Fink Team and Epos
Speaker designer Karl-Heinz Fink’s Fink Team recently bought British loudspeaker brand Epos. “We have changed the Epos designs considerably,” Fink told me about the company’s three speaker models. “Epos loudspeakers are less expensive than Fink Team’s, but the engineering is nearly the same as the Fink Team’s.”
Genuin Audio
High End Munich is a global stage for established audio brands, already heavily covered by the international press. How do smaller manufacturers get noticed in this crowded, high-profile event? I made it a mission to seek out hidden gems and share my discoveries.
Gershman Acoustics, Kronos, MSB, Cardas, True Life, Antipodes Audio
Ofra Gershman premiered Gershman Acoustics’s 30th Anniversary Black Swan speakers ($95,000/pair) at Munich, and a fine sight they were. The two-in-one speaker construction come with a specified frequency range of 18Hz–24kHz, 88dB/W/m sensitivity, and 6 ohms nominal impedance and stand 52" high by 15" wide and weigh 145lb each. Who says good things don’t come in large packages?
Göbel’s Divin Comtesse Loudspeakers and Sovereign Subs with Wadax Studio • Player, Pilium, and Kronos
Bad me. For the past two or three years, knowing that it would run too late, I’ve begged off the evening Göbel press dinner / factory visit. From what I understand, it was my loss. According to Adam Mokrzycki, the mastermind of the Warsaw Audio Show, Oliver Göbel’s factory set-up is among the most impressive he’s ever heard. I stand chastised, Oliver and Adam.
Gryphon Audio
Gryphon Audio supercharged HIGH END Munich 2024, Atrium 4.1, Room E120, presenting the world premieres of three products: Gryphon’s Apollo Supreme Reference Turntable with Apollo 12.1" DLC Tonearm, and new Black Diamond DLC Supreme Reference MC Cartridge with DLC ("Diamond-Like Carbon) coating ($149,800 total including cartridge).
hARt Lab
High End Munich continued to unveil new (at least to me) names in the world of hi-fi; amplifier manufacturer hARt Labs was another fascinating discovery.
High End Munich in Color
Not every exhibit in Munich is colorful, but many are. Walking through the exhibit halls, I was inspired to try and catch some of the most striking.
High End Munich Sneak Peek (Video)
When Jason Victor Serinus arrived at High End Munich 2024, he found that scale and scope of the show to be truly impressive, as you'd expect from the world's largest two-channel audio expo.
Room reports are now posting so check our homepage for more coverage.
HSE Swiss
Walking around this show, your brain blurs. So much information. So little time. But occasionally, a flash of light reflecting a gold hardware detail catches your eye. Consider, for example, amplification products from HSE Swiss Huber, which are beautiful to behold and beautifully made.
Innuos, Gryphon, Nagra, Kroma, and Stromtank elicit wows
Less than a week after visiting the Innuos factory in Portugal—report and video forthcoming—I had the opportunity to audition their products again in Munich. This time, the speakers were more full-range and superior in quality, and the associated electronics all top-level.