HIGH-END 2013 MUNICH

An impressively brief, but most illuminating visit to the lovely city of Munich gave us the opportunity to meet some of our best and longest-standing friends from around the high-end audio globe. It goes without saying that Branko Glisovic, the alpha & omega of the German High-End event staged another success in every respect. If one was to judge by the buzz and traffic from all directions within the halls of the MOC during the first two days of the show, an impression of a wonderfully booming and blossoming high-end audio and home entertainment industry could and would have easily materialised. It was great to meet Franc Kuzma of Kuzma Ltd (thanks for the polo shirt), Andy Regan and Josh Meredith of Cardas Audio (huge thanks for a real set of the long-awaited EM5813 EarSpeakers!!), Uli Reineke of finite hi-fi (who we have talked to on the phone or emailed over 15+ years and never met in person), Mark O'Brien of Rogue Audio (who we never see or speak to as much as we would like), Lucien Pichette (who recently went back to the "cradle" and works again for Jeff Rowland Design Group), Enzo Nolli of Audiosphere GmbH (a brilliant young high-end distributor from Switzerland) and many, many others. Including a respectable selection of UK audio journalists and other (alive and well) affiliates of what we still proudly call "industry".

The best moment of the show trip? Sorry, none of the sounds heard, but a couple of, not terribly disguised, prototypes of the new BMW M3 Saloon which will be launched at the forthcoming Frankfurt Motor Show in September. How come? It is not public knowledge that a large and inconspicuous grey building right across the show venue, happens to be one of the main research and development locations for forthcoming BMW products. Make sure you look more carefully when visiting High-End 2014.