Now here was a Munich High End show demo that could have gone either way: Miles Davis’ classic jazz albums Kind of Blue (1959) and Sketches of Spain (1960) re-mixed for Dolby Atmos. Would the producers of this bold effort maintain the sonic integrity of the original recordings, or would they succumb to the worst impulses of 5.1-remix era, surrounding listeners in a swirl of brass, with Bill Evans’ piano raining down from overhead?
With a bamboo-encased cabinet supported by an A-frame stand, iFi’s Aurora, unveiled, appropriately enough, at an art gallery in Munich on Thursday night, doesn’t look anything like other wireless all-in-one speakers on the market.
Wharfedale’s EVO Series speakers count among the company’s best-selling lines, no doubt due to their affordable price. With the new EVO4 series, Wharfedale appears to be giving listeners more for less—in this case by incorporating an AMT (Air Motion Transformer) tweeter in the design.
High End Munich has become a go-to destination for audiophiles—one with an international flair. Sound & Vision is on the ground at the show previewing the immense amount of two-channel goods on display, so keep checking this space for updates.
Pro-Ject Audio Systems’ Box lineup has grown substantially since the company first started offering the mini-sized components. Although the RS Series represents the best boxes Pro-Ject makes, it is now being exceeded by a new series called RS2 that consists of a CD transport and DAC.
Released in late 2018, KEF’s LSX wireless speaker provides a more compact and affordable option for listeners who might balk at the company’s LS50 wireless speaker’s $2,100/pair price. At $1,100/pair, the LSX costs exactly half what KEF charges for the LS50 while offering up a good-sized portion of its big brother’s performance.
Norway’s Hegel Music Systems is known for its line of sleek, yet powerful integrated amplifiers featuring enhancements such as Soundengine 2, a proprietary tech designed to eliminate the crossover distortion typically generated by class-A/B amplifiers. Packing 250 watts per channel (into 8 ohms), the H390 arrives ready to take on even difficult to drive speakers while offering the convenience of UPnP and AirPlay 2 streaming.