High End Vienna 2026 Report Part Eight – Hall X5

June 16, 2026

JON CHECKS OUT THE NEXT BIG HALL X5 AT HIGH END VIENNA 2026

High End Vienna 2026 Report Part Eight – Hall X5
vienna high end report 2026

HiFi PiG’S Jon takes a snoofle around Hall X5 at the Austria Center Vienna. Discover what he found in the next instalment of our High End Vienna 2026 Report.

If you want to check out our previous reports from High End Vienna 2026 in the Austria Center Vienna, you can find Part One here, Part Two here, Part Three here, , Part Five here. Part Six here and Part Seven here.

Please note, all content and photos are the copyright of HiFi PiG Magazine/Big Pig Media LLP and must not be copied or reproduced in any way without the prior, written consent of the editor.

PURITAN AUDIO LABS

British HiFi brand Puritan were running a live mains monitoring comparison, showing the difference between the raw venue supply and the conditioned output from one of their units. It is the kind of demonstration that tends to make a strong case, given that show venues are rarely known for the quality of their electrical supply. Products from across the range were on display, from entry level to their ultimate tier, alongside a selection of complementary power cables.

High End Vienna 2026 Report Part Eight – Hall X5
Vienna high end show 2026 report

SUPRA CABLES

A static display focused on the Excalibur range, including USB and power cables, plus their LoRad power accessories: distribution blocks and cables. Supra have been making cables for a long time and the LoRad range in particular has a strong following, so it was good to see the full lineup laid out together.

NEAT ACOUSTICS

A static stand showing the Iota Alpha Mk2, Iota Mk2, and the brand new Momentum J-S. British HiFi brand Neat have always had a loyal following for their compact stand mounts and the Iota range remains one of the more interesting options at its price point, and the J-S addition to the Momentum line will be worth keeping an eye on.

UNITRA

Unitra had a listening room, an open floor system playing, and a static display running simultaneously. The listening room was built around the Edmund turntable and CSH-801 CD player as sources, with the WSH-805 Dual Mono Integrated on amplification. Speakers were the ZGB-401 stand mount and ZGZ-802 floor stander. The open floor system used the CSH-801 and WSH-805 again, this time with the ZGZ-801 loudspeakers.

The CSH-801 has a liquid ink display, the same e-ink technology used in most Kindle readers. It shows track and disc information clearly without the glare of a conventional LCD, which is a small but genuinely welcome detail in a listening room context. All components offer five levels of illumination brightness across their VU meters and display elements, so listeners can set them however they prefer.

On static display was the ZGB-601, a stand mount available in green among other colour options. A handsome finish for the price point, and the colour choices make it stand out in a market where black and white tend to dominate.

ONCE

Once were demonstrating with a Rose streamer and Marantz integrated amplifier driving the Har floor standers. It was a relatively accessible system by show standards, and the better for it in terms of giving visitors a sense of what the Har is capable of without the electronics becoming the story. On static display was the Su, a valve-based active stand mount that looks an interesting proposition.

AV EMEA

A distributor static stand covering several brands: Powergrip mains blocks, Primare electronics, Acoustic Energy including the new AE2 40th Anniversary stand mount, and Meridian stand mounts. The AE2 Anniversary is likely to attract attention given the original AE2’s reputation, and it was good to see it out in the open rather than tucked away in a demo room.

PS AUDIO

PS Audio had a full complement of their loudspeaker range on display. The floor standers were static, but the FR5 stand mounts were playing, driven by a PMG Signature 512 DAC, PMG Signature Pre, and PMG S400 power amplifier. One of their PMG M800 monoblocks was also on static display, and it is a substantial piece of kit by any measure.

WADAX, ORPHEUS AND KROMA ATELIER

A joint room pairing Wadax and Orpheus electronics with Kroma Atelier loudspeakers. The Wadax handled streaming and SACD, while Orpheus provided a full stack: the H0 SACD player and Heritage Network Switch as sources, the H Two 33BD preamplifier with its external PSU, and the Heritage M1400 monoblocks rated at 1,400W into 4 ohms. The loudspeakers were the Kroma Atelier Reference Irya floor standers.

STEINMUSIC

A display of Steinmusic accessory products, including power blocks, devices designed to sit in the signal path between loudspeaker and speaker cable, and a demagnetiser. Accessories of this kind tend to divide opinion, but Steinmusic have been around long enough to have accumulated a body of users who swear by them, and the range on display was broader than expected.

GIK ACOUSTICS

Largely familiar products for regular followers of the brand, but GIK were showing their new deeper panels, which fit more damping material into a given surface area of wall space. For anyone working with limited wall coverage, that is a useful development, and the panels themselves looked well finished.

WIIM

WiiM were demonstrating their new WiiM Bar soundbar, a 3.0.2 design with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support. It has a 2.1-inch touchscreen for playback control, EQ adjustment, and album art display, and can pair wirelessly with other WiiM devices to expand into a larger surround setup. WiiM have built a strong reputation on the streaming side of things, and the Bar looks like a logical extension of that into the soundbar market.

CANEVER AND ACTIVE ONE

A static display of CanEver electronics, including the Triodo and Malibran amplifiers and ZeroUno DAC and preamp units. CanEver are an Italian manufacturer with a strong following among valve enthusiasts, and the build quality on display was impressive. Speaker details were not recorded.

VITUS AUDIO AND SV AUDIO

The world premiere of the SV Audio Astrid loudspeakers was the centrepiece of this room. Electronics were all Vitus Audio: CD-025 Mk.II CD player, SD-025 Mk.II streamer/DAC, SL-103 Mk.I preamplifier, and SM-025 Mk.II monoblocks. Cabling throughout was the ZenSati Angel line. The Astrid generated considerable interest on the floor, and the pairing with Vitus electronics made sense given the shared Scandinavian heritage.

ACAPELLA ARTS AND MSB TECHNOLOGY

A Pink Faun Ultra streamer and MSB Cascade DAC fed Acapella’s Energèia Reference pre/power combination. The loudspeakers were the Acapella La Campanella Alto 2 Mark II, which use the brand’s distinctive ion plasma tweeter. Acapella rooms tend to be among the more sonically distinctive at any show, and this was no exception.

PSI AUDIO

PSI Audio were demonstrating the Heritage 3 active floor stander alongside the AVAA C214 active bass trap. The bass trap was being run as a direct A/B comparison, and the effect was clearly audible. With it in circuit the bass tightened noticeably, with a greater sense of precision and control. Active bass trapping of this kind remains a niche product, but demonstrations like this tend to be persuasive in a way that brochure specifications are not.

ABSOLARE AMPLIFICATION

A high-end system built around the Alsyvox Botticelli full-ribbon loudspeakers. Source was an SOTM sMS-2000 streamer feeding a Nagra Reference DAC, with the Absolare Eternum preamplifier and Absolare Hybrid Monoblock 2 amplifiers. Seismon active stabilisation platforms were fitted under the Nagra, streamer, preamplifier, and power amplifiers. Full-ribbon loudspeakers of this kind place particular demands on amplification, and the Absolare monoblocks are clearly designed with that in mind.

AYRE, IKIGAI AND SEAWAVE

The main listening booth was built around two Seawave loudspeakers: the AM23 stand mount and Dewstar floor stander. Sources were an AMG Giro Mk2 turntable and Ayre QX5 streaming DAC, with an Ayre Reference Pre and Ayre Reference Stereo Power on amplification. Cabling throughout was by Ikigai, and Protone room treatment panels were in use.

On static display was the forthcoming Ayre QE9 streaming DAC, priced at $4,500 and expected to ship within one to two months of the show. At that price point it sits in competitive territory, but Ayre’s reputation for measured, well-engineered products means it is likely to attract serious attention on release.

OMEGA AUDIO CONCEPTS

A complete system from Omega Audio Concepts: Solista CD player and Thuno TH300 turntable as sources, Assolo integrated amplifier, Extremo power distribution, and Easy One floor standers. The system sat on GD Audio racks. Omega Audio Concepts are not among the most widely known names on the show circuit, and rooms like this are a useful reminder that there is a lot of interesting work being done outside the brands that tend to dominate the conversation.

GENUIN AUDIO

Genuin were demonstrating a full system of their own design: a Drive turntable with Point arm and Sting cartridge, Tars music server, NXT DAC/pre, and Neo active floor standers. The decision to design and build across the entire chain is an ambitious one, and the room gave a reasonable sense of what the brand is capable of when everything is working together.

MSB TECHNOLOGY

A static display showing the Sentinel DAC, Cascade DAC, and S500 power amplifier. MSB were also represented in a listening room elsewhere at the show, but this stand gave visitors a chance to look more closely at the physical design and construction of the components, which is worth doing.

J. SIKORA, OMEGA AUDIO CONCEPTS, ARIES CERAT AND ALSYVOX

The J. Sikora Reference Line turntable and Omega Audio Concepts Zenith CD player served as sources. Aries Cerat provided the full electronics chain: Talos phono stage, Pondera preamplifier, and Concero monoblocks. The loudspeakers were the Alsyvox Caravaggio full-ribbon floor standers. Collaboration rooms of this kind can sometimes feel like a collection of unrelated products sharing a space, but the system here felt considered, with the Aries Cerat electronics and Alsyvox ribbons in particular appearing well suited to each other.

BASSOCONTINUO

BassoContinuo had a number of their HiFi racks on display, including a lovely demonstration of the B series SF Edition with glorious red-timber and leather shelving, and a restyled release of the Aeroline 2.0, which I was particularly drawn to. The new Revolution X had perhaps the lightest shelves of any HiFi rack I’ve seen, made of carbon fibre, they are incredibly strong but can be lifted with one hand. Lorenzo explained that this is due to the fact that they are truly made of carbon fibre, not just a coating on a standard shelf…a feat of engineering indeed!

AVID, SOULNOTE AND ALBEDO

The Avid Acutus turntable with Nexus arm and Reference Ruby cartridge covered analogue, while a full Soulnote stack handled digital: S-3 SACD player, Z-3 network streamer, and D-3 DAC. Amplification was the Soulnote P-3 preamplifier and A-3 power amplifier. The loudspeakers were the Albedo Achema floor standers, and cabling was by Faber Cables. Soulnote are a Japanese manufacturer with a growing following in Europe, and having the full range present in a single system gave a useful overview of the lineup.

KEITH MONKS

The latest record cleaners from the popular British brand.

AURENDER

Aurender’s demo system was built around the newly launched N300X streamer, paired with the DA100 DAC and NH10 network switch. Audio Research provided amplification: LS3 preamplifier and S200 power amplifier. The loudspeakers were Acora Acoustics SRC2 floor standers. Additional Aurender products were on static display, and the stand was busy throughout the show, reflecting the brand’s position as oneof the more established names in dedicated music streaming.

BLUMENHOFER, ZINGALI AND CAMINO

A static display featuring the Zingali Client Name 1.5, Zingali Quantum Array 2.10, Blumenhofer Gran Gioia Mk3 with supertweeter, and Camino DC Blocker and Power Harmoniser accessories. Blumenhofer and Zingali are both manufacturers with long histories and distinctive approaches to horn-loaded design, and seeing several models from each in one place made for an interesting comparison.

LORENZO AUDIO

Lorenzo Audio were demonstrating their Classic LM2 floor standers driven by Riviera Labs AFM100SE monoblocks and APL01SE preamplifier. The source was a Pink Faun Ultra streamer feeding an MSB Cascade DAC. The combination of Italian loudspeakers with Riviera Labs amplification, itself an Italian brand, gave the room a coherent character that worked in its favour.

VOLUMIO

A static display of the Volumio range: the Primo streamer/DAC, Primo Plus streamer/DAC/pre, Rivo Ultra streaming transport, and Lineo 5 power supply. Volumio are perhaps better known as a software platform than as a hardware manufacturer, so it was interesting to see the full product lineup laid out together.

Michelangelo had a chat with Stu and Lin at the show and showed the different customisable finish options for the new full-size Rivo Ultra.

SILENT ANGEL

A static display featuring the Munich MU music streamer and Forrester power conditioning unit. Silent Angel have been steadily expanding their range over the past few years, and the Munich MU in particular has picked up a positive reception since its release.

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RUARK

Ruark were demonstrating the R710, an all-in-one unit combining CD player, streamer, and integrated amplifier, paired with the Talisman R floor standers. The R710 is an interesting product in the context of a show that leans heavily towards separates, and the Talisman R is a capable partner for it. Ruark have always occupied a slightly different part of the market from most of the brands at a show like this, and the room reflected that without apology.

ISOACOUSTICS

IsoAcoustics were running a live A/B demonstration of their Gaia Neo isolation feet. Two identical pairs of Marten Oscar Trio loudspeakers were set up side by side, one on Gaia Neo and one without, both driven by a Lumin streamer and Audia Flight integrated amplifier. The effect was convincing. The pair on Gaia Neo sounded appreciably cleaner and clearer, with less resonance from the booth floor. Demonstrations of this kind are always more persuasive than any amount of specification data, and IsoAcoustics clearly know that.

MAVIS LAB, APERTURA, KIMBER, AND WAND ANALOGUE

This room featured a Wand turntable, simply called The Wand, along with two of their The Wand tonearms. This was running into some Mavis Lab electronics, including their PS-DS1 tube MM/MC/Optical phono stage, MMS-1 Tube DAC and streamer, and their M90-P Tube/Mosfet integrated amplifier. These were driving the newest Apertura loudspeaker, the Kalibrator Evo standmount.

DUTCH AND DUTCH

The 8C active loudspeaker was playing in the demo room, with the 6C on static display outside. Dutch and Dutch have built a strong reputation on the back of the 8C in particular, and it continues to be one of the more technically sophisticated active loudspeakers available at its price point.

3DLAB

A static display of the Nano DAC Signature, Nano network transport, and Nano power amplifier. The Nano range has a distinctive visual identity and the components are clearly designed to work together as a system, which makes the static display format work better here than it does for some brands.

KANTO LOUDSPEAKERS

Kanto had three systems that visitors could switch between on the fly. The Tuk Grand (899 euros) uses a 6-inch driver with AMT tweeter. The Yu6 (499 euros) uses a 5.25-inch driver. The third option was the Kanto Labs Bolo, a prototype spherical dual-concentric design that attracted a fair bit of attention. The ability to switch between all three on the fly made for a genuinely useful comparison, and the Bolo prototype in particular will be worth watching.

KORA, O2A AND DIPTYQUE

An Innuos Zenith Next Gen streamer fed a full Kora electronics stack: CD140 CD player, DAC140, PR140 preamplifier, and Classe A stereo power amplifier. The loudspeakers were the Diptyque 170, a ribbon-planar floor stander. Diptyque are a French manufacturer whose ribbon-planar designs have a dedicated following, and the 170 is their largest current model, so this was a good opportunity to hear it in a reasonably well-controlled environment. Cables were from O2A.