Jeff Fritz
All prices in euros or US dollars.
1 €  is approximately $1.36 at time of report.

Wrapping up another year at the High End show, I’m left with a few thoughts.

First, this is the best show of its kind anywhere. And that’s just not my opinion; many of the folks we talked to at High End 2007 feel the same way. There was more in the way of new products, coupled with an energy that makes you believe all over again in high-end audio. And that makes this show fun to attend.

Second, we saw several perplexed new manufacturers who simply looked dejected. No one was visiting their booths, and it was clear why: boring doesn’t sell anymore. If you didn’t come to the show with something exciting, or innovative, or particularly skillfully designed, no one was interested. I truly think that, in an effort to attract new buyers, the best and brightest are raising the bar. I can’t tell you just how many products I looked at and thought to myself, I could use that. This is an exciting time to be an audiophile, with some simply great choices available at price points and in quite unique form factors.

And finally, the move from Frankfurt to Munich a few years ago was likely the thing that really launched this show. Sure, it would have continued to move along at the old venue (the lovely Kempinski Hotel), but let’s face it: Munich has much more to do and see than Frankfurt, and it is vibrant in every respect. I love coming here, and my guess is that most exhibitors do too.

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There were more creative audio-component designs to see today than we could have imagined. A few examples: Pioneer showed some retro-styled bookshelf speakers made of wood reclaimed from whiskey casks. Doug Schneider was quite taken with them, to the point of almost pulling out his credit card -- almost. Italy's U-vola took its already-unique designs and customized them to resemble works of art. Doug said he'd pass on these, unless something was created in the inspiration of early-'90s Cindy Crawford, or perhaps current-day Shakira, but not Madonna and the other ones shown below. Ballmann Electronica with its Behold electronics completely redefined the functionality of the integrated amplifier with the new Gentle. Amazing stuff!

The middle U-vola speaker shown above  is said to have been inspired
by singer Madonna.

These trendy products are not for everyone, but each one will surely find exactly the right customer out there somewhere. And when that happens nothing else will do. That’s the beauty of not doing what everyone else is. We used to call these types of components lifestyle products, and in some ways I suppose that label still works. But when innovative designs become expected, I think it is safe to drop "lifestyle" altogether as a label and instead focus on the individual product on its own terms. "Different" is not always good, but when it's done right it can be just what the doctor ordered.

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If you travel to enough audio trade shows, you stop focusing on individual products and look for trends that will shape the consumer-electronics industry in coming years. I’ve seen more and more expensive products -- particularly speakers -- at recent shows, a disturbing trend that was furthered in a big way at the 2007 CES. That trend continues in Munich, unfortunately.

But there are some good things to report on as well. I’m seeing more products that look to deliver the total package: excellent performance, build quality, and styling. If you are a manufacturer and have only a simple square-box speaker to display and there is nothing to differentiate it, you likely will have no one visiting your booth. Such speakers aren't the rule at High End 2007. Manufacturers seem to be concentrating on delivering a total experience -- something that bodes well for high-end audio gaining market share in competitive times. Whether it be the Ion XL from Amphion or the giant Muon from KEF, more and more products have style and substance, and are put together using innovative construction techniques to achieve the companies’ goals. I personally like this trend. Life’s too short for boring hi-fi, eh?

Ampion's new Ion XL is featured in our May 18th Daily Highlights.

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After a canceled flight put me into Munich a full 24 hours late -- I arrived two hours before High End 2007 was scheduled to begin after flying all night -- this first day was for me more about staying awake than anything else. Nonetheless, the show has apparently grown in importance and attendance even more so than in past years. Doug Schneider and I had no trouble finding new products to photograph. Whether it was the beautiful speaker from KEF, the Muon, or brand-new TAD speakers, or car audio systems from Jaguar and B&W, the mood of the show was upbeat and buzzing. I think by now we’re beyond calling high-end audio still alive. It's thriving. Granted, there is more competition than ever before -- I can’t believe the number of new speakers we saw just during our limited first day. But the point is that there is a lot of new gear here, and we hope to bring you the best of it over the next few days. If you’re lusting for new equipment, Munich is the place to be right now.