Munich HighEnd 2024

[AudioHR]

If that thing works,,DSP is beyond magic and everyone should Be using it ..!

Well it certainly was doing something! On the music played the Linkwitz speakers immediately drew your attention to their sound staging ability. It was initially impressive but I wonder if with further listening one would identify the inevitable trade offs and find them as desirable. Is there a perfect speaker lol.

 

[D.Duttilleux]

I just don’t get any non-tube amp claiming it sounds kind of tubelike…they never do. It’s like artificial Strawberry flavor instead of Strawberries.

There are pros and cons inherent to every audio component. It's about finding/building those components that meet your wishes.

Even seasoned tube enthusiasts have switched to class d after decades of tube use. I appreciate tube gear, but I'm not completely hooked.
Besides, I've listened to plenty of tube amps that sound more clinical, colder, harsher and thus unnatural than a lot of SS amps.
Tube amps come in many flavors and the ones I prefer are usually low power SET types, which are not ideal for my speakers, the output levels I require and at least 50% of the music I play.

 

[D.Duttilleux]

Is there a perfect speaker lol.

Loudspeakers are inherently flawed.

 

[davidavdavid]

Loudspeakers are inherently flawed.

So are audiophiles. Thus spake Zippy.
"Are We Having Fun Yet?"

 

[D.Duttilleux]

So are audiophiles. Thus spake Zippy.
"Are We Having Fun Yet?"

Many people are perfectly happy with their HomePod(s).



Some pictures to illustrate the background of the man behind the technology inside the HomePods:

 

[D.Duttilleux]

Tube and ss technology can coexist, even within the same brand:

 

[davidavdavid]

Many people are perfectly happy with their HomePod(s).

View attachment 132052

Some pictures to illustrate the background of the man behind the technology inside the HomePods:

View attachment 132055View attachment 132056

That's a shame. h/t Jerome Seinfeld (just about any episode, any season)

 

[andromedaaudio]

Looking back at some other YT show reports .

Unfortunately i missed the Admire horns / thomas mayer room and off course the New vivids which were both on the ground floor

 

[Audio_Karma]

All new Qualio Audio IQ ULTRA Loudspeakers

 

[D.Duttilleux]

Looking back at some other YT show reports .

Unfortunately i missed the Admire horns / thomas mayer room and off course the New vivids which were both on the ground floor

An acquaintance of mine owns a Thomas Mayer 'stack' (6 items): artisan tube audio, build to order often including Elrog tubes. Elrog is Mayer's tube company.

Admire's expo midbass cabinet with Supravox 15" + Sato horn with Lamar driver.

 

[D.Duttilleux]

The tiny horn tweeter looks like a modified TW2-20:

 

[Audiohertz2]

An acquaintance of mine owns a Thomas Mayer 'stack' (6 items): artisan tube audio, build to order often including Elrog tubes. Elrog is Mayer's tube company.

Admire's expo midbass cabinet with Supravox 15" + Sato horn with Lamar driver.

View attachment 132095

Wow ! This sounds good ? I really need to get out more often ...

 

[AudioHR]

Looking back at some other YT show reports .

Unfortunately i missed the Admire horns / thomas mayer room and off course the New vivids which were both on the ground floor

The Admire/Mayer room was OK but nothing special. I don't think the main floor compartment space did the Admire speaker any favours.

However I did go back twice; the first time the fellow I was talking to was very engaging and informative and the music I listened to made me interested in hearing more. The second visit I have to admit I couldn't seem to communicate to the fellow in charge of musical selections what I wanted to hear. It was a language barrier, so no fault. What he played didn't appeal to me so I left with no particular opinion.

 

[D.Duttilleux]

Wow ! This sounds good ? I really need to get out more often ...

The Admire systems? Haven't listened to those yet, but the Sato horns are somewhat similar to the old WE snail horns, only smaller. Tbh, I like the concept of the AA3 better, because of the alignment between the mid bass and the mid horn. It's a 3 way, but it should also work in a 2 way configuration with a different compression driver.

 

[matthias]

I'd prefer to have only 1 box - a DAC/amp

May I ask you what do you have since there are not many 1 box DAC/amps
Thanks

 

[D.Duttilleux]

Mostly seperates, so DAC or DAC Pre with power amps (monos) and occasionally an integrated amp.
The DAC-amp is a desireable future option.

 

[morricab]

The Admire systems? Haven't listened to those yet, but the Sato horns are somewhat similar to the old WE snail horns, only smaller. Tbh, I like the concept of the AA3 better, because of the alignment between the mid bass and the mid horn. It's a 3 way, but it should also work in a 2 way configuration with a different compression driver.

View attachment 132110

I think this would have better timing than what I heard with the snail horn. Something about the time integration made the whole thing sound a bit lazy and lacking impact despite the high sensitivity.

 

[matthias]

The DAC-amp is a desireable future option.

There is one I would like to listen to with high sensitivity speakers:

https://ecdesigns.nl/powerdac-sx.pdf

Unfortunately they were not in Munich.

 

[hopkins]

There is one I would like to listen to with high sensitivity speakers:

https://ecdesigns.nl/powerdac-sx.pdf

Unfortunately they were not in Munich.

I doubt you will ever see them in Munich

 

[gionaz]

honestly this 2024 edition of the Bavarian fair disappointed me a lot regarding digital sources! almost all the rooms that presented digital sources at the top of their production reproduced a very poor, dry sound that tended too close to hifi sound! the best rooms at the fair were with analogue sources, like Living Voice for example. very few exceptions to this rule, like the TOTALDAC room where the sublime source with three clocks used could achieve a sound that I define as great analogue reel to reel! Full, vibrant while maintaining energetic levels along all frequencies, for a finally vivid, real and musical reproduction
there were also some noteworthy digital exceptions, but I preferred the representation of the French TOTALDAC!