Munich High End Show 2017

[rando]

I should have mentioned in my earlier post the aesthetics of Constellation Audio Leo surprisingly weren't of issue to me and I take Chris at his word it really is an outstanding device.  Barring in person concerns of appeal based on proportions and viewing angle cropping up.  I'd say it fits very firmly design wise into an interesting place a number of edgy audio sculptures fail in.  Certainly nothing that will outlast the wife's next redecorating before moving along.  Technologically speaking that seems a safe lifespan for the initial customer for this type of device.  

 

1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

 

what is end to end mqa?

The beginning of a joke you could tell in front of children yet scandalize adults.

[wdw]

4 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Today I had an opportunity to sit down with Peter McGrath from Wilson Audio. He has been a recording engineer for 40 years. He had several of his tracks encoded as MQA versions and gave me a proper A/B using an MQA enabled dCS DAC. 

 

There was no denying the positive difference MQA made in each track. There were substantial audible benefits on all five tracks we played. I asked him to flip back and forth several times so I could make sure of what I heard. In this case, MQA made the music sound much much better. 

 

I was in the room with someone else who is quite skeptical of MQA, and he heard the same very positive differences.

 

Our listening was done after show hours, so the noise level was substantially lower and the conditions were good. 

This is encouraging....we, the great unwashed, aren't offered this comparison so am happy to hear your report.  I attended the last Vancouver, BC, Canada, audio show with the sole purpose to hear MQA as was reported to be demoed.  The MQA guy played one or two MQA tracks but was unwilling, even after direct requests, to play the non-MQA'd track.  This is at the nub of why there is so much suspicion as to motive.  The audio press get these auditions; the public, not so much.  Wonder why.

[MarkS]

5 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Today I had an opportunity to sit down with Peter McGrath from Wilson Audio. He has been a recording engineer for 40 years. He had several of his tracks encoded as MQA versions and gave me a proper A/B using an MQA enabled dCS DAC. 

 

There was no denying the positive difference MQA made in each track. There were substantial audible benefits on all five tracks we played. I asked him to flip back and forth several times so I could make sure of what I heard. In this case, MQA made the music sound much much better. 

 

I was in the room with someone else who is quite skeptical of MQA, and he heard the same very positive differences.

 

Our listening was done after show hours, so the noise level was substantially lower and the conditions were good. 

 

 

This is essentially the same demo I heard in NYC last month and wrote about on this website.  My similarly favorable impression of MQA was met with scepticism (to say the least).  I look forward to dCS' implementation of MQA and am anxious to see if you made it to the dCS room to hear the Rossini, which, I think, has been MQA'd. 

 

p.s.  My MQA demo was fully public.  I'm nobody special. 

[MarkS]

5 hours ago, Miska said:

I went to the dCS room couple of times, but it sounded boring every time... Not fan of those speakers, somehow the soundstage is missing. Or then they just don't work in that kind of room.

 

What speakers were used in the dCS room?

[wdw]

8 minutes ago, MarkS said:

 

 

This is essentially the same demo I heard in NYC last month and wrote about on this website.  My similarly favorable impression of MQA was met with scepticism (to say the least).  I look forward to dCS' implementation of MQA and am anxious to see if you made it to the dCS room to hear the Rossini, which, I think, has been MQA'd. 

 

p.s.  My MQA demo was fully public.  I'm nobody special. 

Even better news...if the MQA group would freely offer these comparative demos and, if the results are as you and Chris report, they have done their work.  In my case and a in few others these comparisons weren't offered.  Apologies for the OT.

[TubeLover]

11 hours ago, Forehaven said:

Am I the only one to find this look unattractive?

 

And Thanks for the updates Chris and All!

It does appear to be from The Flintstones period decor

 

JC

[TubeLover]

10 hours ago, Keith_W said:

 

And I think that Lamborghini's are hideous as well. Give me purity of form any day. That god-awful box looks as if it fell off the back of a truck. 

I will be happy to personally pick up any unwanted Lamborghini's. Just tell me when and where! 

 

JC

[Nikhil]

Kharma Room

 

Complete bling ...

[Nikhil]

Kaiser Kaweru -  superb sound!

[Nikhil]

The Gobel Room - one of the best rooms 

 

What was interesting was the that new pad like driver in the middle - works from 170 Hz to 30KHz.  One of the real innovations at the Munich show.

[Nikhil]

Soulution Room 

[Nikhil]

KR Audio, Lampizator GA and speakers from RDacoustic (Czech Republic) 

 

 

[afgverhart]

Thanks @The Computer Audiophilefor the AVM MP30 picture! I love their very clean designs.

[AudioDoctor]

I should time my next Porsche purchase to coincide with the Munich show as well.  I could just stay in Europe for the months of May and June, hit the Nurburgring, The Munich High End Show, and Le Mans, all in one trip and with my own Porsche...

 

Hmmm, there is a new GT3 out...

[The Computer Audiophile]

Thanks @Nikhil for the show coverage!

[The Computer Audiophile]

3 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

I should time my next Porsche purchase to coincide with the Munich show as well.  I could just stay in Europe for the months of May and June, hit the Nurburgring, The Munich High End Show, and Le Mans, all in one trip and with my own Porsche...

 

Hmmm, there is a new GT3 out...

 

There are a couple Porsches on the show floor here. Burmester audio systems in them.

[AudioDoctor]

2 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

 

There are a couple Porsches on the show floor here. Burmester audio systems in them.

 

 

Very cool!  Although that is an option I would not get.  Have you had a chance to listen to them?  I hear they sound quite good for a car audio system.

[The Computer Audiophile]

Yes, they sound great. 

[Nikhil]

12 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

 

There are a couple Porsches on the show floor here. Burmester audio systems in them.

[AudioDoctor]

That new Panamera is so tempting...

 

I have to keep reminding myself how cool the Tesla is...

[semente]

14 hours ago, manisandher said:

I’m now on my way home from the show. I managed to sit down and take a good listen to many systems, including: Living Voice/Kondo, MSB, Einstein, dCS, Göbel, Wilson Benesch, Aries Cerat, Sound Galleries, Avantgarde Acoustic, Cessaro, Kawero/Kondo, Magico/Spectral, MBL, Thöress, Tune Audio, Silatone/WE, Elrog, soulution, hORNS, Tidal, Mark Levinson, Marten, Stein and TAD, among others.

 

All my photos came out horribly, so I’ll leave others to post their photos instead.

 

Ordinarily, I wouldn’t do this, but because they were amongst the most expensive systems at the show, here are my biggest disappointments of the last two days:

 

3. Living Voice. This is the first time I’ve listened to the Vox Palladians, but have heard the Vox Olympians a few times before. I wasn’t that impressed with the Olympians, and am even less impressed with the Palladians. Mind you, so I should be – as displayed, the Palladians only cost 2/3 of the Olympians’ $800,000 price tag!

 

2. Cessaro. This is the second time I’ve listened to the Gammas at the Munich show. I forced myself to sit through 30 minutes or so of ‘music’. In that time, most people came in, sat down for all of 30 seconds and walked back out. I was mightily tempted to do the same myself many times.

 

1. Magico/Spectral. The last time I heard Magicos was when they partnered with soulution a few years ago at Munich. I was underwhelmed back then, and unfortunately, partnering the S3s with Spectral hasn’t seemed to help one iota. A totally dead sound, as far as I’m concerned. How people can rant and rave about them is totally beyond me.

 

OK, on to the cool-sounding stuff. My top systems were:

 

3. Aries Cerat. Wow, what a dynamic and totally immersive sound. Slightly edgy off centre, but in the sweet spot were massively impressive. Finally, a system with a bit of life!

 

2. Silbatone/WE. So easy on the ear, and yet so detailed and intricate. I would have liked a bit more ‘kick’ from time to time though. But really can’t complain... for an 85 year-old pair of speakers!

 

1. Tune Audio/Trafomatic. OK, I’m probably a bit biased... This year, Tune Audio left the Animas at home and instead brought along the newer, larger and more expensive Avatons, mated with a gorgeous pair of Trafomatic Elysium SE tube amps. I heard the system on the Friday and wasn’t overly impressed. But I went back today and really, really enjoyed the sound. I stayed for an hour or so, and everything Manolis played sounded great. Only a handful of systems I’ve ever heard have matched this level of performance IMHO. My only criticism was that the sound was a tad too bright, but this could be easily solved.

 

Overall, I phenomenal two days. It’s a shame I didn’t bump into any other CAers though. Oh well, maybe next time.

 

Mani.

 

A serious show report cannot mention how good sources sound, not unless two were compared using the same system (although most magazines critics would like us to believe they can listen).

It's all about how certain speakers sound in particular rooms with the parnering amplification.

Good work!

 

R

[Nikhil]

11 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

That new Panamera is so tempting...

 

I have to keep reminding myself how cool the Tesla is...

 

Bugati is better though

[Nikhil]

Daimler representing Stuttgart ...  

surprisingly no BMW at the show.

[Nikhil]

T+A gear has tank like build quality.

These guys make some serious gear.

 

 

Their DAC is their most light weight component!

 

[Nikhil]

Really wanted to hear the Bricasti but Damon Gramont said that they just can't get a slot.  Sadly only a passive / head phone only display.

 

Having met and talked to Damon I have to say my interest in Bricasti has only grown.