High End 2024 show, Munich
Innuos
Innuos have not been resting since last year’s introduction of three streamers, for High End 2024 Nuno Vitorino unveiled two substantially upgraded Zen servers which sit above the current range and join the StatementNG. The ZenNG and ZenithNG are built around a new mainboard platform that is built precisely to Innuos’ specifications. This means that the company has much better control of part selection and are able to deliver significantly improved results. They have also used a GaN based power supply, the first in our experience, to give faster switching and greater immediacy and transparency.
The NG (next generation) models are available with USB or SPDIF player outputs, or with no audio output at all, leaving them to perform as pure servers. Available with 2, 4 or 8TB factory fitted SSD storage and expandable via a slot in the base the NG models can also be storage free for use with streaming services. With considerably more substantial casework than even Statement the ZenNG will be £9,000 and ZenithNG £15,000, the StatementNG is £19,000. The demonstration via Nagra DAC, Gryphon amplification and Kroma Atelier Irya loudspeakers made a very good case for their sonic potential.
PMC
PMC worked with studio wunderkind Steven Wilson to put on a spatial audio demonstration of substantial proportions. Wilson demonstrated the benefits of Atmos using an 11.4.6 system consisting of three PMC BB5 XBDs for left, centre and right, four PMC8 subs, nine C1140 full bandwidth surrounds and six C165 overhead height speakers. Power was provided by 48kW of PMC Class D amplification with the front three channels being actively driven. OTT and capable of serious SPLs this mahoosive system went a long way to demonstrating exactly why musicians like Wilson feel that Atmos has such huge potential for audio.
Vertere
Touraj Moghaddam introduced his first high end phono stage at High End 2024. The Calon (£15,500) takes a different approach to that usually found because it adds 30dB of gain prior to the RIAA equalisation process. The idea being that with a more robust signal the EQ will be less likely to lose information. This EQ is applied actively for the bass and passively for the high frequencies and this combined with the in- and output gain results in lower distortion than typical fully active or fully passive RIAA stages. The Calon also features a subsonic filter which Touraj highly recommends because it only removes frequencies that we cannot hear and benefits the system by removing stress from the amplifier and the loudspeaker.
Calon has RCA only inputs but both XLR and RCA outputs, Touraj being keen to make the point that a cartridge is not a balanced source, the two sets of output pins do not produce the same signal but the top and bottom parts of it, therefore it is not possible to achieve noise cancelling by using a balanced connection with a cartridge.
The sound produced by a system consisting of Vertere SG-1 turntable, Imperium motor drive, SG-II PTA arm, Xtrax cartridge, Calon phono stage, FM Acoustics FM 266 MkII preamplifier, FM 111 monoblock power amps and PMC Fenestria loudspeakers was pretty damn impressive. This is a £200,000 plus system but that is no guarantee of great results at a hi-fi show, this one had three dimensionality, depth of image, dynamics and timing to die for when playing Prince’s One Night Alone.
Vivid
High End was the first time that Vivid had shown their Moya M1 flagship loudspeakers to a European audience since they were announced in March, they did not disappoint. Not quite as large in the flesh as early images suggested the Moya is still ‘a big girl’ as engineer Gracia Baco put it. The most ambitious Vivid yet has eight C225 bass drivers because that’s how many you need to match the 120dB capability of the mid and high frequency section. Lead engineer Lawrence Dickie has stuck with the catenary curved aluminium domes and curved composite construction found in most of his designs but has added diamond like carbon coating to the midrange domes for extra stiffness. The result when powered by a Mola Mola system was the cleanest high power sound of High End 2024, they produced bass that pressurised the room and highs that escaped the ceiling of a cabin that literally shook when Bjork’s Hollow was played, yet not a hint of distortion could be perceived. Later in the day Lawrence put on Nuclear Burn by Brand X at the sort of level this prog classic deserves, the experience was breathtaking. The price, should you need to ask, has been set at $465,000/€450.000.
Chord Electronics
Chord’s tech wizard Rob Watts was at High End to tell us about his new upsampler. The Quartet M Scaler is an upgrade on the Hugo M Scaler with four times the one million taps of that design, it has five FPGAs, two million lines of code and a75A power supply in a separate case. The latter has heavy RF filtering to ensure that the Quartet runs in a near silent electronic environment. Price has not been set but looks to be in the region of the £12,000 that you would have to pay for the matching Dave DAC.
Chord also showed the Suzi Pre and power amplifier, this is a cunning modular system where each can be operated alone but they are designed to lock together to form a single unit. The amplifier uses Chord’s Ultima tech and offers 30W per channel, the Pre has line inputs and a phono stage with adjustable gain and impedance. Alternatively a Hugo 2 DAC can be attached and combined with a USB Matrix or 2go streamer to provide a one ‘box’ compact source and amp. Prices are to be confirmed but will be in the region of £2,000 for the Pre and £3,400 for Suzi power.
Supatrac
Supertrac introduced the Nighthawk tonearm, a beefier and less universal variation on the Blackbird that they brought to High End last year. The Nighthawk is heavier, stiffer and better suited to low compliance moving moving coils. The arm tube is made of pultruded carbon fibre and is both larger and more complex than on the Blackbird. Supatrac has also beefed up the horizontal unipivot bearing with an 8mm pivot bolt. The Nighthawk was demonstrated on a Garrard 301 via Moonriver electronics and Oephi Transcendance 2 loudspeakers and sounded very musically compelling. The same arm was being used elsewhere on a Döhmann Helix One turntable via some Cessaro horn loudspeakers which were distinctly too large for the room but did deliver some serious dynamics.
Estelon
Estelon demonstrated the Signature version of their X Diamond Signature loudspeakers (€98,000) which have a new crossover, new internal cabling and new connectors. They sounded extremely good on the end of a system consisting of Aurender N30SA streamer, dCS Vivaldi Apex DAC, Pilium Alexander preamplifier and MSB M500 monoblocks connected up with Crystal Cable. This was one of the best sounding digital systems at the show and managed to deliver decent timing, natural tone and an engaging musical sound of a standard that few could match.
Gold Note
Gold Note shared a space with AVM in an offsite location to reveal a raft of new and yet to be finalised products. The CD-10 CD player has a touch screen display that allows track programming and playlist creation from CDs, it has digital in- and outputs thus functions as a DAC and a stream unlimited disc drive coupled with an AKM4493 converter chip. A port offers power supply upgradability and the price is €1,800. The matching HP-10 headphone amp will cost in the region of €1,600 – €1,800, it offers 6.3mm and 3.5mm SE outputs plus XLR and 4.4mm balanced connections. It has in- and outputs on RCA and XLR plus the power supply upgrade option seen in CD-10. More interesting are EQ curves options and delays designed to manipulate imaging to taste.
The Diana loudspeaker range was shown in prototype form but will have the distinctive fabric wrap with tensioners that can be adjusted to tune the balance. There are two bookshelf models and a matching Diana subwoofer/stand. Pricing is expected to be in the region of €1,500 for Diana 1, €1,800 Diana II and €1,900 for the Sub.
Guru
We spotted a row of Guru QM10 speakers near the Pro-ject stand last year and found out why when Guru’s Erik Ring explained that he now has an agreement with the Austrian company to take over manufacture of a new range of Guru speakers. This has resulted in three models joining the QM10, the Guru 8 (8 litre, €1,800) and Guru 12 (€2,800) are two-ways with in-house designed long stroke drivers and discreet slot ports under the front baffle. Both use the 19mm tweeter found in the QM10. The Guru 28 (€4,200) floorstander is a three-way with a pair of rear firing 5 inch bass drivers and features the woven midrange from the original Guru Junior. Available in Fog grey, walnut and oak we have to say that we are looking forward to hearing these stylish designs.
Remora, Sonical
Two British companies made a very strong case for not only high quality wireless listening but for the future of biometrics and health care. Remora Pro ($949) is a ‘smartwatch for headphones’ that is currently available to strap onto the headphones of your choice to make them wireless using UWB (ultra wideband) streaming technology. This is already built into your mobile phone but not yet enabled for audio, it can deliver 6.8 Mbps which is good for uncompressed audio at 24-bits/96kHz. At present Remora supply a dongle that can transmit in UWB but should Apple and Android join the fray things could get very interesting.
Sonical makes the Cosmos OS that sits in the centre of the Remora Pro which and works like a smartphone with apps from THX, Dolby, DTS etc to provide spatial audio codecs that could revolutionise headphone listening. Further to this the ear is a far better source of biometric data than the wrist that supports your smartwatch, thus with the right app devices can monitor health and provide potentially life saving information. When tech like this is licensed by the likes of Sennheiser, Bose and Sony who knows what the future holds for the humble headphone.
See part 2 of our High End 2024 coverage here
