, inputs and internal signal circuits. Separate tone controls are present for each channel and they and the Loudness function can be by-passed completely. When used in a home cinema, the PS 2000 R can be set to Surround Pass Through mode, selected by a trigger signal.

The rear panel offers three balanced (XLR) inputs, three RCA inputs, a pre-amplifier output (RCA) and heavy-duty speaker terminals machined from ultra-pure non-magnetic brass. An optional audiophile phono pre-amplifier module for MM or MC can be fitted internally if required. A high-quality headphone socket is also fitted to the front panel – allowing for personal use when needed.

PA 2500 R Integrated Amplifier – £5,577.00 inc VAT

Twice the height of the PA 2500 R, the PA 2500 R integrated amplifier exceeds the specification of the PA 2000 R in many areas, but in terms of sound quality, it retains the same dynamism and cultured sound quality. Although the circuit board layouts are identical, the heat-sinks are twice the size and the case accommodates two new high-performance power supply units, with the result that it can deliver more than 260 Watts of continuous power per channel into 4 Ohm loudspeakers.

The PA 2500 R is also fitted with three balanced XLR inputs (of which one can be configured as Surround Pass Through), four RCA inputs, balanced XLR and single ended RCA pre-amplifier outputs and two pairs of loudspeaker outputs with heavy-duty terminals machined from ultra-pure non-magnetic brass with rhodium-plated contact surfaces. A high-quality headphone amplifier is also included with the 1/4 “ socket mounted on the front panel.

MP 2000 R DAC / Network Client – £4,204.00 inc. VAT

The MP 2000 R DAC / Network Client may appear to be a classic CD player at first glance but in fact delivers every digital music format available in the highest possible quality.

The onboard DAC converts PCM signals up to 384 kSps with the help of the quadruple converter – another in-house T+A development – and DSD files up to DSD 256. As well as housing a CD mechanism, the multi-source player also includes a digital tuner offering FM, FM-HD and DAB+ reproduction, a Bluetooth streaming module for receiving music from mobile devices, a streaming client with internet radio for connection to the home network via LAN and WLAN, USB Master Mode and HD streaming plus a digital connecting board with inputs for external sources (2 USB device modes and 4 HD-S/P-DIF).

G2000 R Turntable – £3,432.00 (MM) and £4,719.00 (MC)

T&A has introduced the G2000 R turntable into its new range. Developed from its predecessor, the G1260, further enhancements have been made, with the edition of a drive motor that is said to be completely consistent and smooth running along with improved damping to eradicate any mechanical sound. The G 2000 R comes fitted with a modified pressure-cast aluminium tone arm made by Rega and is fitted with the Ortofon 2M Bronze moving magnet system as standard. A High-End version featuring a Clearaudio Carbon-2 tone arm and MC-2 moving coil cartridge is also available. If required, T+A’s PH G10 phono pre-amplifier module can be fitted in to the turntable chassis itself.

All four models will be available in the UK from late June 2015

Danish company TP Tube are participating at this year’s High End fair in Munich.

They will be located in Hall 3, booth # J10 – where their classic series (TP160, TP300 and TP500), will be available. But their big focus will be on their TP200, the new one-point-speaker / Soundbar.

Estelon will have their flagship speaker “Extreme” on dem at this year’s Munich High End event. The speakers will be driven by Soulution amps.

The full system will comprise of:

Loudspeakers: Estelon Extreme

Monoamplifiers: Soulution 701

Preamplifier: Soulution 725

SACD player: Soulution 746

Cabling: Kubala Sosna Elation

Equipment Rack: Crytical Mass Systems

There will be demos and hourly presentations by Estelon designer Alfred and his daughter and business partner Alissa.

Booth: Atrium 4, F216

Townshend Audio’s Max Townshend will be explaining through short presentations just how important it is to isolate Hi-Fi components, especially loud-speakers from ground-borne vibrations.

Townshend have been working to measure the phenomenon and will be presenting their results over the weekend at the High End Munich. show.

The team will be on hand to provide the best advice for you.

Townshend will be in Halle 2 M09/NO6

On show:

The full Seismic Isolation range .

Maximum Supertweeters

The Allegri preamp

Rock 7 turntable + Excalibur tone-arm + Merlin power supply

On demonstration :

The Seismic Podium,

Competition:

Win a pair of Townshend Maximum Supertweeters worth £899!

Tellurium Q will be exhibiting at this year’s Munich High End show with Monaco’s Sound Galleries in Halle 4 Room D33.

The British cable manufacturer will be showcasing its new Silver Diamond cables that we at Hifi Pig have already been lucky enough to hear…in fact they are in the system at this very moment.

Tannoy will be rocking this year’s Munich High-End audio show with three new floorstanding loudspeakers. The Revolution XT 8F is the flagship of the new Revolution XT series, boasting the 200mm (8.00in) version of the all new Omnimagnet Dual Concentric driver with matching 200mm bass driver in Revolution’s signature trapezoid cabinet. This latest iteration features twin-cavity port loading and a downward firing port for deep bass and easy room placement.

Building on the strength of the Definition series, the high efficiency Definition DC10Ti  with its contemporary curved cabinet, 250mm (10.00”) Dual Concentric driver and mass-loaded stabilising plinth is set to catch the eye as well as the ear of Munich visitors.

For traditionalists no High End Show would be complete without a Tannoy Prestige model. This year’s Prestige will be the Limited Edition Turnberry GR with its Alnico Dual, custom crossover and unique LE trim. Tannoy will also be displaying the entire revolution XT series, the Definition DC8Ti, Limited Edition Precision models and an exciting new finish option for the mighty Kingdom Royal.

At the High End Show 2015 in Munich Norwegian high end cable manufacturer will show and give auditions with their new upgraded audio cable product lines. The cables have been upgraded with increased flexibility, easy installation and handling, enhanced durability, redesigned inner frameworks and general cosmetic enhancements.

They will also be introducing their new SCD Grieg digital interconnects 75 Ohm and AES/EBU 110 Ohm.

Knut from Skogrand says they will be bringing their top of the line cables, the SC and SCI Beethoven cables, to the show together with the SC and SCI Tchaikovsky, SCAC Wagner, SC Ravel and SC Brahms models.

Skogrand will be co-exhibiting with ModWright, Tune Audio and VPI in room E215 Atrium 4 2nd floor.

French manufacturer Amadeus is previewing a ‘Hi-Fi’ model of their new ‘Philharmonia’ speakers at the ‘High End’ Show in Munich. The Company expects to release the Hi-Fi model of the new Philharmonia reference speakers in Q4 of 2015, with pricing to be announced soon. Amadeus can be found at the High End Show in Halle 3 J05/K08.

The new ‘Philharmonia’ 2-way, self-powered speakers feature a 28-mm soft-domed tweeter and a handmade 8-inch woofer. The ‘Philharmonia’ comprises a line level input with a customised analogue integrated tone control system.

The speakers were designed by Amadeus’ Michel DELUC, who has designed speakers over the past 30 years, along with French architect Jean Nouvel, who created the Philharmonie de Paris building, home to the Paris Symphony Orchestra and the custom recording studios, that feature the first sets of the new ‘studio version’ of the Amadeus Philharmonia speakers.

The ‘studio’ version of the Philharmonia speakers were unveiled at the Prolight + Sound Expo in Frankfurt in April, 2015.

Bernard BYK, co-founder and CEO of Amadeus, says, “Imagine a reference sound reinforcement system, adapted to the dimension of this architectural gem, with exceptional design, ergonomics and acoustics is a kind of consecration! Jean Nouvel’s imagination, exuberance and creative genius brought a brilliant solution, beyond the original specifications. Amadeus especially praises tradition. Combining innovation and timeless beauty, this system, christened ‘Philharmonia’, embodies the know-how, the creativity and the values on which we have been building our History for more than 35 years.”

Gaetan BYK, Marketing Manager at Amadeus, continues describing the genesis of the Philharmonia speakers, “This project, under the direction of Jean Nouvel, is the result of a unique collaboration between professionals with talents, sensitivities and careers, both original, and complementary. They have achieved an amazingly transparent sound as well as a stunning look with Philharmonia. We have been pursuing this quest for ultimate timbral neutrality, along with musicians, recording engineers and artists who use our products, for a very long time. Now we can bring this result to the Hi-Fi community. We look forward to the reactions at the High End Show in Munich.”

French breakthrough technology company LEEDH, whose very distinctive E2 loudspeakers we loved when we reviewed them, will be at the High End show in Munich in Atrium 4.2, room E210 

LEEDH will present a full optimized system and say that it will be the most neutral and holographic representation of an original recorded sound you will hear!

The system for Munich will be composed of :

– LEEDH E2 Loudspeakers

– 20.1 Subwoofer

– Universal cable

– Swissonor RIA preamp

– Thorens TD160 turntable with Orthofon cartridge

– Devialet Dual D200

Soundkaos will be exhibiting at the High End show in Munich and have their wave 40 audio Speakers and the new SK16 Skinny model on demo.
In a supporting act they be showing/demoing both their D12 and D8 sub wave units with their external amplifier modules.

Partnering equipment will be from NAGRA Audio Technology Switzerland and all sound and power conductors from VOVOX a Swiss manufacturer of pro/high end audio cables.

The company will feature the brand new just launched CLASSIC amplifier from NAGRA together with their HD DAC, Jazz Pre amplifier, CD Player and MSP power supply.

On the sound conductor side they will have all VOCALIS IC’s and powered supply cables/distributors from the TEXTURA range.

All this will take place in our custom built sound room in Hall 1 of the downstairs MOC. Their location is stand T11.

Métronome Technologie was founded in 1987 and designs and manufactures all their products in France, in its workshop located in Roquemaure near Toulouse. 

The Munich HighEnd show has been for years a classic of the audio high-end industry, and Métronome says they are proud to exhibit again this year, together with a partner for loudspeakers  the Canadian company Focus Audio.

Metronome will display the following:

MUSIC CENTER : a music server, the first one from Métronome, for storage and display of all hi-resolution files formats. The Music Center will also read CDs, with a ripping function.. All functions monitored with specific app on all tablets and smartphones.

CD8 S : this is the evolution of their CD8, DAC and CD Player combo. The implementation of new DACs and USB input allows reading of DSD files in native format (up to DSD128).

Le Player : entry-range CD player and DAC, unveiled at CES in January 2015 and already on the market.

C8 + : C8 is the big converter from Métronome, and the “+” evolution includes DSD reading..

You can see them in ATRIUM 4.2, room 222.

Concrete Audio of Germany presents its monolithically poured loudspeakers at Munich High End show. F1, the world’s flattest loudspeaker, active and wireless and made of concrete.

They include an integrated amplifier, streams using Audiofly Syncronice and are just 32mm thick.

Leema Acoustics’ new high-end Libra DAC will be shown for the first time in mainland Europe at High-End, Munich. The Welsh company will be at High End this year with a wide range of Welsh-made hi-fi, including the new Libra DAC (£6,000).

Based in Halle 1, S10, Leema Acoustics’ Lee Taylor and Mallory Nicholls will be debuting the new Libra for the first time in mainland Europe. The new flagship DAC will be joined by the Hydra II stereo power amp (£ 3,595), plus both the Xone 2.5 floorstanding speakers (£1,750) and the diminutive new Xen 2 micro monitor (£1,295).

In addition, Leema Acoustics will also have selected models from its wide range of hand- made hi-fi on static display. The new Libra DAC is expected to be in retailers in the weeks that follow High End.

Graditech whose Lumi cable system we reviewed some time ago will be sharing a room with Lansche who will be demonstrating their plasma tweeter speakers, Mola Mola amplifiers and Innofusor who have a  unique acoustic material made from peat on show.

The room, as you can see from the picture looks great.

Making its world premiere at this year’s High End Munich is the Art Deco valve Pre-Phono from Polish manufacturer Zontek.

Three inputs are available to serve all 3 tonearm bases of the company’s turntable from single unit, each fully adjustable to handle every cartridge loading. A single set of RCA and Balanced signal outputs are available.

Chord Electronics is set to launch a new reference-level product at High End, Munich. The new device will be revealed to invited guests* by John Franks and Rob Watts at 6pm on the opening day of the show. “Its introduction will mark the end of an era for one of Chord’s best-loved devices, but will showcase Chord Electronics’ extraordinary capability in high-end digital audio” says the company’s recent press release.

The Kent-based company is hosting its biggest-ever High End this year. In addition to its now familiar atrium-located demonstration room, Chord will have dynamic product displays and meeting room facilities in a suite shared with its German distributor, G8 and friends.

Attendees to the two Chord rooms will get the chance to experience the new 2Qute DAC, Chord’s flagship Reference system, a full Choral system, plus see and hear the new Hugo TT and Hugo. Many more key products will also be available, including the new CPM 2800 MkII.

Room C122 in Atrium 3 will have Hugo TT and Hugo demo stations, plus key Chord team members including John Franks, and for Thursday and Friday, Rob Watts will also be present. Room F104 in Atrium 4 will have a full Reference system on demonstration.

Italian brand Lector Audio will be exhibiting at this year’s High End Munich with their full range of products which includes:

• Dot Bit DSD DAC
• ZAX 70 integrated amplifier
• CDP 603 CD player
• Digitube S 192 DAC

They will be in  Halle 3 booth L08.

Lumen White will premiere the “white light anniversary” reference monitor loudspeakers at the munich high-end show 2015  celebrating 15 years of benchmark shifting innovation in high end audio design.

Introduced  in  2000,  lumen  white`s  original  “white  light”  reference  monitors featured the world`s first all-ceramic driver array, “radically advanced pressure- and flow-dynamics optimized, air-damped, instrument-grade  tone-wood  cabinets,  purist  crossover  design  and  further advancements of the art”.

5 years in the making, a completely new generation of significantly advanced, custom designed drivers and continuous refinements of their loudspeaker technologies have prepared the stage for lumen white to introduce the latest generation of their reference monitor speaker designs. The new technologies will be premiered in a special “anniversary” model of the iconic “white light” monitors format.

The “white light anniversary” reference monitors will be premiered in a white macassar finish at the High End 2015 show in Munich, together with the latest generation of lumen white`s limited edition “mystere” air bearing turntable system (pictured). The products will be demonstrated in hall 1, booth S03, may 14 through may 17.

Aurender will be at this year’s High End Munich event in Halle 4 E17 where they will introduce the new N100H Music Server/Player.

“The N100H Server/Player allows users store up to a 2TB music collection via its internal hard drive. And while its performance is audiophile-quality, you don’t have to be an IT expert to setup and enjoy the N100H,” says Harry Lee, Aurender’s Director. “It has all the qualities that an audio enthusiast seeks, but with streamlined simplicity, design, and tremendous functionality for the average user. The 2TB drive provides enough space to store all but the most extensive music libraries making the N100H the ideal solution for most music lovers.”

The N100H Server/Player accesses and plays music stored on an internal drive and also provides for storage capacity expansion via an external network-attached-storage (NAS) device or USB hard drive.

Because the N100H features Solid-State-Drive (SSD) cached playback of the 2TB internal or NAS or USB attached drives (via its 120GB SSD), both internal and external drives simply store music. When music is selected, it’s quickly loaded into the SSD cache drive for playback.

You can control the N100N Server/Player with the Aurender Conductor App for iPad (or the new Android “Lite” App).

The N100H with 2TB internal storage and 120GB SSD for caching playback is available May, 2015 ($2,699).

Here’s a sneaky peek at the upcoming COPERNICUS by EMMESpeakers, that will be presented at the Munich High End Show 2015 (Halle 3 – Stand L08).
They have a “rust-like” finish which is quite unusual we thought….

More pictures of these and lots more in our upcoming show report from High End Munich.