Many roads lead to Rome. Nowhere is this old adage more true than in the countless technological approaches that could be seen and heard on the stands of electronics manufacturers at this year’s HIGH END. When it comes to source devices and, even more so, amplifiers, concepts that seem to belong to completely different eras were thriving side by side.
Are you a aficionado of the traditional valve glow or a high-tech disciple who appreciates the efficiency and technical finesse of DSP-regulated Class D systems? Or something in between? It really doesn’t matter how you answer this question for yourself, the HIGH END 2024 offered pretty much everything you could wish for across all audiophile camps. Strolling through the halls and atriums, the ubiquitous presence of tube amplifiers was unmistakable, but at the same time transistor-based push-pull systems were as common as ever, while (not only) the Class D faction had a completely new toy to tinker with – but more on that later.
The reasonable mid-field
A small part of the HIGH END moved out to the Drivers Club in the Motorworld opposite the MOC a year ago. AVM and the Italian company Gold Note, which is also distributed by Besser Distribution, could be found here this year as well. I’ll take the Italian’s most important new launch, the new 10-series, to represent a very welcome trend: even if the price spiral at the top end continues to accelerate, more and more manufacturers are turning to the sensible hi-fi mid-field. As an entry point into the world of the posh Italian manufacturer, the IS-10 integrated streaming amplifier is certainly not cheap – it will probably come in at just under 2500 euros – but for a component that basically only needs a pair of loudspeakers to form a complete hi-fi system, this seems absolutely fair. For all those who do not consider streaming plus amplification to be a complete hi-fi chain, the 10 series comes complete with a CD player and a headphone amplifier as well.
Auralic, too, was advertising uncompromising sound quality at a still manageable price: the Vega S1 streaming DAC can be purchased for around 2000 euros. For this price, you get a device that is based on the Tesla G3 streaming platform of its larger brand siblings and also goes to great lengths to ensure that the sound quality is not compromised – for example with galvanic isolation for noise suppression and a sophisticated volume control. In the usual Auralic manner, those more serious about streaming can also get the Aries version for the same price, which focuses solely on music transfer from the network and does without a converter. Incidentally, both newcomers come in a 22-centimeter half-format, either saving space or occupying just one rack level in combination with the optional external PurerPower power supply unit of the same size. The manufacturer charges another 1000 euros for the power supply upgrade.
The continuing tendency to further split components into separates has been seeing a counterbalance in an ever-increasing number of integrated solutions at the High End, and not just since this year. Arcam, for example, has introduced the two integrated streaming amplifiers SA35 and SA45; they extend the Radia series, presented last year, upwards. For around 3500 and 5000 euros respectively, both offer the Class G amplifier topology familiar from the previous top model A25, which in this case offers even more power with 120 (SA35) and 180 (SA45) watts into 8 ohms. In terms of streaming functionality, the two models meet equally high standards with a full range of features including Dirac support. Those who prefer to have their source device as a separate component will find a suitable partner for the A25 integrated amplifier in the form of the ST25 presented by the British company.
In general, friends of integration and advocates of separates were equally well catered for this year in Munich: while AVM presented the latest versions of their all-in-one systems in Motorworld, Rega presented a new pre/power amplifier combination, and visitors to the Audiolab room were also able to listen to a chain in which a pair of Leak Sandwich 250 was driven by the 9000Q preamplifier model and two 9000A mono power amplifiers. Like many things at the trade fair, this combination was ready to play, but we will have to be patient a little longer before the market launch.
Variety for beginners
There was also a lot going on in the three-digit price range: Musical Fidelity, for example, presented a new series below the previous entry level with the B1X integrated amplifier and the B1XCD CD player. The duo is still some way off, but the Brits are aiming for a MSRP of around 700 euros per component. If we, as audiophile window shoppers, were to picture an inexpensive turntable (the amp comes with an MM phono input) and a pair of decent speakers to go with the two, then we can easily put together a complete system in our heads that covers streaming, CDs and vinyl while fitting into a 2500 euro budget.
What is striking in all of this is that many manufacturers remain loyal to the good old silver disk and continue to launch new CD players and transports on the market. Mission, for example, has added a new CD drive to its 778S integrated amplifier alongside a streamer, which also highlights another trend: While integrated D/A converters are now standard not only in streamers, but also in just about every integrated amplifier, the internal chip is increasingly being omitted in CD drives and pure transports are being introduced instead. This makes obvious sense: in a world in which hi-fi chains contain at least one, often even several DACs anyway, a fully-fledged player would almost inevitably only further exacerbate this redundancy. But no matter how you look at it, it’s a great time to be an audiophile: regardless of whether you stream your music in keeping with the times, prefer silver disks or have succumbed to the magic of vinyl – in 2024, no one gets left behind when it comes to the choice of source.
Mission’s pricing is just as pleasing. Prices have not yet been set, but the Mission 778CDT transport is expected to come in at somewhere around 500 euros, while the matching streamer (with DAC) will probably come closer to 1000 euros.
In the affordable price segment in particular, not only new models, but also (relatively) young brands are increasingly entering the limelight and earning audiophile street cred. After brands such as FiiO, iFi, Oppo and Topping, Eversolo, for example, is the next upstart to gain increasing respect in the young hi-fi scene. At the HIGH END, the DMP-A6 streaming DAC with adjustable output in combination with the AMP-FT2 Class D power amplifier alternately drove a pair of Epos ES14N and a pair of Epos ES7N – incidentally set up in true-to-life fashion on a Kallax shelf.
Despite the deliberately hostile acoustic environment, the result was a genuine hi-fi performance. And the best thing about it: the network player, which also functions as a preamplifier (another additional function that is now increasingly becoming standard) and the power amplifier together cost not much more than 1500 euros.
New technologies
Let’s be honest: hi-fi technology seems to be at a point where no-one seriously expects really groundbreaking innovations anymore. In the early 2000s, the advent of streaming, DSP and the first really good-sounding Class D power amplifiers were causing quite a stir in the industry – at least in parts of it – but these developments came quite a while ago and are no longer making waves. They have secured their place in the industry and the technological flow seems to have calmed down. However, a small technical revolution has recently been making the rounds and is making its first notable appearance at this year’s HIGH END: Gallium nitride-based field-effect transistors, GaNFETs for short, can now be found in no small number of the components on display – it’s not every day that you encounter a new type of gain device!
Mytec uses the new component in its new Empire Stereo Monoblock Class D power amplifier – as the ambivalent name suggests, the amplifier is equally at home in both operating modes. As the developers explained to me at the stand, the new type of transistor is around 30 times faster than a MOSFET. What’s the benefit? The component makes it possible to reproduce a square wave with an almost perfectly vertical slope without provoking pre- and post-ringing artifacts. In combination with a tube-like linear transfer curve, they facilitate extremely smooth treble reproduction – provided the developer knows how to handle the lightning-fast parts. From my listening impressions, I can conclude that the Mytek people have a good handle on the part.
The new component is not only useful for amplification: in the Innuos room, I took part in an A/B/C-comparison between the Zenith, the newly launched Zenith NG (for Next Generation) and the flagship Statement model. Especially with digital devices, I am always fascinated by the clear differences in sound between different components: While the NG left its predecessor behind with a significantly larger and better defined sound stage, the Statement also added more meat in the low end with considerably more pressure and authority.
As chief developer Nuno Vitorino explained to me, the sonic advances are primarily due to two factors: Firstly, the mainboard of the streamer is now even more individualized than before. In the Zenith, the supplier had already deactivated various components that were irrelevant for the application, which in itself led to an improvement in sound quality due to reduced interference. With the new model, Innuos has been able to intensify the cooperation even further and has now had the main board fitted with specially specified, sonically superior components in numerous places.
The second factor is – you guessed it – the use of the aforementioned gallium nitride transistors in the power supply unit. Their incredibly fast switching operation allows the capacitors to be filled more quickly and therefore more smoothly, which ultimately leads to better voltage stability and also minimizes distortion in this application, especially in the high frequencies. The result is more clarity and sharper imaging without ever making your ears bleed, which I was able to confirm after the aforementioned listening test.
The HIGH END is called that for a reason
The fact that we have so far largely delved into the reasonable to very reasonable price brackets is due to the fact that a good proportion of the exciting news is actually to be found in these segments – which I think is a fantastic sign. However, the trade fair continues to be dominated by spectacular juggernauts, in whose circles components with five-digit price tags are considered mid-range. Here, of course, the clocks turn a little slower, and real innovations are usually much further apart in terms of time – after all, there’s something to be said about long product life cycles, too.
Nevertheless, there was movement in these spheres this year. After 13 years, Japanese manufacturer TAD is retiring its reference preamp C600. Its successor, the C700, wears a striking crease on its front fascia and takes no prisoners in terms of internal design: Each of the line outputs is fed by its own amplifier circuit, and the power supply, which has been relocated to its own housing, is based on a toroidal transformer with 400 VA (we’re talking about a preamplifier here!). In terms of sound, the preamp presented itself in the usual and much appreciated TAD manner in the showroom, in the best sense devoid of any tendencies and at the same time enormously musical.
When it came to power amplifiers, the number 800 seemed to be the order of the day this year: in numerous rooms, including at Avalos, the Telos 800 stereo power amplifier from the Swiss luxury manufacturer Goldmund was used to drive the respective loudspeakers – often as a bridged mono duo.
In terms of performance, Linn went one better with its new Klimax Solo 800 mono power amplifier: 800 watts into four ohms and 1200 watts into two ohms should be more than enough for almost any loudspeaker. In the demo room, however, the Scottish company went all-out and provided the Linn 360 with three of these powerhouses per channel. Sonically, the team impressed with bone-dry, explosive dynamics and absolute neutrality.
“Diversity in Audio” was the slogan of this year’s HIGH END. Of course, we could have a discussion about whether or not the wording here is particularly fortunate, but I happily admit: I was a little surprised myself at how well it captures the character of the trade fair if you apply the buzzword to the technology. There was certainly no lack of variety at the Munich trade fair.