If there is one time of year to circle on your hi-fi calendar, it’s May. That is the month when High End Munich tends to happen and all that is wonderful in the world of hi-fi comes together under one roof at the MOC Event Center.
Normally, there is no shortage of interesting product launches to attend and 2024 was no different. The show not only gives us an idea of the general trends that are happening in the industry but also of what might be coming through our test rooms in the next few months.
And there were a few new speakers that certainly caught the eye. Of course, many boasted eye-wateringly high price tags – this is the High End show after all – but there were others that we would consider within reach and that we’ll hopefully be reviewing over the next twelve months. Here are our highlights…
Burmester BX100
There always seems to be something new and shiny on the Burmester stand at High End Munich and the brand did not disappoint with its stunning-looking BX100 speakers. These four-way floorstanders boast a freestanding AMT tweeter whose silhouette looks like an ‘X’. The speakers cost €75,700 for the standard finishes and go up to €80,000 if you opt for the special paint.
Canton Reference Alpha
Canton’s new Reference Alpha range of high-end speakers showed plenty of sparkle thanks to their diamond-coated midrange membrane and tweeter. The range consists of two striking looking floorstanders, the Reference Alpha 2 (€40,000) and its big brother, the Reference Alpha 1 (€60,000).
Dali Rubikore
Dali used Munich High End to launch another range of speakers that borrow from its tech-heavy, £70,000 flagship Kore floorstanders. Rubikore is its name, and it features five models ranging from the bookshelf Rubikore 2 up to the Floorstanding Rubikore 8. The Rubikore Cinema model even includes a rotatable hybrid tweeter so it can be positioned horizontally or vertically.
Dali’s new Rubikore speaker range packs flagship tech in five new models
Elac Debut 3.0
It’s always exciting to see the successor to a What Hi-Fi? Award-winner, and that’s exactly what we found over on the Elac stand at High End Munich. A new Debut 3.0 range is on its way later this year, which includes a DB5.3 bookshelf speaker (price tbc) which looks set to replace the Debut B5.2 which won a What Hi-fi? Award in 2023 for ‘Best standmount speaker under £300’. The range spans seven new models in total.
Elac updates its Award-winning Debut range with seven new speakers
Epos ES28N
Epos has made quite the comeback since the brand was resurrected in 2022. We were huge fans of the ES14N standmounters (we gave them five stars during testing) and now the company has its own floorstanding model, the ES28N (€8000), due out in Q4 this year. On display at Munich in a rather fetching green finish, these three-way speakers feature the same tweeter used in the standmounter, the mid-range driver from the company’s smaller ES7N standmounter and bass drivers shared with the ES14N but with a revised membrane and surround.
Fyne Audio Vintage Classic Gold SP Series
Besides a new SuperTrax tweeter, Fyne Audio also unveiled its Vintage Classic Gold SP speakers. The range slots between its Vintage Classic Series and the higher-end Vintage Series. They keep the Classic series' rectangular cabinet shape and feature the company’s trademark IsoFlare drivers (available in 8in, 10in and 15in sizes) which use an improved neodymium tweeter. The company has also revised its BassTrax 360 degree porting system for improved low frequencies.
Fyne's Special Production speakers promise class-leading technologies in a more affordable package
Goldmund Asteria
High-end Swiss brand Goldmund was showcasing its high-end active speaker series, which consists of Asteria, Rhea and Theia models. We spent a few moments listening to Asteria, which is the entry-level model of the range and comes in a at a cool £89,000 / $95,000 (excl. VAT). This speaker is powered by integrated versions of the company’s Telos amplifier, delivering 600 watts in total.
Goldmund's trio of high-end active speakers combine legendary looks with Herculean prices
Q Acoustics 3000c
Six years is a long time to wait for anything, but that’s exactly how long it’s taken Q Acoustics to launch the third generation of its affordable loudspeaker range. The 3000c series comprises five models: three bookshelf/standmount models, one floorstander and a centre channel. Prices start at £329 / $399. One key design highlight is the Continuous Curved Cone (C3) midrange/bass driver, which was first introduced in the step-up Q Acoustics 5000 series.
Q Acoustics 3000c is the entry-level speaker range we've been waiting six years for
Sonus Faber Sonetto G2
Italian maestro Sonus Faber launched its new Sonetto G2 range consisting of seven models with two standmount speakers, three floorstanders, a centre channel and a wall-mounted speaker. The line-up features new driver technology derived from the flagship, £700k / $700k Suprema speaker system along with updated concrete base, reflect duct tech and a sleek new design.
Sonus Faber brings flagship driver technology to stylish Sonetto G2 speakers
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