Incredible Sound Systems At HIGH END 2024 In Munich
Another fantastic high-end audio show at the MOC HIGH END 2024.
Show Report By Jason Kennedy

  Danish monster amp enthusiasts Gryphon Audio have gone vinyl mad it seems, working in partnership with Brinkmann, Ortofon, and the Aarhus Institute of Technology, they've produced a substantial two-motor turntable that uses constrained layer damping on multiple levels within the plinth. The 12" tonearms are made with an aluminum tube that has a diamond-like carbon coating, this part of the development comes from Aarhus.

The moving coil (MC) cartridge is based on an Ortofon MC Diamond, but like arm has a diamond-like carbon coating. Unusually for a high-end turntable, all three elements; turntable, tonearm, and cartridge were designed as one piece. The price is $149,000 for the package, with a second tonearm available as an option.

The final part of the system is the Siren phono stage design by Tom Moller. This two-box design has the same power supplies as the Gryphon Audio Commander preamplifier amplifier and weighs 100 lbs all in. It has four inputs plus remote control yet there are only two gain settings of 58dB and 68dB, Gryphon Audio's argument being that if you need more gain that's what the preamplifier is for.

Metronome Technologie introduced new products from each of its three brand names. The Metronome DSC DAC matches the DSS streamer and forms the entry level for the French company's digital electronics, it costs €4,700.

Kalista has the Mantax DAC which offers selectable AKM or ESS conversion chips as well as the choice of tube or solid-state output stages.

It connects to the matching Kalista Dreamplay XC transport and streamer with I²S and represents the peak of the brand's Hi-Res D/A conversion (DAC) powers.

Finally there is a transport / Hi-Res Music music streamer and DAC for the AQWO range, the tAQWO and cAQWO at €60,000 each. tAQWO plays CDs and SACDs, has a separate power supply, and has the ability to both up- and down- sample bitstreams. The cAQWO is also a two-box design and is the most sophisticated converter in the Metronome portfolio, it also has vacuum tube or solid-state output and offers 32-bit/768kHz dual mono conversion.

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