By Frans de Rond, Senior Engineer – Sound Liaison
The first day at the High End Munich Show always has a certain energy to it. This year was no different. The sun was out, the halls were full, and that familiar buzz of anticipation was in the air. People from every corner of the audio world, designers, engineers, listeners, and enthusiasts, all gathered with one common interest: music and the systems that bring it to life.
It’s easy to get lost in the sheer number of rooms and systems, but a few really stood out to me.
One of the most memorable was the Marten Coltrane Quintet Extreme system. I’ve heard a lot of speakers over the years, but this one hit a special note. Exceptionally transparent, dynamic, and utterly effortless. There was no sense of equipment, just music, floating in space. For my ears, this was the best sound of the day. It reminded me of the feeling we try to capture in our one-mic recordings, pure, uncolored, and honest.
Had a good meeting with the team from Qobuz as well. We talked about high-resolution streaming and what’s next for getting better sound to more listeners. It’s encouraging to see their ongoing commitment to quality. Streaming still has a long way to go, but when done right, it can be a great partner to the kind of work we do at Sound Liaison.
On the headphone side, HIFIMAN’s flagship setup (Shangri-LA) made quite an impression. Their top system had an ease and intimacy that reminded me of mixing with nearfields, tight imaging, tons of detail, but never fatiguing. Definitely one of the best personal listening systems I’ve heard recently.
Wilson Benesch also had a strong showing. Their system was extremely well-balanced and controlled, with that kind of understated precision that doesn’t draw attention to itself but keeps you listening longer than you planned. And then there was Cessaro, a powerful, full-bodied presentation that still managed to stay refined. Horn systems can sometimes push too hard, but this one was dialed in beautifully.
A special moment came in the Zellaton room. They played one of our recordings: Four Scenes of Seasons by Atzko Kohashi and Eddy Koopman. Hearing that piece, the great dynamics, the space, the emotion, on their system was a real pleasure. It’s always rewarding when a playback chain can reveal the full nuance of a carefully recorded session.
All in all, a solid first day. There’s a lot of gear here, but ultimately, it’s still about the music. That’s what drives us at Sound Liaison, to capture performances that feel real, and to make sure they reach listeners without compromise.
Looking forward to what tomorrow brings.
Frans
www.soundliaison.com