HIGH END MUNICH 2025 REPORT PART 1 – STU AND LIN TAKE IT FROM THE TOP FOR THE LAST TIME AT THE MOC

In the first of the High End Munich 2025 Reports from Team HiFi PiG, Stu and Lin take it from the top of the MOC, Atrium 4.2, where some very High End HiFi is to be found.

So, that was the final High End at Munich before the show ups sticks and moves to the Austria Center Vienna in 2026. And what a way to bow out! The organisation was spectacularly good for us, with my only gripe being not being allowed into the halls before the show opens. 

Let’s be fair, where European shows are concerned, High End is in a bit of a class of its own. We had an absolute blast at this year’s show, and met lots of old friends and made lots of new ones. However, even with a full team and a videographer, getting around the show is a gargantuan task, but between us, we think we did it. 

HIGH END MUNICH 2025 REPORT PART 1 – TOP FLOOR TOUR

Here’s HiFi PiG’s first report from High End Munich 2025 where we take in the Top floor of Atrium 4 where we found some seriously high-end audio and some gear that is on the more affordable side of things.

The High End Society have made HiFi PiG very welcome over the years and our thanks go out to all the team that make this show the huge success that it is. In a way we are sad to see it move to Vienna next year, but if we know the High End Society, they will pull out all the stops to make High End Vienna 2026 another jewel in the European HiFi Diary.

As always, a huge thank you to the sponsors of HiFi PiG’s coverage of the event, Tellurium Q. 

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.

ESD

Chinese brand ESD is as good a way as any to start of the High End given they have what I’m guessing will be one of the most, if not THE most, bonkers systems at the show. The full ESD Super Phoenix System comes with all the amps, the horns, and the subs and costs about a gazillion quid (or 715,000€ according to the signage). A very cool and dramatic way to kick off the very last High End at Munich! 

I did spot some very cool and squat horns from ESD that featured a central speaker with the horn being beautifully decorated and them costing less than 10K. 

STENHEIM, THALES, AUDYS, PINK FAUN, AND BOULDER

What a very, very nice looking room this was. They were playing the smaller of the speakers you see in the pictures when we went in the room at a smidge under 22K. The bigger Reference Ultimate 2SX are a whopping 220K. 

Regular readers will know we visited the Boulder factory on Colorado a few years ago and raved about the sound in their listening room. Here we had the 1110 Series pre with the 1151 monoblocks. 

The analogue front end from THALES was their Reference at around 27K. A lovely sounding room that just sounded effortless. 

SPL, MANGER, ARS MACHINAE

At High End Munich 2025, SPL—makers of some of the best-looking HiFi equipment on the planet—introduced two new additions to their Professional Fidelity series: the Phonos duo RIAA phono preamplifier and the Crossover Mk2 analogue crossover. Both models made their public debut at the show. 

Manger you guys will know from my recent review of their excellent Z1 speakers. This year they had their P2 floorsatnders playing that are 15600 euros. 

The full system was the SPL kit I’ve mentioned were the SPL Performer s900 amp, SPL Director MK2 preamp, the crossover, and the Phono Duo. The ARS Machine BM1 turntable (28K) had a Clearaudio Titanium V2 tonearm. 

Daniela switched between active and passive setup and for me the active was just much fuller in sound. Not a subtle difference at all. 

ESOTERIC, TEAC & MARTEN

The Grandioso T1 turntable from Esoteric is a beast and costs 80K. The rest of the ESOTERIC kit was the N1T network player, C1x pre, M1X monos (36K), G1X master clock, and the E1 two-box phono (52K). Speakers were by MARTEN. Racks were by the UK’s Lateral Audio.

Played some VERY interesting electronic music with analogue drums (TOOL – Chocolate Chip Trip) that was hugely dynamic and the system got this across very, very well. 

ISOACOUSTICS

IsoAcoustics introduced the GAIA Neo and GAIA-TITAN Neo, the latest additions to their line of acoustic isolation products. Building upon the original GAIA concept launched in 2016, these new models offer enhanced functionality and design improvements for audiophiles and HiFi enthusiasts.

Both models feature a rotating ring mechanism for height adjustment, eliminating the need for lock nuts and simplifying the setup process. This innovation allows users to fine-tune positioning without compromising alignment.

The GAIA Neo and GAIA-TITAN Neo continue IsoAcoustics’ established approach to mechanical isolation, aimed at minimising resonance and vibration transfer from loudspeakers and HiFi equipment to the floor. The new models incorporate design improvements to further enhance performance and ease of use.

OMEGA

I recall seeing Omega for the first time many years ago when they were doing the Deluxe show. 

Definitely one of the most interesting looking systems (and it is a full system). The CD player is the Stream, The amp is the Accordo 4 box affair with PSU. Loudspeakers were their MUSA and cables were their The Element Connection.  

A very nice sounding room playing a version of Isn’t She Lovely by Stevie Wonder. 

ESTELON 

At High End Munich 2025, Estelon introduced three new loudspeaker models: the Aurelia, Aurelia Centre, and Aurus. These are a more compact loudspeaker than we are used to from Estelon and here they were being powered by MSB electronics 

The full system was the AURELIA (17900€ a pair), the centre (7500€) and the AURUS sub at 13500€. 

MSB electronics were the S202 stereo amp, the CAC/Streamer was the Discrete Pro. Cables were all by Kubala Sosna. I’ve a lot of time for both Estelon and MSB, they always sound fab and the design is beautiful. They also had some of the larger models on display, but it was great to see this very high-end brand showing their more accessibly priced and fab sounding range here at Munich.

Estelon are celebrating their 15th anniversary which means they are around the same age as us at HIFi PiG. 

Expect Estelon reviews in the near future on HiFi PiG.

VTL, dCS and WILSON

VTL450 amps, Lina DAC X (15950Euros) streaming network player with the Lina master clock (10K ish) the WATT PUPPY 50th anniversary speakers, and LOCI sub ended this system.

On static display was load os dCS kit including the absolutely mental VARESE (250Kish). This is 6 boxes with the CD player. This replaces the Vivaldi as the top of the range kit from dCS. Dual mono DAC with each being a dual DAC that run in anti-phase – this halves linearity errors. The CORE is the brains of the thing, the clock and then the left and right mono DACS. The user interface tops it off. The CD transport is called The VARESE transport. The whole lot uses ACTUS cable to connect VARESE together. The ACTUS carries the clock info and the digital information.

The whole system sounded very balanced and effortless. Very nice, indeed! 

EGGLESTONE WORKS, J SIKORA, DS AUDIO, EMM LABS, MEITNER, KIMBER KABLE

The turntable is the J Sikora Standard MAX Supreme with KV9 Max tonearm with there DS Audio Grandmaster optical cartridge. The other turntable is the premiere of the J Sikora a ASPIRE with the KV 9 tonearm and DS Audio DS3W3 cartridge. 

The full system was; J.Sikora Standard Max Supreme turntable + KV9 Max tonearm + DS Audio Grand Master cartridge 

– J.Sikora Aspire turntable + KV9 tonearm + DS Audio DS-W3 cartridge

– Egglestoneworks Andra 5 loudspeakers

– EMM Labs MTRX2 V2 Monoblock Amplifiers

– EMM Labs PRE Preamplifier

– EMM Labs DS-EQ1 V2 Optical Equalizer

– Meitner DS-EQ2 Optical Equalizer

– Meitner PRE Preamplifier    

– Kimber Kable complete cabling

ZELLATON, DOHMANN, REED

Lovely sounding system with a relaxed ambiance to the room.

GENELEC

If you have ever been in a recording studio or made music at home, chances are you will know the name GENELEC (from Finland) and their loudspeakers. A bit of an unusual one to see at Munich again, but their speakers really do work very well in this environment. 

The speakers are active, as are all their speakers. This was 8381 speakers first outing in the wild. The idea was to get the same kind of sound as their smaller speakers in a main monitor speaker. 

It’s a 5 way design with 4 mid drivers that are all in phase so they act as one driver. They have an infinite baffled 15 inch driver and also two woofers on the side of them. The GLM software deals with all the settings for the active crossover. The standard finishes are around 60K Euros a pair with glossy home finishes being a little a more. 

RAIDHO ACOUSTICS 

Celebrating their 25th anniversary, Danish brand Raidho invited us along for the launch of their latest loudspeaker. Raidho are owned by Dantax who are even older but Raidho joined the group in 2009. Interestingly there are around 50 HiFi/Audio companies in Denmark….and we must admit, we are big fans of Danish HiFi.

Morten tool charge of the press conference, but Lars was also there. First of all we got shown the M30.2 from Scansonic, we reviewed the stand mounter (15.2) from the same range here and I thoroughly enjoyed them, giving them our 5 Hearts award. 

However, the main event of this press launch and being unveiled at the show was the Raidho products. The first speaker we got to look at was the 25th Anniversary based on the X2 of old. The new speaker is limited to 100 pairs and comes in special colours too – the green and blue colours were beautiful as you can see in the images. 

Next up was the new TD subwoofer with a 10inch driver with the diamond coating that Raidho are famous for. We were told all about the production process which was very interesting but a little too in-depth for us to get into here. The subs come with 2 10” drive units with 4 x 10” passive drivers on the side. You get 500 watts of Class-D amplification and they go down to around 10Hz. Price in black is 23K. 

Next up we had the TD3.10 with ten inch bass drivers, 2 mids and, of course, the ribbon tweeter. This is a big speaker with a BIG sound. 

The final product was an “art loudspeaker” that we got to watch a video about. Carsten Beck is the artist. I lover this whole thing of art and music/HiFi coming together and it’s something Lin and I have been speaking about for a long, long time. We got to hear Carsten speak about the concept. Carsten could best be described as a street artist but on the minimal side f the art form.There are 25 pairs of them available and one will be in the Danish Museum of Modern Art. They are black and white that has touches of dazzle camouflage about them. I liked them a LOT.

THRAX

Thrax is always a treat at High end and this year was not exception. I absolutely love how bonkers and over-engineered this kit is and it sounded great playing some Prince on vinyl.

The new phonostage was launched at the show and is sub 10K, an absolute steal for this. You can have 2 inputs in XLR or RCA and it will be available in a month or so.  Not sure I’ve heard Kendrick Lamar played at an audio show before, but it was excellent on this system – real world music should get played a lot more at this kind of shows.

The preamplifier was the THRAX Libra which is 300B based and comes in two boxes. Also on show, though we didn’t get to listen to it all, was the XACT Audio S1 EVO music server and network switch.

KROMA ATELIER & ENGSTROM

Spanish HiFi brand Kroma Atelier introduced the Callas loudspeaker, a 4-way bass reflex floorstanding model designed to deliver reference-level sound at a more accessible price point. The Callas aims to offer the sonic performance of the Irya model at approximately half the cost.

The cabinet is constructed entirely from Krion, a rigid, non-resonant material favored by Kroma Atelier for its acoustic neutrality. The design incorporates techniques inspired by silencer engineering, using tuned chambers and resonators to reduce unwanted frequencies and maintain tonal accuracy. Each bass reflex port is handcrafted from wood to ensure smooth airflow and clean, low-distortion bass.

The Callas is equipped with AMT tweeters, two 8” anodized aluminium mid-bass drivers, and a single 10” anodized aluminium bass driver. Inside, Kroma Atelier has used pure copper internal wiring, natural fibre insulation, and high-grade crossover components sourced from Duelund and Mundorf designed to ensure signal integrity and precise channel separation throughout the frequency range.

The system featured amplification from Engström, including the MONICA preamp, M-Phono, and ERIC Encore power amplifiers. Digital playback was handled by the Wadax Studio Player, while analogue duties were covered by TechDAS. Solid Tech supplied the audio furniture, with cabling by Jorma.

I’d very much been looking forward to hearing these speakers as the Kroma speakers are always an absolute favourite at Audio Show Deluxe, where BOYER distribution always use them with Engstrom amps too. Stunningly good!  

We didn’t get to hear it but there was also a TECHDas turntable on the rack. 

ATOHM

French brand ATOHM were playing their little GT1 stand mounters but you’d be forgiven they were playing a much bigger pair of speakers given the noise that was coming out of their relatively diminutive cabinets. The amp being used was the ATOHM RS Series., plus also there were Atoll electronics in the system.

AURENDER

Aurender music servers and Pass Labs amplifiers sounding very sweet in this cool and chilled room. 

LORENZO AUDIO LABS

On show at High End Munich 2025, Lorenzo LM1 is built around a large 62mm-thick cabinet made from phenolic laminated wood and elastomer in a constrained-layer structure for vibration control. The cabinets are machined using 5-axis CNC equipment to ensure precision.

Bass reflex ports are hand-turned from selected tonewoods, chosen for their acoustic properties. Panzerholz, a high-density engineered wood, is used for key components such as speaker connector nuts and knobs, insulating discs on the feet, and driver mounts. This approach avoids the use of metal screws in the driver assembly and helps reduce unwanted resonance.

The cabinet finish is a natural wood veneer, selected for appearance and durability, and applied by hand by a craftsman from a family with over a century of woodworking tradition. Drivers are selected for their sound characteristics, using paper cones, alnico magnets, and aluminium diaphragm compression drivers. The passive crossover is hand-wired without printed circuit boards, using components from Duelund, Jupiter, Mundorf, and Pathaudio. Internal wiring is high-purity copper, with various thicknesses used where appropriate. The solid steel feet incorporate Panzerholz to help isolate vibrations from the floor. Other wood finishes are available.

Very nice to see and hear the LampizatOr Horizon DAC in this system.

METRONOME

Métronome Technologie unveiled the DST CD Transport, the latest addition to their Digital Sharing range, complementing the DSS 2 streamer and DSC mini DAC. The DST is designed for high-fidelity playback of 16-bit/44.1 kHz CDs, with digital outputs supporting PCM up to 384 kHz/32-bit and DSD up to DSD256 via I²S. It features a 3.9-inch touchscreen display (480 x 128 pixels), an infrared remote control, and a USB-A port for firmware updates. The unit weighs 4.7 kg and consumes 21 watts during operation. The DST is available in silver or black finishes.

The DSAS Audio server is a joint venture with Audiovarna, based on LINUX architecture. You get 2TB of storage extendable 4TB which should.d be enough for most. You get 3 years service of the Audioviana Studio software and then it will work with locally stored files. Price will be 5990 Euros and shipping[s in September. 

Metronome also had live music on throughout the show in the shape of The EB Duet.

Speakers were DAVIS The Stage and the amp was the I70 from JADIS – very much a French system! 

JADIS & DAVIS

So we are now very much in the French quarter with this part of the show. 

Playing at the time we were in the room were a new pair of DAVIS floorstanders called The Pledge playing with an integrated amplifier called THE BOX which was a very different and interesting design, in a suitcase!

After a little while we got treated to the big system using DAVIS’ The Wall speakers which are as big in musical scale as they are in physical stature. The amplification was a Jadis passive Bi-amplification setup with the JA80 for bass and JA30 for mid/treble. JP80MC as a preamp. and the new JS5 DAC. Absolue Creation cables wired the system.

AEQUO AUDIO

At High End Munich 2025, Dutch HiFi manufacturer Aequo Audio unveiled its latest innovation: the Ensium loudspeakers, featuring proprietary nanomaterial enclosures designed to convert cabinet vibrations into heat, significantly reducing resonance across the audible and ultrasonic spectrum—from 1 Hz to 100,000 Hz. 

The Aequo Audio Ensium is a 500W, bass-assisted 3-way loudspeaker with a fully analogue room and placement correction system. Designed for sonic adaptability, the Ensium benefits from the new enclosure and internal driver innovations to deliver high linearity, low distortion, and precise acoustic phase performance. Each speaker weighs over 100kg but offers a large internal volume relative to its compact footprint.  Price is around 45K Euros

The loudspeakers were demonstrated as part of a complete high-performance system valued at €354,600, including components from Taiko Audio, Playback Designs, VPI, DS Audio, Westminster Lab, and Aequo Audio’s own Ferroguard speaker power cables.

This was a fantastic sounding system, and we are over the moon to see how well Ivo and Paul at Aequo are doing…they deserve it!

ALBEDO

In Room F223 at High End Munich, a high-end system was on demonstration featuring Italian brand ALBEDO and their ATESIA DIAMOND SGS loudspeakers (148K), alongside the smaller ACHEMA model. 

Electronics included a MYTEK streamer (25K), D-3 DAC, X-3 clock, P-3 preamplifier, and four M-3 monoblock amplifiers from SOULNOTE. The system also featured MUSIC TOOLS audio racks and accessories, an AVID HiFi ACUTUS CLASSIC turntable (21K), and was fully wired and tuned by FABER’S CABLE.

CAD

Computer Audio Design (CAD) showcased their new DAC (the 1543 MKIII) in a system featuring Trilogy Audio Systems amplification. Purist Audio Design supplied the interconnects, with Peak Consult loudspeakers completing the setup. Equipment was housed on Quadraspire audio racks.

AUDIOVECTOR

Big fan of Audiovector here and as regular readers will know, we use the R6 as our reference speakers  – and before them it was the R3s. At High End Munich 2025, Audiovector introduced its new flagship loudspeaker, the R10 Arreté. 

Designed and handcrafted in Denmark, the R10 Arreté features a dual Air Motion Transformer (AMT) tweeter system incorporating Audiovector’s Soundstage Enhancement Concept (SEC). SEC is the AMTs being open to the rear and controlled by neodymium magnets This configuration includes a primary AMT tweeter operating from 3,000 Hz to 53,000 Hz and a dedicated hyper tweeter extending the response to 53,000 Hz. The speaker’s design reflects over four decades of research and craftsmanship from the Copenhagen-based brand.

We got to have a listen to the new speakers on the end of the Soulution amps and electronics and they are fantastic. The same kind of family sound as the speakers we know and love but just bigger and with (even) more scale and an effortless sound. I want a pair, but the 147550 Euros a pair kind of puts me out of the market, though I’d love to be in that market. 

ELECTROMPANIET

Regular readers of HiFi PiG will know that we use a pair of the AW800M amps in our reference system, but at this year’s High End Munich 2025, the Norwegian brand unveiled the EC5 preamplifier, marking the culmination of over ten years of development. The marketing information tells us that the EC5 combines analogue purity, meticulous engineering, and a fresh take on Electrocompaniet’s classic design language – which I love.

The EC5 operates entirely in pure Class A and features a fully discrete, dual-mono topology.

Each channel is driven by an independent power supply, incorporating 80VA toroidal transformers and 15,000μF of storage capacitance per channel. The robust power architecture is designed to maintain performance under any load, contributing to ultra-low distortion levels and wide frequency response. The EC5 features a proprietary volume control system, enhancing the listening experience.

I’m very much looking forward to having a play with this when it comes in for review. 

Speakers playing with four AW800 M amps were from the Norwegian brand Ø Audio Verdande (the tree of life in Norwegian mythology) and they are a terrific match for the amplifiers with scale and dynamics aplenty. Very, very nice indeed! Expect a review in the Summer of this year on HiFi PiG.

ABSOLARE AND ROCKPORT TECHNOLOGIES

At the front end of this system was the WADAX Studio Player, an all in one CD/SACD player, streamer and DAC. Amplification was by ABSOLARE and speakers were Rockport Technology LYNX. 

We got to listen to some classical guitar which sounded very realistic with the nylon strings being very obvious to hear. A lovely sounding and effortless system. Full details as follows:

Loudspeakers:
Rockport Technologies LYNX $78,000 USD

Preamplifier:
Absolare Eternum Preamplifier $85,000 USD

Amplifier:
Absolare Hybrid Stereo Altius 2 $60,000 USD

Digital Source:
Wadax Studio Player $39,800 USD

Power Conditioning / Grounding:
Telos Power Core $15,000 USD
Telos Ground Core $12,000 USD

Cabling:
Echole Infinity Speaker Cable (8ft pair) $42,500 USD
Echole Infinity Analog Interconnect pair (3ft pair) $28,500 USD
Echole Infinity Power Cord (6ft) $24,500 USD

Network:
Reiki Audio Super Switch Pro/Pro Extreme System $7,500 USD
JundoStream Network Cable $4,350 USD

PURIST AUDIO DESIGN

A very nice sounding room playing some tunes off a Studer reel to reel when we went in the room. Purist Audio Design were showing their 35th Anniversary Diamond cable range, with Doshi Audio Mono Evo amps, line, phono and tape stages. Avalon Acoustics Saga Signature Speakers, Kuzma turntable with Tri Planar tonearm and My Sonic Lab cart.

There was a Metronome Kalista CD player in the room too, but we didn’t get a chance to hear that. The speakers are certainly going to divide opinion on looks but I don’t see that as being a bad thing. 

KHARMA

At High End Munich, Kharma presented their new Exquisite Reference Power Distributor. This unit features internal conductors made from high-purity silver-plated OFC strands, chosen after extensive listening tests. The wiring is enclosed in a solid aluminium housing to provide effective shielding against EMI and RFI. The power distributor is equipped with a standard IEC C14 inlet.

However, the thing (actually, the thingS) was the speakers and opera amps. This Dutch brand always makes a gargantuan effort at shows like this and basically bring a room within a room with its own flooring, walls and more. An incredible effort, really, 

The turntable being used in the room was from J Sikora with a KR 12 tonearm. 

ATOMICA

Italian brand ATOMICA is a new name to me. The Orchestra loudspeaker is designed to evolve the Atomica Floor into a three-way system, while maintaining the original layout and crossover point of its two mid-woofers. Preserving this spacing is critical for the D’Appolito configuration’s performance. The bass section uses two 26 cm drivers, custom-made by AudioTechnology, featuring large magnets for high sensitivity and fast transient response. These woofers are crossed over at the lowest frequency that allows the mid-woofers to operate with minimal cone movement, improving clarity.

The mid-woofers are housed in a sealed compartment, acoustically isolated from the woofers. This design improves dynamics, transient accuracy, and power handling across the frequency range. To further reduce distortion, the high-frequency section employs two parallel tweeters. This reduces dome excursion to just 0.05 mm at peak power, minimising intermodulation distortion. Using dual tweeters also helps with horizontal dispersion and imaging precision. The cabinet construction combines materials with contrasting mass and flexibility, including glass side panels. This combination is chosen for its structural and acoustic benefits, improving the enclosure’s inertial and damping properties.

An adjustable Atomica Reflex system allows the user to configure the speaker between reflex, sealed, or hybrid modes, adapting to different room acoustics and personal preferences. Despite its size—200 kg and 188 cm tall—the Orchestra is designed to be amplifier-friendly. With 93 dB efficiency (1W/1m) and 96 dB sensitivity (2.8V), it can be driven by a wide range of amplifiers.

Price is 98K Euros.

AUDIAZ

This German brand really only do a handful of speakers but they all look excellent. The model we got to hear was the OPERA, though I wan’t sure if it was the straightforward OPERA,  OPERA DIAMOND, or OPERA GRANDEZZA. I got talking to the creator of these speakers and these are actually the top of the range, the GRANDEZZA at 182K the next one down is 48K. Quite a difference, but these drivers from Accuton really do not come cheap.

Electronics were all by ESOTERIC. 

We got them to play some electronic music (needless to say we got “Stronger”). The detail with these speakers was incredible but also with slam and scale. One of my favourite sounding rooms so far! 

LUXMAN

Japanese HiFi manufacturer Luxman introduced several new products to celebrate its 100th anniversary.

The Luxman P-100 Centennial Headphone Amplifier is a fully balanced headphone amplifier featuring four independent amplifier blocks.It incorporates the company’s latest LIFES feedback circuitry and the LECUA-EX electronic volume control. Luxman describes this as its most advanced headphone amplifier to date. The P-100 is available in the UK at a retail price of £9,000 including VAT.

Luxman also introduced the E-07 phono preamplifier, which replaces the now-discontinued EQ-500. The E-07 supports both MM and MC cartridges and is aimed at vinyl listeners looking for flexibility and precise signal handling. It is available in the UK at £5,500 including VAT.

In addition to the new models, Luxman has introduced a limited-run Centennial Black Edition system. This includes four existing products—the L-509Z integrated amplifier, D-07X CD/SACD player, NT-07 network transport, and PD-151 MkII turntable—all finished in a special all-black colourway. This finish is not available for individual purchase, and the system is being produced in a limited edition of 100 units worldwide. The complete four-piece system is priced at £35,000 including VAT.

Luxman were using YG speakers to great effect. 

DAVID LABOGA, hORNS, QUALITON, LUCAS AUDIO LAB

If you have been reading HiFi PiG from the very beginning, you will know that we used a pair of this Polish brands speakers in our system for a good couple of years, with them only eventually being ousted by a pair of much more expensive Avantgarde Duo XDs. 

The Universum is a wonderful speaker and the colour of this particular pair was absolutely stunning to look at, (British Racing Green seems to be the colour of the season, with a few loudspeaker brands adorning their wares with the automotive tone). Sonically, they do everything a horn loudspeaker should do; scale, speed and detail. Very nice. 

Specs on these speakers are:

Woofer: 18” coated paper cone for deep, controlled bass

Low/Midrange: 8” coated paper driver

Midrange: 2” aluminium driver

High Frequency: 1” polyester dome tweeter

Crossover: 12 dB/octave slopes for seamless driver integration

Cabinet Volume: 140 litres, available in RAL colour finishes

Sensitivity: 100 dB (1W/1m)

Frequency Response: 25 Hz to 22,000 Hz

Impedance: 8 Ohms

Connections: Triple-wire terminal for flexible system integration

Dimensions (H×W×D): 1150 × 1550 × 690 mm

Weight: 140 kg per speaker

They are 70K Euros a pair retail, which seems pretty fair. 

LINDEMAN

WOLF VON LANGA

Wolf Von Langa, Air Tight and Primary Control, always a very cool room.

IO DESIGN

Crazy looking speakers (I like them) with TechDas and Ypsilon.

AMI HIFI, LEN HIFI, EXKLUSIV MUSIKSYSTEME

A&M, BEAUDIOFUL, AXISS, YUKI, PHASEMATION

EAR YOSHINO

GRANDINOTE, KIMBER KABLE

WADAX

At High End Munich 2025, Wadax unveiled three new additions to its Studio Player Collection: the Studio Clock (€25,700), Studio PSU (€26,900), and Akasa DC Studio Cable (€6,500 for 1m), all complementing the previously launched Studio Player (€36,800). The Studio Clock introduces Wadax’s TRUE MASTER CLOCK technology, offering six isolated BNC outputs and tunable performance for precise external clocking. The Studio PSU, weighing in at 32 kg and built with over 800 components, delivers isolated power via dual Akasa DC outputs, while the Akasa DC Studio Cable features single-crystal copper conductors in a resonance-controlled design.

Founder and CEO Javier Guadalajara emphasized the goal of bringing Reference-level performance to a broader audience with a scalable, modular setup. The full Studio Player Collection was demonstrated in both the Wadax room (E207) and the Magico room (F115), with a formal presentation held Friday morning with Javier and Brandon Lauer, the Wadax Marketing Director. With this launch, Wadax positions the Studio line as a flexible, high-performance ecosystem designed to be more accessible than the Reference series.

The Studio Player as a single box has impressed us in many systems already, but this was another step up, with the full system bringing the goosebumps out.

YG ACOUSTICS & VITUS AUDIO

I was delighted to hear electronic music playing in this room.

The full system was Vitus Signature series with YG Acoustics XV Studio3 speakers, making its  European debut was the Aurender N50 streamer, the analogue front end was by Esoteric, all cables were by AudioQuest, and a switch from Innuos completed the system. HiFi racks were by HIFiStay.

As always a fabulous sounding system. I recall the system using the bigger YG speakers at Vienna being a highlight and this system with the smaller speakers was equally fab! 

VIVA AUDIO

The speakers Verticale were the that made their UK debut at Audio Show Deluxe. The speakers concept was to make a speaker as narrow as possible but with a horn. The bass is amplified by a VIVA amp that comes with them and from 200Hz up it is all horn goodness. The tweeter is also a horn affair and has a compression driver…and then a super tweeter. 

InnuosZENith and PhoenixNET were on show. 

Needless to say, the rest of the electronics were from VIVA. The amps are all 845 valves being driven by 211 tubes. The amps have an external PSU and are part of the ULTRA Line. Chassis are made of brass and copper, which are a pain to make but apparently worth that effort. 

VALVE AMPLIFICATION COMPANY 

Valve Amplification Company (VAC) exhibited in Atrium 4.2. The system featured VAC’s flagship Statement Phono Stage, Statement Line Stage, and the new Statement 455 iQ Musicbloc power amplifiers.

On static display were the Master Preamplifier, Signature 202 iQ Musicbloc (previously demonstrated in 2024), as well as the Essence Line Stage and Essence 90 iQ Monoblocs.

A VPI Avenger Statement turntable had a Fatboy tonearm with a HANA Umami Red cartridge, which regular readers will know is what we use. 

Speakers were by Acora in the shape of their VRC speakers in Sunset Fire finish, which is rather lovely.

All in all this was a very big sounding system and I’d have loved to have heard some tunes that were a bit more familiar; still enjoyed it, mind, and the cello was very “in the room” lifelike.

MSB

The very lovely Frank and Martine at Very Fine solutions were showing off MSB Technology Premier DAC, Director, and S202 amplifier, playing through Estelon XB Diamond MKII loudspeakers. Source duties were handled by the Antipodes Audio Kala 22 server and streamer, while cabling throughout the system was by Ikigai Audio, including the Sugure, Kangai, Kinzan, and the new Kinzan S interconnect fitted with ETI-Research Coda connectors.

Room acoustics were treated with Artnovion Alps diffusers in bronze, complementing MSB Technology’s updated branding.

A relatively compact but very beautiful and Very Fine-sounding system, indeed.

GRIMM

Dutch brand Grim have a knack of being able to combine the aesthetics of a home-friendly design with audiophile performance and LS1 Carbon and the SB1 subs. They have a new tweeter, new DSP, and new drivers. 

The system was previously designed to accept any remote control, but now has a dedicated remote, which readers will know I think is a very important part of the system.

I really do “get” this brand as it represents something both visually beautiful and home-friendly, with stunning sound.

IBEX AUDIO

IBEX AUDIO were showing off a very chilled and relaxed sounding system with the TechDAS AF4 turntable making its world premiere with The Wand Dark Light Tonearm (EU Premiere). The Engstrom M- Phono, Engstrom Arne pre/amp made up the rest of the system, though there was a digital system with APL HiFi DSD-WR day, APL NSP-GR streamer and APL switch. 

Speakers were the excellent Kroma Atelier Macbeth. Kroma and Enstrom are a bit of a match made in heaven, and I’m yet to hear the partnership sound anything but fantastic. 

TUNE AUDIO

We’ve been coming to Munich for years and years now, and Greek brand TUNE never fail to pull out the sonic goods; this year was no exception. They did ask us what we’d like playing, but the chilled vibes of the jazz they were playing (Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone) was a perfect foil to the morning’s hangover. 

The speakers are the wonderful Tune Audio Anima, being powered by Trafomatic Lara Line pre and Rhapsody power amps. 

The digital source was the Rockne Reference Signature DAC with Rockne Wavelight streamer. 

Skogrand cables (great to see again) and the racks were by Woodyard. 

IAG

Wharfedale used High End Munich to officially launch its new EVO 5 Series loudspeakers, following the press announcement earlier in the day. The full range was on display, with the flagship EVO 5.4 floorstander playing in the system.

Electronics were supplied by Audiolab’s 9000 Series, with a pair of 9000P power amplifiers running in bridged mono, alongside the 9000Q preamplifier, 9000N music streamer, and 9000CDT CD transport. Audiolab also showed its newly announced D7 and D9 DACs, while Wharfedale’s Super Linton Heritage Series speakers were also available for audition.

Mission presented its upcoming 778S network streamer and 778CDT CD transport, both designed to match the 778X integrated amplifier. These models were on static display, with launch expected later this year.

This is the budget end of kit at this show and particularly on this atrium, but you would never guess it given the sound this system was producing. 

OMEGA AUDIO CONCEPTS, THUONO AUDIO & ALSYVOX

Across the way from IAG was Omega and Thuono Audio playing through AlsyVox speakers

The new ZENITH CD player from OMEGA is perhaps as stunning looking as a bit of kit could look, and the AlsyVox spMichelangelo ribbon speakers certainly make a visual and sonic statement. 

The room was very busy but sounded excellent with a huge and realistic soundstage. 

HARBETH, MANLEY LABS, & MICHELL (INPUT AUDIO)

We got to listen to the little NLE-1 (Nelly) speakers from Harbeth, which were much bigger sounding than they are in stature. Michell from the UK was taking care of the analogue front end with their ORBE SE vinyl spinner. Manley provided the electronics with the Steelhead amp and Oasis phonostage.

IAG

Across the way from Harbeth was another IAG room.

QUAD gave visitors to High End Munich an early opportunity to hear the new ESL-2912X electrostatic loudspeakers ahead of their official launch this summer. This model marked the first new QUAD ESL since 2012 and was presented in its final production form.

The ESL-2912X was partnered with QUAD’s forthcoming flagship Platina electronics, making their public debut in completed form. The system included the Platina Integrated Amplifier, Platina Stream, and Platina CDT, all scheduled to enter production in the coming months ahead of an autumn release.

Also on show for the first time was a new QUAD integrated amplifier, aimed at a lower price point while combining modern technology with traditional QUAD design. Full details were held back until after the show, though the model is expected to be available from July.

LUMIN

Lumin’s tagline is “The Audiophile Network Music Family” which I thought was pretty cool. 

AURALiC 

AURALiC unveiled the Aquila X3 Streaming Media Processor at High End Munich 2025. The Aquila X3 features a modular design for flexibility and upgradability, and incorporates AURALiC’s LightningCast technology for wireless high-resolution streaming.

The full AURALiC team, including CEO Xuanqian Wang, was present at the show.

Everything is modular on the X3 in construction, and in terms of internal options and the fit and finish and the online configurator allows you to personalise and make them somewhat bespoke. Played Gat Decor Passion, which I haven’t heard in an absolute age, but ought to get a copy on vinyl. From an aesthetic perspective, the Aquila is a very beautiful bit of kit.

WILSON BENESCH 

Wilson Benesch and Crystal Cable used High End Munich to present the new STAGE One Art Series Module, the result of a collaborative project between the two brands. The new loudspeaker system combined Wilson Benesch’s expertise in loudspeaker design with Crystal Cable’s high-performance cable technology, aiming to deliver a unique take on compact, high-end audio.

The STAGE One Art Series Module made its debut as part of the brands’ shared exhibition space at the show, where visitors were able to experience the system in a dedicated listening environment.

Amps in the room were all by KARAN from Serbia, which are beautifully stripped back in appearance.. 

This was, needless to say, a very expensive system, but it did sound rather splendid, and I even got some of Bob Marley’s Exodus played. 

The full system was as follows:

Karan Acoustics:
• PHONOa Phono Preamplifier
• LINEa Line Preamplifier
• POWERa Mono Power Amplifier x2

Wilson Benesch:
• Prime Meridian Turntable (Munich Show Debut)
• STAGE (Wilson Benesch x Crystal Cable Edition – Munich Show Debut)
• GRAVITON® Ti Tonearm
• TESSELLATE: Ti & Sapphire Cartridge
• R1 Carbon Rack System (3-tier)
• Omnium Loudspeakers (pair)
• KX Infrasonic Generator

APL Hifi:
• DSD-GR Reference Pure DSD D/A Converter
• NSP-GR Network Server Player
• ANS-MR Audiophile Network Switch

Crystal Cable:
• A curated combination of Art Series, Future Dream & Ultra2 cables
• Including Monet, Van Gogh, Da Vinci & Future Dream 22 Power Distribution

CORE AUDIO, ODEON AUDIO, BONSAI AUDIO, NAT AUDIO SUPREME ANALOG

Room E210 featured a focused lineup from Core Audio, showcasing their latest digital front end developments. Their server/streamer offerings included the DAIDO PREMIUM (€14,000) and the newly introduced DAIDO REFERENCE (€34,000), both positioned to handle high-end playback duties. These were paired with the DENPO PREMIUM DAC (€8,000), KAGEN PREMIUM clock generator (€7,500), and the KARUNA PREMIUM DDC transport (€7,500), creating a fully integrated digital ecosystem.

Also sharing the room were Odeon Audio with the Carnegie loudspeakers (€102,000) and NAT Audio presenting the Magnetostat Se preamp (€28,500). On display was the Rui Borges Ultimo turntable and Supreme Analog Tangenta Reference 12.5″ tonearm and cables were from Bonsai.

A very nice sounding system that was simply effortless. Also, a very busy room! 

SOULNOTE

SoulNote were partnered with YG Acoustic speakers this year at High End Munich, and it was a very, very nice sounding room – even if the music wasn’t exactly to my taste.  The system featured the SoulNote P-3 pre and M-3X monoblocks.

Also in this room was the absolutely bonkers Thorens Reference turntable. This turntable is exactly what High End is about; over-the-top engineering because you can! 

SCANSONIC

The M series was making its world premiere at Munich and we got to listen to the excellent M30.2 in a room that was empty – perfect for us. These are not stupidly expensive loudspeakers and we reviewed the m15.2 speakers here. The bigger floor standing 30.2 are bigger in their size and how they play the music. 

Nice to see them matched with the equally affordable Leema Acoustics from Wales, their Graviton power amp and Neutron pre along with the Electron CD player worked well with the Scansonic speakers.

VITUS, GOEBEL HiGH END, SME, & INNUOS

Yep, that would do very nicely, thank you very much. Stunning scale and a bass that despite the modest proportions of the room; it was powerful but not boomy or over-exciting the room which is much easier said than done in these less than ideal spaces. Got to listen to Seal’s Get it Together which was funkier than a mosquito’s tweeter -to misquote Nina Simone. The system got the speed and funk across very well and it was lovely to hear some funk at High End Munich. 

The full system featured digital streaming from the Innuos ZENith Next-Gen (€20,700), a Vitus Audio SCD-025 Mk.II transport (€26,500), and an SME Model 35 Silver turntable with VI tonearm (approx. €37,999). Electronics included the Vitus Audio SD-025 Mk.II DAC (€26,500), SP-103 Mk.II phono stage (€36,000), SL-103 Mk.II preamplifier (€48,000), and SM-025 Mk.I mono amplifiers. Cabling throughout was supplied by Crystal Cable’s Art Series, including the Digit 75 1.5m digital cable, Monet interconnects (€6,800–€17,120), Da Vinci speaker cables (€13,500), Van Gogh power cables (€4,000), and Diamond AG and Absolute Dream power distributors (€2,375–€1,200). The loudspeakers were Goebel High End Divin Noblesse (€249,000), supported by a HIFISTAY Mythology Transform X-Frame rack (€5,060) and performance board (€760). The total system value was approximately €700,000.

SM025 the new step in the new tech platform that VITUS will be using going forward. These now replace the SM011. The mechanical design is based on SIA-030, the big old integrated from VITUS. 

Funky as F%CK, I think was my exact comment. Possibly would have got my sound of the show if we were the kind of folk that handed out those kind of gongs at shows. 

BOENICKE

Boenicke were showing off their new AIO (All-In-One.) which is Available as a power amp, preamp, DAC or network switch, and any combination of those four. I do love this kind of product as it gives users who don’t want a million and one boxes the option to get great sound in a compact format that is certainly home-friendly. 

TOTEM 

VOXATIV

Voxativ from Berlin introduced its new high-end Streamer at High End Munich 2025. Designed and manufactured in Germany, the unit is positioned in the €20,000 class and integrates into digital playback systems with support for Roon and UPnP.

The Streamer offers bit-perfect playback of major audio formats.

It features a low-noise power supply, precision clocking, and a fully balanced analogue output stage.

Built entirely in Schlüchtern, Germany, the unit reflects Voxativ’s design and production standards across its product line.

The Voxativ Streamer made its debut in Munich as a new addition to the brand’s digital front-end offerings.

As always, very nice sounds, I just wish they’d play some hard Berlin techno to really kick those kickers at the bottom of the speakers. However, what we did get was a powerful and very dynamic jazz piece that had a hugely distorted electric bass line that came across very powerfully and with real bite to it. When the drums kicked in the rim shots came across excellently…and there it was, the kick from the kickers! 

Stay tuned for the next part of our coverage, coming very soon!

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Follow all of our High End Munich 2025 coverage here!

Linette and Stuart Smith