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DHT
29-04-2008, 15:15
Did anyone else visit the Munich show over the weekend?

Marco
29-04-2008, 16:54
Hi DHT,

Unfortunately not, but I would love to have been there :)

It's probably the best hi-fi show in Europe. What was it like - do you have any pics? :smoking:

Marco.

DHT
29-04-2008, 19:14
It certainly is an incredible show, rather puts the UK ones into perspective, a friend took loads of photos, I shall purloin them, stuff there that you never see in the UK, and some pretty good sounding rooms for a Hi-Fi show, definately worth a visit.

Marco
29-04-2008, 20:09
I completely agree with you. The Munich show is a different ball game altogether.

Primarily the biggest difference is that generally the Germans are much more serious about hi-fi than we are and also tend to spend big money on seriously hi-end kit.

They tend to think more 'out of the box' than we do and in terms of equipment are not afraid to go outside of the mainstream, whereas in Britain enthusiasts, in the main, are 'bargain hunters' who operate in the low to mid echelons of the marketplace buying mainly mass-produced mainstream hi-fi.

Basically, outside of the US, the Japanese and German markets are where the 'big players' are in hi-fi, so the Munich show reflects this. I intend to go sometime myself and check it out :smoking:

I'd love to see some pics, so see what you can do.

Marco.

Marco
30-04-2008, 08:27
A link to some pictures if you're a Naim fan...

http://forums.naim-audio.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/48019385/m/4102962417

The use of a DPS turntable is interesting, as normally an Avid is used, again as supplied by James Almey of Tom Tom Audio.

Marco.

DHT
30-04-2008, 09:43
My God the Naim forum is fucking dull.

Steve Toy
30-04-2008, 09:50
The Naim forum is just that these days - a forum about Naim whereas back in 2001/2002 it was pretty much a general flat earth hi-fi forum.

Lets not slag it off though.

Marco
30-04-2008, 10:46
Indeed. However it now lacks a certain je ne sais quoi ;)

Marco.

Neil McCauley
02-05-2008, 19:14
I completely agree with you. The Munich show is a different ball game altogether.

Primarily the biggest difference is that generally the Germans are much more serious about hi-fi than we are and also tend to spend big money on seriously hi-end kit.

They tend to think more 'out of the box' than we do and in terms of equipment are not afraid to go outside of the mainstream, whereas in Britain enthusiasts, in the main, are 'bargain hunters' who operate in the low to mid echelons of the marketplace buying mainly mass-produced mainstream hi-fi.

Basically, outside of the US, the Japanese and German markets are where the 'big players' are in hi-fi, so the Munich show reflects this. I intend to go sometime myself and check it out :smoking:

I'd love to see some pics, so see what you can do.

Marco.

Again I find myself in agreement with you. There's a 'fun' aspect in Munich that is sadly lacking at Heathrow. The show, and it is vast, has a real 'buzz' about it. In 2005, I heard 4 of the greatest systems of my life there. None imported into the UK.

1.The full Burmester system was magical.

2.The Lumen White Silver Flame speakers (which I went on to buy despite an RRP of £18k) driven by Ayon and using North Star digital ran it a close second.

3. The Mal Valve system with prototype hybrid electrostatic was astonishing. Impractical, but astonishing.

4.The Magneplanar 20.R via Jeff Rowland power amps was outstanding.

Even the finest of my own home grown systems, damn good though they are, don't quite capture the wonder and majesty of those 4. Interestingly, most of the makers mentioned above hadn't ANY interest {at that time) of being represented in the UK. They just didn't see us as a worthwhile market!

Togil
05-05-2008, 17:08
My 3rd Munich show, it happens to be my home town although I live in England.

Best sound, I thought : Vitus monoblocks, preamp and CD player through some large German speakers whose name I've forgotten:scratch:. Vitus is available in the UK now

Most desirable German product NOT available in UK : Octave valve amps

Greatest disappointment : Wilson Duettes sounded really terrible through the Musical Fidelity Supercharger

Hans

Marco
05-05-2008, 19:07
Hi Hans,

Welcome to the forum :)

I would love to visit Munich sometime.

Where did you hear about us?

Marco.

Togil
06-05-2008, 06:42
Hi Marco,

I found it through a Google search on some topic

Great forum, I hope it will grow !

Hans

Marco
06-05-2008, 06:55
Thanks for that, Hans. It's useful to know where people are finding us. Google seems to be working well in that respect because the forum is busy and discussions are being flagged up though search engines :)

Do you have any pictures from the show you can post?

I think the Musical Fidelity Supercharger is a load of old nonsense. Some of the ideas Antony Michaelson comes up with these days are ridiculous. Mind you, the relaunch of the A1 Series was a smart move. That stuff represents an era when MF had my respect. Sadly, most of their new gear falls into a different category.

Marco.

Ali Tait
06-05-2008, 16:04
Some pics here,from the TNT website.

http://www.tnt-audio.com/shows/munich08a_e.html

Regards,Ali.

Marco
06-05-2008, 16:58
Nice one, Ali.

I see a couple of beautiful looking Garrards there, and a very nice Dr Feickhert, and what looks like a Zanden CDP - lurvely :smoking:

The Munich show looks so much more interesting than in general the ones here are.

I must get over to the next show. The cocktail of listening to some quality hi-fi and drinking copious amounts of even better quality beer is a potent one! :cool:

Marco.

Steve Toy
06-05-2008, 17:48
I've yet to see you drink 'copious amounts' of any beer, Ida.

Marco
06-05-2008, 17:52
Well, that's because I'm normally drinking wine when you're with me (food is normally involved), and I don't mix my drinks, or I'm driving and can't have more than a pint, Sophie.

Marco.

DHT
07-05-2008, 10:47
I can confirm the quality of Weiss beer both light and dark, the food isn't too bad either, really Munich is a really good show, I went to look at speakers primarily, and there was almost everything there, TAD Reference ONE's ( being used ina 24bit 196 / versus master tape demo ) Avalon Isis, Dali megalines , Kharma, etc plus some superb horns which I have never seen before well worth a visit.

Togil
07-05-2008, 12:54
Can you by any chance remember the brand of speakers used with the Vitus equipment ? They were large tortoiseshell finish, the whole setup sounded really good. Anyway I'm trying to get some pictures up but their filesize is too large at present...

Hans

DHT
07-05-2008, 13:44
Tog Hi , I am afraid not.

Togil
07-05-2008, 18:06
Actually they were Greek speakers , from Mythos Audio :)

purite audio
14-05-2008, 09:55
This was our room in Munich, I have loads more somewhere, Munich very good show, anyone going to Milan in September?
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb255/coopie_photo/Cessaro-munich-2008-01.jpg

Filterlab
14-05-2008, 10:18
Whoa, now that's a pair of horns!

purite audio
14-05-2008, 10:30
The Alpha's are just the 'baby' ones, Thomas Woschnick has the Beta's.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb255/coopie_photo/3488_photo.jpg

Filterlab
14-05-2008, 10:52
Wow! I know a chap who'll love those babies!

purite audio
14-05-2008, 12:03
Me! Just have to persuade my wife that a 'living room' is such an outdated concept!

Mr. C
14-05-2008, 12:07
Keith,
Can you clear up some confusion for me please, when you say 'Our room' was this your room that you personally paid as part of Purite audio's own demonstrations or Cessaro's own room that went along and had a presence in?
Thx T

purite audio
14-05-2008, 13:15
Tony Hi, I only bought the coffee, those rooms cost Euro 15k for the four day show I believe, but it is a very lively show, perhaps if the UK had only one show a year at a central location?
Close up of the 300B double parallel.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb255/coopie_photo/Allnis-A-6000-300B-QSE-02.jpg

Mr. C
14-05-2008, 15:25
Hi Keith,

I know the cost, and how good it is, though this year I was a little disappointed with the sound quality, however as always it shows virtually all the other shows the way home.
Good for the public too, nice atmosphere too.

T

Togil
14-05-2008, 16:06
I know the cost, and how good it is, though this year I was a little disappointed with the sound quality, however as always it shows virtually all the other shows the way home.
Good for the public too, nice atmosphere too.

T

Certainly the Wilson Duettes sounded much worse than 2 years ago although I blame it on the Musical Fidelity supercharger ( can you imagine a UK dealer selling Wilsons with MF !? :)
Very disappointing also the sound from the Kronzillas perhaps showing the overhyped nature of these SETs

purite audio
15-05-2008, 11:19
Tog Hi, I don't think the Kr's are that bad, we used them last year at Munich, they are punchy and dynamic, perhaps long term they might be a little too steely, which speakers were they using with the KR's when you were in there some electrostatics?

Togil
15-05-2008, 17:56
Not electrostatics but see my user picture , can you recognise the model ?

( Haven't studied how to display pictures properly ! )

Hans

purite audio
15-05-2008, 18:26
Tog Hi, I think they might be Ikon loudspeakers? They switched between the two I believe,Keith.

purite audio
17-05-2008, 16:31
Ralph ( Cessaro ) made an all white pair of the smaller horns the Affascinate for the show, a pair in Walnut Burr were playing in the TLA amps room.http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb255/coopie_photo/Affascinate_I_SE-Withe.jpg

pure sound
17-05-2008, 22:31
How were the TLA amps? They look quite interesting designs.

purite audio
17-05-2008, 22:39
They were big! And expensive! The designer likes them well enough! They use a 300B as a driver tube ( I think ) in their 211, they do have a UK distributor, they sounded ok, with the Small Cessaros , although the guy running the room would insist on playing too loudly for the temporary and small room . I believe they are now making the transformers for a very well known and expensive Japanese amp!