Munich Germany
High End Society 2004 Show

Page 4

 

 

The most impressive sounds were to be found in two rooms. The first was the B&W-Classe suite, with a 5.1 surround setup of five 801's with Classe amplification. They even had live music making by a pianist, whom I missed, and Allen Taylor, a folk singer-guitarist, ala Bob Dylan, using mikes fed into their system. It was very enjoyable.

The second was the Focal-Halcro room, where they used the Grand Utopias with the mega-bucks Halcro vertical amplifiers. Sound was very good by show standards.

 

 

 

For our illustrious editor Steve, honorable mention should be given to the Avantgard-Esoteric suite, where I heard their room-sized bass horns combined with their trio horn speakers. They were very impressive to say the least. The only other horns I saw were by Odeon, but in a silent display. This was somewhat disappointing as Europe is supposed to be a horn mecca. The show has a rule that presenters have to be fairly large companies with proven production, so I guess the smaller horn companies were either barred or couldn't afford the display costs, which start at several thousand dollars.

Tubes were everywhere. Tube manufacturers are springing up like mushrooms. Of course KR (previously Vaic, then Kron) was present demonstrating their 1610 SET amplifier with tubes that John (The Wad) Holmes would be proud of if he were still alive. (By the way, Steve, Eunice sends her love.) Other tube amps were from Arcus, CAT, Octave, and Sophia, and there was at least one new Czech firm selling what looked like excellent tubes, Emission Labs.

The number of turntables both on display and being used was phenomenal. In both Germany and Austria there were actually record stores that still sell vinyl. Several, including those from Simon Yorke, Linn, Transrotor, and Elac, are familiar names in the US, but several other companies, most based in the Czech Republic, were new to me. Loricraft was also present with their record cleaning unit, which I reviewed and use at present.

Interestingly, most of the vinyl being sold at the show was of American origin, at significantly more dollars than it costs us over here, but was being bought fairly vigorously by the public and press. The price difference was partially related to the value-added tax of 18%, but with the low dollar value to the Euro this should have balanced out, so I couldn't quite figure out why they were so expensive. The price must have been right though, as a brisk business was being done. 

 

 

 

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complete listing of show exhibitors.

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