High End Vienna 2026 Report Round Up And Golden PiG Awards
ALL OUR REPORTS IN ONE PLACE PLUS TEAM HiFi PiG’S GOLDEN PIG AWARDS
High End Vienna exceeded all expectations, the venue was bright, modern and airy, the exhibits were fantastic, we met industry friends and readers from around the world, and we saw and heard some amazing HiFi.
With a seven-strong team, HiFi PiG snoofled out the very best HiFi from the Austria Center and the surrounding off-site, independent shows…and we awarded five Golden PiG Awards, scroll down to find out who we chose to give them to.
Between us we produced thirteen written reports, you can read all of them with the links below, plus there are still videos to come with in depth interviews with selected exhibitors.
Stu and I would like to thank Oscar, Kelly, Jon, Michael and videographer Mark for their hard work covering the show and for being fabulous company in the HiFi PiG Haus for the week. Plus huge thanks to the High End Society team, all the exhibitors and our High End Vienna 2026 coverage sponsor, Tellurium Q.
Goodnight Vienna, see you in May 2027!
HIGH END VIENNA 2026 REPORTS
High End Vienna 2026 Report Part One Floor – 2
High End Vienna 2026 Report Part Two – Hall X4 World Of Headphones And More
High End Vienna 2026 Report Part Three – Floor 0
High End Vienna 2026 Report Part Four – Floor 3
High End Vienna 2026 Report Part Five – Floor 2
High End Vienna 2026 Report Part Six – Floor 1
High End Vienna 2026 Report Part Seven – Hall X2
High End Vienna 2026 Report Part Eight – Hall X5
High End Vienna 2026 Report Part Nine – Hall X3
High End Vienna 2026 Start-Up Area
INDEPENDENT OFF-SITE SHOW COVERAGE
Xclusive High End Show Vienna 2026
Vienna Sound Fest 2026 Report
HiFi Deluxe Vienna 2026 Report
HIGH END VIENNA FACTS AND FIGURES
The first edition of HIGH END Vienna took place from 4th to 7th June 2026 at the Austria Center Vienna, marking the show’s move from its long-standing home in Munich. Organisers reported a total attendance of 23,109 visitors across the four-day event, including trade visitors, consumers and media representatives.
NEW VENUE HOSTS INTERNATIONAL AUDIO INDUSTRY
HIGH END Vienna welcomed around 500 exhibitors representing 1,000 brands from 41 countries. According to organisers, visitors travelled from 104 countries, underlining the event’s international reach.
The Austria Center Vienna provided a different setting from previous editions, with larger exhibition areas, natural daylight and outdoor spaces contributing to a more open layout. Demonstration rooms, exhibition stands and meeting areas remained busy throughout the event, particularly during the trade-only opening days.
TRADE FOCUS REMAINS STRONG
The first two days were dedicated to industry visitors, with manufacturers, distributors, retailers and media using the show for meetings, product launches and business discussions. Organisers reported positive feedback from exhibitors regarding visitor quality and commercial opportunities.
Many companies used the event to introduce new products and technologies, while international media covered a wide range of launches and demonstrations from across the audio sector.
START-UPS AND INDUSTRY SUPPLIERS FEATURED
The Start-Up Area again provided a platform for emerging companies to present new products and ideas to the industry. Organisers said the section attracted interest from trade visitors, media and potential business partners.
Alongside the main exhibition, the IPS (International Parts + Supply) area focused on components, manufacturing services and accessories for the audio industry.
MUSIC AND LIVE EVENTS COMPLEMENTED THE EXHIBITION
Music remained central to the event, with a programme of listening sessions, demonstrations and live performances taking place throughout the four days.
Canadian singer-songwriter Dominique Fils-Aimé served as the show’s brand ambassador and took part in listening sessions and a live concert. Organisers noted that this was the first time a concert of this type had been incorporated into the High End exhibition programme.
SPECIALIST AREAS RETURN
Several dedicated attractions returned as part of the show. The X-PERT Stage hosted talks and presentations from industry figures and technical specialists, while World Of Headphones showcased personal audio products. The Gaming Zone highlighted developments at the intersection of gaming and audio technology.
LOOKING AHEAD TO HIGH END VIENNA 2027
The successful launch of High End Vienna marks the beginning of a new chapter for the exhibition following its relocation from Munich. With strong international participation from exhibitors, visitors and media, the event maintained its position as one of the audio industry’s major annual gatherings.
The next edition of High End Vienna is scheduled to take place from 6th to 9th May 2027 at the Austria Center Vienna.
HIGH END VIENNA 2026 IN NUMBERS
500 exhibitors from 41 countries
1,000 brands represented
23,109 total visitors from 104 countries
10,603 trade visitors from 93 countries
11,957 consumers from 76 countries
549 media representatives from 45 countries
THE GOLDEN PiG AWARDS HIGH END VIENNA 2026
At the show, Stu, Lin, Jon, Michael and Oscar all chose who they thought was most deserving of a Golden PiG Award, from the areas and shows that they covered.
The Golden PiG Award is not just about the best sound at a show, it reflects what we feel to be the rooms that are giving a top tier experience to visitors, putting in tons of effort to make their room inviting, friendly, interesting and special.
The level of exhibitors was so high, it was difficult to choose, but here are the results of who received the small but meaningful Golden PiGs.
STUART SMITH – DYNAUDIO
Any event should be about more than simply putting products on display. It should create an experience, and Dynaudio certainly understood that at Vienna High End. Stepping into the company’s space felt more like entering a rainforest than a HiFi demonstration, with lush surroundings, ambient bird sounds and a carefully designed route that guided visitors through the exhibit. The journey led to a beautifully lit presentation area where Dynaudio was demonstrating its enormous soundbar and one particularly clever feature that quickly became a talking point among visitors.
Beyond the main display, one room showcased the soundbar in a home cinema setting, while another featured a more traditional HiFi system expertly demonstrated by Bill Livingston, whose refreshingly non-audiophile music choices helped keep things engaging and fun. It was a thoughtful, well-executed presentation that went far beyond the usual show formula, which is why Dynaudio receives my Golden PiG Award for High End Vienna 2026. The team created something memorable, immersive and genuinely different.
Stuart Smith
LINETTE SMITH – INNUOS
Innuos always impress at shows but their first High End Vienna exhibition was truly on another level. The stand and listening room, built from the ground up, incorporating room treatment and on-point branding, was stunning. The enthusiastic team were smart and polished, the welcome was warm and friendly, and the sound was fantastic.
So much work and effort had gone into it that the team must have been shattered, but every guest was greeted like the first, every demo delivered perfectly by Nuno, Amelia and the team.
But it was not only their own room, there were Innuos products in fifteen partner rooms, with seven of them being their flagship level Nazare systems. Approaching the Innuos stand grew expectations as we heard Nazare after Nazare in the high end systems in the rooms before theirs. That kind of organisation just doesn’t happen; it’s the result of years of collaborative work and contact building. There is a reason so many brands use Innuos products in their demos, and that reason is as much about the people behind the brand as the products themselves.
Well done Team Innuos, we can’t wait to see what you do at High End Vienna 2027!
Linette Smith
OSCAR STEWART- PMC
One of the most difficult tasks we now have at shows, is the awarding of the Golden PiG – the reason it’s so difficult, is that there are often quite a few rooms that put real effort into their space. We award the PiG based on the whole experience, from entering the room, to the people that run it, the decoration, and of course we can’t forget about the system.
We always mention a few runners up, and in Vienna I’ll give a shout out to the VAC/Acora room for being incredibly well run, from the tunes, to the people manning the room – it was highly engaging. The second mention goes to Cambridge Audio, they put effort into the room, and the playlist was carefully curated to stay away from typical “audiophile” tunes – trying to engage the next generation of HiFi lovers, something this industry needs.
Now on to the winner, celebrating 35 years in the industry, PMC nailed it once again with a room that was both inviting, as well as considered. They built a full surround-sound studio and remastered a track at the show. Then they had their fantastic Fenestria speakers, with Miles Showell and others running talks on music production and playback of certain tracks. These were more than musical moments, they were experiences, with the surround-sound demo giving us goosebumps due to the sheer power of the music. A huge shout out to the whole PMC team for creating what was the standout moment in Vienna for us – and a happy 35th anniversary to the brand, long may it continue!
Oscar Stewart
MICHAEL FAIRBAIRN – LAB 12
LAB 12, a wonderful company, from Athens, Greece, could not be more deserving of my Golden PiG award. To Stratos, Alex, and Mariza: thank you again for your hospitality, for making me feel so welcome, and for showcasing your fantastic system. I have also promised myself I will visit them at their factory sometime in the not-too-distant future.
As I wrote in my report from the X3 hall at High-End Vienna: “Full disclosure. I love Lab12, and this system did not disappoint, one bit! Their Pre1 is a key component in my own system, and I’ll soon be the proud owner of a DAC1 Reference. To say I am very excited by this would be the understatement of the century. I can’t get enough of their superb boxes! Music sounded so live and real to me here, which is the same quality I get at home with just the preamplifier in the chain.”
Michael Fairbairn
JON LUMB – DREAM AUDIO AT VIENNA SOUND FEST 2026
I’m always a bit reluctant to award a Golden PiG to one of the most expensive rooms at a show – The whole attitude of the award is about the whole experience, not just the out and out sound quality, and it can sometimes feel like rocking up with the most spendy array of kit is almost trying to cheat your way to an award of some sort. But every rule has its edge cases, those points where it needs to be broken, and this is one of them.
We fully understand that brands and distributors put a huge amount of time, effort, and money into appearing at a show like Vienna, and that this can lead to reluctance to let someone stick a track on they’ve never heard, just on the off chance it is a shocking recording and others in the room assume the kit is the issue. This room was expensive (back of a napkin sums would suggest a total figure of about £2.2m). It sounded utterly extraordinary, and the team running it were so very helpful and engaging when we were in there. The fact that they were willing to allow me to play a track that I openly admitted was genuinely awful (The Cheeky Girls – Touch My Bum) just so that I could get a snippet of video for my own personal amusement shows a dedication to the cause that really goes above and beyond.
And on that basis, my Golden PiG went to Dream Audio, at the Vienna Sound Fest 2026, and their room running the Wadax / Kuzma / Engtröm / Kroma Atelier system. To Tomas, and all the team there, that was extremely well done!
Jon Lumb
Linette Smith
