Munich 2024 Recap

It was a lovely sunny few days in Munich catching up with our customers, friends and partners. All five of our brands made a strong statement at the show; Shunyata Research was powering no fewer than six rooms, Kroma Atelier launched two new speakers, and Wadax was one of the year’s biggest stories with the world premiere of their revolutionary Studio • Player. Let’s dive in:

Wadax: Studio • Player

It wasn't the only Wadax product at the show; keen fans will have also spotted the ATLANTIS Reference DAC in the Magico room, but the launch of the Studio • Player was definitely the main event. Press gathered into E207 for the launch event at 10:30 on Friday morning where Marketing Director Brandon Lauer and Founder & Chief Engineer Javier Guadalajara introduced and demoed Wadax’s new pride and joy.

*Studio • Player on top, powered and grounded by Shunyata Research*

It was clear from the moment you set foot in the MOC that this was the star of the show. All roads led to the Wadax room and for good reason. The Studio • Player is the distillation of Wadax’s technology and musicality in one slick unit, offering both disc replay and streaming at a far more attainable price point.

The styling of the player will also please listeners, still undeniably Wadax, but perhaps less divisive than the brand’s other products. We personally love the cyberpunk feel of the ATLANTIS Reference range, but the Studio range strikes a quieter more elegant note, without sacrificing its Wadax identity. At the end of the day the brand is all about the emotional connection to music, and there is nothing here to distract from that.

*Studio • Player also featured in the Göbel room*

Kroma Atelier: Irya & Jovita

Kroma has certainly been busy lately; we just recently had the pleasure of launching their new MacBeth and Matilde speakers at the Audio Show Deluxe, and having barely had a chance to catch our breath, we now welcome two more speakers to the Kroma family. Introducing the Irya above, and the Jovita below.

*Jovita in Aston Martin Seychelles Blue*

*The Jovita sounded great in a more intimate room*

Kroma Atelier’s speakers are available in the classic white Krion as ever, but now also in a range of beautiful Aston Martin metallic finishes. This was the first chance to see them in the flesh.

Shunyata Research

Shunyata Research continues to cement its reputation as a leading high-end audio brand. Though the EVEREST power distributor was their most visible product at the show, the real star was arguably their Theta cable range; just one step up from their entry level offering but obviously more than good enough for the likes of Wadax and Esoteric. The ALTAIRA grounding system, Denali power distributor and Omega range cables were also featured in high profile rooms.

A peak behind the scenes in the Nagra room revealed Omega speaker cables, and even deeper in the system’s underbelly a couple of ALTAIRA grounding systems lowering the noise floor.

The dimly lit Esoteric room was a great place to spend some time at the end of a long day. Powered by Shunyata Research Denali power distributors and Theta range cables.

Engström: Made in Sweden

*Timo Engström on vinyl duty in the “Made in Sweden” room*

Teaming up once again with Swedish speaker manufacturer Marten, Swedish audio rack manufacturer Solid Tech, and Swedish cables from Jorma, Engström showcased its glorious ERIC Encore 845 power amplifiers, MONICA pre-amp and M-Phono. The ARNE integrated amplifier, Hi-fi+ Magazine’s 2023 product of the year, was also on static display. We had a couple of wonderful dinners with our Engström friends Timo, Lars and Okhan; always a pleasure seeing them and a big thanks for their hospitality.

Bassocontinuo

*A cool leathery take on the Revolution-X audio rack*

Lorenzo and Aurora were in Munich representing Bassocontinuo, covering a lot of ground and showcasing just about everything this Italian hifi rack manufacturer is capable of. The Revolution-X carbon fibre racks are a real innovation in the industry - we recently had the pleasure of seeing these being made painstakingly by hand in Bergamo - and in Munich we saw some of the customisation options on offer. There is really no limit to what Bassocontinuo can achieve with their bespoke service. They also showcased some more traditional furniture pieces of their sister brand Stilnovi Design.