Munich High End 2015 Audio Show Snapshots By Martin Colloms Statistics: Exhibitors from 42 countries numbering 502, up 11% from 2014 and occupying 27,610 sqm of space; its humungous!

Avantgarde exhibited the latest version of their Duo system to great effect and packed houses, and at times extremely loudly too: I had to leave at one point even though I was in the back row.

Ambitous returned this year with a second model, solid metal enclosures as before but with two pistonic bass –mid drivers and a new ribbon tweeter, static display

I could not resist a snap (failed to register the name) of this amazing preamp, retro or what !

MQA: Bob Stuart presented an update on MQA, and here attending are Anders Edeholm (BBC) and Robert Harley (The Absolute Sound) in concentrated attention. (with demonstrations up in the showroom)

Bob Stuart of Meridian and MQA . Bob also announced that MQA would become an independent PLC.

The Fine Sounds Group had a packed and expansive exhibit and here is just a small well furnished corner at the event showing Audio Research, EAT, Sonus Faber and Krell

BMC shared with Amphion, and here is BMC’s founder and creator, the inventive and industrious Carlos Candeias with his many awards. A new introduction was the PureVOX integral stand mount speaker, all -alloy build with matched drivers on a sloping rear panel to approach a smooth bi-polar power response in the room.

Burmester showed their fetching if costly new retro range, these chromed components supported on integral tubular frames

Cessaro were back with their massive three way horn system, here sounding particularly dynamic

Accompanying was a machined copper turntable, TW Acoustic, of immense spinning mass, belt driven from a separate assembly employing three idler drives mounted on a high mass copper chassis, a version of the Raven Black Knight with separate PSU.

Chord Electronics exhibited in several rooms including Fischer and Fischer who make a range of heavy speakers with enclosures laminated externally in high density slate.

Chord also launched the new DAVE compact DAC £7,950, shown here with the accessory base

Constellation showed Centaur II mono power amps with the MP CD and digital player and with the latest Virgo preamp, driving the new Magico S7, and supported on well regarded Artesania platforms.

Dan D'Agostino larger than life with his new muscle power amp reminiscent of classics Krells of his design, this the master power 2+ stereo 300+300W which in bridged mono will do 1.2kW into 8ohms : these are his value range as opposed to the jewel like luxury Momentum series

D’Agostino Momentum Phonostage And talking of Momentums, here is the new preproduction issue of the new phono preamp-equaliser, a two box affair, with power supply in the lower platform. This unit offers exceptional versatility, for all types of cartridge, gain and loading

HIFICRITIC Editor Paul Messenger showing off one of his favourites technologies at the High End Show 2015. This REALHORN unit is the bass horn of the set, of mouth 7m2. This is equivalent to 62 18inch direct radiators. Here they operate from a pressure chamber driven by six high power JBL 15inch drivers at up to a kilowatt. There are mid and treble horns to go with it!

Diapason (Italy) showed their substantial prismatic, contoured for reduced diffraction. The high quality crossover is located in the base plate.

EMT were here with some style and these are a pair of 70th anniversary cartridges with calibration data. There is also the versatile phono preamp for the enthusiast to provide for two auxiliary and four pickup inputs.

Estelon showed their Extreme, a six foot high example of striking industrial design and finish and of substantial weight. Fortunately it comes in two pieces or it would be almost immoveable. Good sounds were heard in this room, concincingly driven by Soulution.

Focal announced several technical developments in loudspeaker drive unit technology the story told by Gerard Chretien who was introduced by the head of the Vervent (Naim, Focal ) group, Christophe Sicaud.

Gerard explained new technologies to reduced driver motor distortion, to control cone suspensions for a smoother response and a new exponential line loading for the famous Beryllium tweeter.

Gerard, seen here selecting musical excerpts on an iPad, also introduced the new build and softer contour styling for the new junior members of the Utopia derivative line named Sopra No1 and Sopra No 2. Graham Audio premiered their new (BBC) LS5/8 re-engineered to an exacting specification by Derek Hughes. The system was powered by EAR Yoshino and Tim de Paravacini did attend the show.

Gryphon seems full of energy and brought some of their largest loudspeakers, while here is their brand new double mono 300W/channel integrated amplifier, dubbed Diablo with 2x 950W into 2ohms adverse loading, and zero negative feedback. It will not be cheap!

Harbeth showed the latest version of their LS 5/8 professional equivalent, the Harbeth Monitor 40MK II

JRAUDIO Poland, demonstrated their Impossible parallel tracking tonearm and I noted the resemblance to the Garrard Zero 1000. Funny you should say that as the designer explained that he had worked with Garrard all those years ago. They also make the impressive turntable.

Living Voice: last year Kevin Scott’s costly power line synthesizer was lithium cell powered, but tests showed that traditional lead acid was even better, and here are the half ton of batteries powering the switchboard behind his demonstration.

Marantz: The redoubtable Ken Ishiwata of Marantz SE fame presented the SE story, how the Special Edition products came about, and how they greatly contributed to the fortune of the brand over the last 30 years.

Mark Levinson showed their new linear supply monoblock power amplifiers No.536 Class A/B, 400W/ch, here with the JBL Everest in new colourways including white and red, and amp designer Todd Eichenbaum was on hand to field questions. He explained that there were newly financed facilities to get ML back on the map in the high end and that he had previously been on the Krell team which designed the famed FPB and EVO series.

Constellation Centaur Monos ( MkII) driving the new Magico S7.

Rumours are that the lower cost Inspiration range threatened the Centaur and thus prompted the upgrade to MK11

Magico : The new S7 was larger than I expected but apparently these are early examples; production will be a little narrower!....three extra power 250mm bass, a new graphene reinforced mid, and a new diamond coated Beryllium tweeter; this a heady mix. On day 2 the sound had improved and while it is early days yet it convinced on several tracks with power, micro detail and vocal delicacy, especially that Jose Carreras track.

Magico : Another new loudspeaker, the imposing if understated five driver Q7 Mk 11 flagship with M Pro technology. Here the Q7 II was ably driven by Soulution monoblocks and while there was a tinge of dryness for this installation, could be the system or the room or both, my ears settled in and I began to appreciate the unusual speed, controlled power and articulation in the bass, supporting an even better mid and treble, more electrostatic to my ear than generated by moving masses. You can hear where the money has been spent, a coherent seamless sound for the heart if not for the head.

Naim launched four new amplifiers at High End 2014 these building on the new technology package researched for the Statement flagship pre-power. In specific the upper set comprising NAP 500DR, NAP 300DR, NAP 250DR and NAP 200DR will now have DR regulator circuits improving early stage noise levels by up to 40dB, in theory aiding transparency, while the output stages of the three larger amplifiers will also will gain dynamics and bass slam with the new Statement NA009 power transistors complete with the improved ceramic thermal couplers. The price increases is modest for the new versions, about 6-7%.

New power transistors fitted to the NAP250 DR Naim’s new amplifiers supported the Focal Sopra launch, driven by a 555PS DR powered NDS

Inside one half of a NAP500 DR showing the massive copper heat coupler Micromega were in some force at Munich with an eye-catching colour range for their new digital audio box of tricks including streaming

Q Acoustics launched their new range of 3000 budget speakers and very capable they sounded too. We have ordered review examples.

One showed a range of unusual mixed horn technology speakers, some powered, even with triode electronics

Paradigm showed a sophisticated, part active proof of concept; a finely made and complex tower with active servoed compound bass, and an impressive sound, much bigger than the slim build would suggest

Proac launched a new tower speaker, the K8, finely detailed and sounding well in this room thanks to the advanced 75mm mid dome ...........

PS Audio showed their new Bascombe King designed stereo power amplifier which has a triodes in the low level stages, and which here drove the able Magneplanar 20.7 in a most civilised fashion

Vanessen: We all recognise this distinctive industrial design but can we name it? Koen Vanessen himself with his latest subwoofer in support, demonstrating with Mytek and their range of digital electronics

Wilson Alexias were entertaining packed houses with Nagra Electronics and a lively informative sound, while the new Sabrina introduction was at a hotel in town which appontment I could not make.

Tidal (hi fi) showed their completed flagship , a tower loudspeaker of amazing finish with that near priceless diamond midrange unit accompanied by a diamond tweeter. The mid is driven at its edge by a huge, neodymium ring magnet so the back is almost completely open and thus free of reflections. The sound was fast and detailed, crisply high definition, and sharply focused. (Estimated at 180,000 EU a pair)

Here the Tidal designer Jorn Janczak with an even larger creation.

Thrax founder Rumen Artarski with his new all alloy speaker which conceals hidden depths. Never to do anything by halves this deceptively simple MTM on a matching all-alloy stand has a studio grade advanced mid-treble ring driven horn, crossing over at low 900Hz using low distortion waveguide technology. Called Lyra it sounded crisp, dynamic and well integrated at the show.

Voxativ surprised me with a prototype stack founded on the compact but bass deficient Pi with a new bases comprising an active dipole bass double 250mm driver, force cancelling array to add fast bass. In my view this speaker was convincingly transformed into a well balanced and highly dynamic performer.

End : 2015 High End Munich by Martin Colloms