Joseph Audio, Doshi Audio, SOtM, Funk Firm: Kicking Ass and Taking Names
Joseph Audio's Jeff Joseph teamed with Nick Doshi to present another fantastic‑sounding room at High End Munich.
Munich 2025
Sort By: Post Date TitlePublish Date
Ferrum's Firmware Finesse: An International Ear for Audio
Drawn to the impressive sound and compact design of Ferrum's Polish-made, relatively affordable components, I was eager to visit the brand's booth and learn about the new 2.0.0 firmware update for the $2800 Wandla DAC. The update introduces Ferrum Streaming Control Technology (FSCT), which enables remote control of streamers and displays title and artist information on the DAC's touchscreen.
Tune Audio, Trafomatic, Rockna: An Enigma in Sound
This room presented a delightful enigma: a system consisting of largely unfamiliar-to-me brands that eclipsed much of the established competition. It delivered intricate detail and clarity with a sense of wholeness.
Mastersound: Teaching Old Tubes New Tricks
Mastersound's Antonio Ferro showed four products including the flagship Spazio preamplifier ($21,500, prices approximate and converted from Euros). It's a multi-drive stage preamp with six ECC82 and three ECC83 tubes, RCA and XLR inputs and outputs, and MM/MC phono inputs.
VAC, Acora, VPI, Esoteric, Hana, Cardas: All Killer, No Filler
Valerio Cora (Acora Acoustics/Audio Research), Kevin Hayes (VAC), and Mat Weisfeld (VPI) worked the halls in Munich with the confidence of seasoned entrepreneurs, showcasing their US-made gear at the world's biggest high-end audio show.
AMG, SoundSpace, Vitus, AudioQuest: Joy to the World (of Analog)
The combined talents of Analog Manufaktur Germany (AMG), Dr. Michael Plessmann’s SoundSpace Systems, and Denmark’s Vitus Audio produced a distinctive and sophisticated sound at High End Munich.
Voxativ's Latest: Another Charge for the Senses
Inés Adler's contagious passion for audio is built right into her components, and it makes every Voxativ visit a blast. At this year's High End Munich, Adler showed two new products: the Voxativ Streamer/DAC with FM-DAC technology ($16,000), and the Hagen2 Monitor Compact full-range loudspeaker with AF-2A AlNiCo driver ($6900/pair), the first iteration of which Herb Reichert recently reviewed for Stereophile.
A Dane and a Greek Walk Into a Convention Center…and Create Something Joyous
No joke. Epaminondas Gaveras of Greece's hARt Lab and Joakim Juhl of Denmark's OePhi Audio joined forces to deliver a sound that wasn't just loud and forceful, but joyous—igniting both mind and body. These two lesser-known brands deserve your attention. They certainly demanded mine.
Ypsilon, The Wand, and Speakers That Matter
Having previously reviewed Simon Brown's The Wand 9.5"-tonearm for Analog Planet, I was eager to experience the Wand 14-4 Master turntable ($7500), equipped with the world-premiere Wand Dark Light Tonearm ($7550, or $13,675 for the package) and a My Sonic Lab Eminent EX MC cartridge ($3995).
Onkyo Is Alive and Well (Case in Point: Its New Icon Series)
Guess who's back from the brink of existence? It's Onkyo, the storied Japanese audio brand that filed for bankruptcy in 2022. Like Mark Twain's rumored demise, reports of its death were greatly exaggerated. In Munich, Akihisa "Alec" Watanabe, project leader at Onkyo Technology, and Dave Gans, VP of Marketing & eCommerce at Premium Audio Company (Onkyo's U.S. distributor, which also handles Klipsch) convinced doubters that the brand is alive and well.