HiFi Deluxe Vienna 2026 Report
JON REPORTS FROM HIFI DELUXE VIENNA 2026
One of the longest running ‘side-shows’ from Munich, HiFi Deluxe had followed the High End show to Vienna for the HiFi Deluxe Vienna 2026, held in the Arcotel Kaiserwasser, near the Austria Center.
They still plan to have a Munich show in September this year and it will be interesting to see how that fares without the High End show operating at the same time in the MOC.
In his final report from the off-site events in Vienna, Jon explored the exotic HiFi delights on offer for the long weekend at HiFi Deluxe Vienna 2026.
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.
ROCKNA, WESTMINSTER LAB AND VON SCHWEIKERT
An interesting system with some unconventional thinking behind the amplification setup. The Rockna Wavedream DAC and Wavelight Streamer handled source duties, feeding the Westminster Labs Omni integrated, which was being used here purely as a preamplifier. Power came from Westminster Labs Rei monoblocks running in bridged mode, but with a twist: the bridging is positive against positive rather than the conventional positive against ground arrangement, with the stated aim of eliminating any ground noise introduced after the DAC. The loudspeakers were the Von Schweikert VR30, priced at $60,000. Also present were a Reeol Muse 1C and an Eera CD player.
AUDIO NOTE UK
Audio Note UK had a full system on demonstration using components from across their range. The turntable was the TT3 with PSU4 power supply, ARM-Three/II tonearm, and IO Gold MC cartridge, with an AN-S9/L step-up transformer handling the handoff to the phono stage. A CDT-Three CD transport and DAC 4.1x Balanced (the Izvor) covered digital. The Meishu Phono Kapellmeister acted as a 300B single-ended triode integrated with onboard MM phono. The loudspeakers were the AN-E/SOGON LTD Field Coil, and cabling throughout was Sogon and Sotto silver.
I was also lucky enough to be there whilst Vincent Bélanger did one of his trademark performances, it’s really quite beguiling the way the sound from the backing track coming through the AudioNote system integrates with the sound from the actual cello in the room.
MAL VALVE AND MAGAUDIO
The system here was dominated by Mal Valve’s Magnetostatic-Electrostatic loudspeaker, the MalStat Four. This utilises planar drivers for the midrange and high frequency, along with a more conventional bass woofer. These also utilised the MalStat external crossover, which is quite a complicated looking array of connectors to make the speaker function properly.
The pre was the Mal Valve Four Line, and power came from their Power Amp Four, both the flagships of the lineup.
MÉTRONOME, JADIS AND DAVIS ACOUSTICS
A French room through and through. Métronome provided the full digital front end from their Kalista range: the Dreamplay X SACD player, KalistaMantax DAC, Dreamplay S streamer, and three dedicated Kalista PSU units. Jadis handled amplification with the JPL Mk2 preamplifier and its external PSU, and JA80 Mk2 monoblocks. The loudspeakers were the new Davis Acoustics Renoir Evolution floor standers. Cabling was by Absolue Cables. Métronome’s Kalista range has long been among the more visually distinctive in high-end digital, and the full lineup running together made for an impressive display.
AGD AND BAYZ AUDIO
AGD were running their Andante Mk2 DAC/pre/streamer into a pair of Duet monoblocks, driving the BAYZ Audio Courante 2.0 loudspeakers. The Courante uses an omnidirectional tweeter design that takes a very unconventional approach in having a vertical cylinder that expands and contracts to create a soundwave that really fills the listening space rather than being a tightly focussed beam. The AGD Allegro and Forte were present in the room but not in use.
TENTOGRA, LUCAS AUDIO LAB AND DESTINATION AUDIO
A room built around some less familiar names, and worth stopping in for that reason. The source was a Lucas Audio Lab streamer, alongside the Tentogra Grammy VTA turntable, a battery-powered design. Phono duties went to the Destination Audio WE417A phono stage. Amplification was the Destination Audio GM7E integrated with external PSU, and the digital side was handled by the Destination Audio DAC, which uses an ECC40 tube output stage. The loudspeakers were the Destination Audio Veronica, a three-way horn design using compression drivers for both tweeter and midrange, plus a 16-inch bass driver, with a sensitivity rating of 99dB. Cabling was by Soyaton, and the system sat on Kasoto racks.
TOTALDAC
TotalDAC were showing a complete system of their own design: the d1-CD transport, d1-biunity DAC/pre, d1-streamer-live, and Amp-1-sublime stereo power amplifier. The loudspeakers were the TotalDAC Balloon, an unusual and immediately distinctive design. TotalDAC are perhaps best known for their R2R ladder DACs, but have long produced all the components in the music chain. Their more regular form factor loudspeakers have been very well reviewed here, and it was interesting to get to hear the end result of them doing something very different with these spherical units.
I also want to single out the stands those speakers were sat on, they’re obviously not a regular speaker stand, but they also looked absolutely stunning, with very clean lines and a lovely finish.
GRANDINOTE AND KIMBER KABLE
Grandinote were demonstrating two of their more interesting products. The Alfa is an all-in-one unit running 60W in class A using the brand’s Magnetosolid technology, and the demo unit here was fitted with the optional onboard R2R DAC card. The loudspeakers were the Grandinote Mach 8 floor standers, rated at 98dB sensitivity. The Mach 8 is an unusual design: all eight 6-inch drivers cover the same frequency range up to the tweeter handover point, with no meaningful crossover beyond the tweeter cut-out filter. There’s also a downward-firing bass port. Grandinote claim a flat response down to a nominal 20Hz. Cabling was Kimber Select 6065 speaker cable and Palladium PK10 power cable.
PEAR TREE AUDIO AND JMF AUDIO
A full system from JMF Audio, distributed by Pear Tree Audio. The chain ran from the DMT 3.7 CD transport and DXC 2.2 DAC through the PRS 1.5 preamplifier and HQS 9001 monoblocks, with a PHS 7.3 phono preamplifier for the Pear Tree Audio Odar turntable and a PCD 302 mains filter in the rack. Cabling throughout was JMF. JMF Audio are a French manufacturer with a relatively low profile in the UK market, and a room running the full lineup is a useful opportunity to assess the brand as a whole.
POTAR LOUDSPEAKERS
Potar were demonstrating their Point-Potar omnidirectional loudspeaker, with Trinnov room correction and electronics handling source and amplification duties. Viablue cables were in use throughout. Also in the room but not playing were a smaller Point-Potar model and the Tri-Potar, a double-cabinet floor stander. The range is designed as a modular system with spatial audio in mind, with the various models intended to combine for different room configurations and channel counts.
LINDEMANN AND WOODNOTE
Two systems running in the same room, one from Lindemann and one from Woodnote, with the two brands sharing distribution.
The Lindemann system used a Rega P8 turntable with a Woodnote Fono phono preamplifier, feeding the Musicbook Source II network music player, which also includes an analogue pre, MM phono input, and headphone socket. The power amplification was provided by the MusicBook Combo, an all-in-one variant of the Source II with a built-in power stage delivering 2x120W into 4 ohms. The loudspeakers were two new Lindemann products: the Move stand mount and the Groove, a powered low-frequency reinforcement unit for the Move rated down to 24Hz with 800W of built-in amplification.
The Woodnote system was a simpler proposition: the Woodnote Combo all-in-one music player and Solo network music player driving the Move Mini stand mount.
FM ACOUSTICS
FM Acoustics had one of the more technically elaborate systems at the show. The turntable was a Vertere MG-1 with Super Groove II Pathfinder tonearm and XTRAX MC cartridge, feeding the FM 122-MKII Phono Linearizer. The FM 256 preamplifier handled line duties. The loudspeakers were the Inspiration series XS-IIIC, driven by four FM 108-MKII mono power amplifiers working in conjunction with the XS-III external crossover. FM Acoustics are a Swiss manufacturer with a long history and a devoted following, and the multi-amplifier active crossover arrangement is characteristic of how seriously the brand takes system optimisation. Also present but not in use were a Transrotor Tourbillon with TRA 9 arm, SME 5009, and Konstant Reference FMD, alongside the FM 133 Harmonic Linearizer.
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.
Jon Lumb
