[toocool4]

I was at Munich High-End Show last weekend, the show was good as per usual. It was the last one in Munich, it is moving to Vienna next year.
Was just watching this funny video from Munich show 2025. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE_tRPw-jNU

[Bodhi]

There is definitely plenty of both at MHE (ie: expensive and snake oil-worthy gear) . Apropos that, those Marten Coltrane Supreme Extreme speakers are $2m in Australia! Did you manage to get to the rooms you planned to see? Also did you visit Hifi Deluxe? The new VHE show is on my bucket list of shows to visit, along with Axpona and one of the Asian shows (possibly Hong Kong).

[toocool4]

The Coltrane Supreme Extreme were just on static display, did not hear them.

On the first day of the show, I always do a quick blitz of all the rooms and show floor making notes on the interesting rooms I’d like to come back to. Then I usually go back and spend more time in those rooms, I also like to catchup with friends at the show.

Yes, I did make it to Hi-Fi Deluxe this year. It was my first time to Hi-Fi Deluxe, a smaller quieter affair. It was enjoyable too.

Munich High End Show is the only show I ever goto now, but this year is the last at Munich it’s now moving to Vienna Austria. I have not made up my mind yet about going next year.

[Bodhi]

Nice work. I know that reviewer Edgar Kramer uses the same strategy when reviewing shows. MHE is a huge show, so one person can't possibly visit every room. Hence you need a strategy. In my neck of the woods, the StereoNET Hi-Fi & AV Show will be running from August 29th-31st at the Pullman Hotel in Melbourne .

[toocool4]

Yes, it’s impossible to cover everything. I liked it better when the public had 3 days to the show, it was still impossible to see everything we used to have Friday, Saturday & Sunday. I think some time after Covid, they changed it to 2 days Saturday & Sunday which was just too short.

[mix4fix]

Yes, it’s impossible to cover everything. I liked it better when the public had 3 days to the show, it was still impossible to see everything we used to have Friday, Saturday & Sunday. I think some time after Covid, they changed it to 2 days Saturday & Sunday which was just too short.

Question:

What is the brand rotation at this show? Are the same brands always coming, even if they have something new? New brands show up, never to be seen again? Are there rooms you can just ignore, because you don't like something (horns, etc.).

[toocool4]

You get many of the same brands come back year after year, also you get many new brands show up too. Yes some brands still show up even if they don’t have new kit to show, guess they need to show their face so people don’t think they have gone out of business.
It’s very expensive for the brands to get a room, some of the brand share rooms. The place is massive and any one who is anyone shows up.

Yes, very easy to avoid rooms or manufacturers that makes things you are not interested in. Example, I never go into McIntosh room as I don’t like their sound or looks.

[DrMorbius]

Yes, it’s a shame that the costs are so high.

[mix4fix]

You get many of the same brands come back year after year, also you get many new brands show up too. Yes some brands still show up even if they don’t have new kit to show, guess they need to show their face so people don’t think they have gone out of business.
It’s very expensive for the brands to get a room, some of the brand share rooms. The place is massive and any one who is anyone shows up.

Yes, very easy to avoid rooms or manufacturers that makes things you are not interested in. Example, I never go into McIntosh room as I don’t like their sound or looks.

Do you feel that some of the rooms have become stale?

They all sound the same? They all feel the same? They all are the same?

[toocool4]

mix4fix no, but some of the music they play is the same old audiophile cliché. They should be playing the kind of music real music lovers actually listen to, not just the tracks that appeal to gear heads.

People sometimes ask me what I play when testing or have new equipment. My answer is simple: whatever I’m enjoying at that moment. Not the typical audiophile picks like Norah Jones, Miles Davis, Diana Krall, or Pink Floyd though there’s nothing wrong with those artists or albums.

[mix4fix]

mix4fix no, but some of the music they play is the same old audiophile cliché. They should be playing the kind of music real music lovers actually listen to, not just the tracks that appeal to gear heads.

People sometimes ask me what I play when testing or have new equipment. My answer is simple: whatever I’m enjoying at that moment. Not the typical audiophile picks like Norah Jones, Miles Davis, Diana Krall, or Pink Floyd though there’s nothing wrong with those artists or albums.

From my experience, most of the time, they are always playing jazz; all day, and everyday. Would be nice to hear Pink Floyd.

It always seem that they don't want to have fun. Play something unexpected. It doesn't have to be about quality. Don't play it because it sounds good. Play it because it IS good. It never hurts to play the classics.

[toocool4]

Yes they do but not just Jazz, but tracks like Jennifer Warnes blue raincoat, Nils Lofgren - Keith don't go etc.

I walked into Fleetwood, OMA room at Munich show and Oswald Mill Audio were playing either Tupac or Notorious B.I.G uncensored loud, it was lovely to hear something different and not audiophile. They were offering alcohol, but it was 10:30am and I had not had breakfast so turned it down. I came back the following day in the afternoon and a had few glasses of red wine, while enjoying the music.