HIGH END 2025: The Definitive Insider Report On Luxury, Innovation, And Audiophile Excellence
A timely guide to cutting-edge audio innovations at HIGH END 2025 in Munich.
HIGH END 2025 Audiophile Show Report By Jason Kennedy

Lindemann unveiled its Woodnote range of electronics in the form of the Solo streamer / stereo pre-amplifier (€1,850) and Combo streaming amplifier (€2,200). Thankfully, both are Roon Ready devices with IR remote. The Combo has one analog and four digital inputs, plus HDMI ARC for modern home audio sound systems, plus a headphone output.

Their interesting Class A-D output stage with an R-core transformer produces 50 Watt into 4 Ohms. The Combo, plus a pair of Lindemann's Move mini speakers (€1,390), formed a stereo sound system that won one of only six 'Clever Selected' sub €4,000 system awards at HIGH END 2025.

Meredith Gabor at Nordost kindly demonstrated to Enjoy the Music.com their latest additions to the Leif (pronounced 'life') cable range. These start with three Blue Heaven 3 cables; digital coaxial (BNC with adaptors, $285), Ethernet ($500), and USB ($320). All prices are for modest cable lengths.

There is also a new White Lightning tonearm cable ($650 on up depending on configuration), which may be terminated with RCA, XLR, or DIN.

The most exciting news from Nordost this quarter is the Q Net 7 network switch. Nordost's Q Net 7 builds on the QN5 with 7 ports, of which five are auto speed sensing 1GB ports, one is limited to 100Mb for streamers, and the last is an SFP for optical and copper connections. Price will be $5,500, and the QN7 is compatible with both 9V and 5V power supplies. It is said that 5V sounds best, apparently, and is available from the Q Source PSU.

The guys at Network Acoustics keep on expanding their range of streaming accessories. Their latest being the Origin power supply that is based on the supply created for their Tempus network switch and is designed for use with routers, modems, and yes, switches too. It produces 5V or 12V and is priced at £1,495 in the U.S..

The Network Acoustics stereo hi-fi was used within a system based around an Antipodes streamer, Perreaux electronics, and Bloom loudspeakers from Silent Pound. The latter have a steel case and are bigger than they appear. Inside is a pair of 12" bass drivers in a dipole arrangement with an 8" woofer and coaxial compression driver tweeter facing forwards. The sound in the small booth was impressively expansive while playing Retrograde by James Blake. I heard extremely deep bass when Boz Scaggs took the stage, plus delightful detail was not in short supply in either case.

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