By Frans de Rond, Senior Engineer at Sound Liaison
My second day at High End Munich (HEM) was slightly less hectic than the first, yet equally rich in experience and connection. It gave me time to take a deeper breath and reflect on the beauty of music reproduction, and on the people and passion behind the systems that bring it to life.
The morning started with a visit to the Linkwitz room. I wanted to check in on how their day one had gone and see how they were doing. It was heartwarming to hear that they had played a few tracks from the Sound Liaison catalog. It's always an honor to know that our recordings are used to showcase high-end audio systems. While there, I had the chance to meet with a few like-minded professionals from the field, great conversations about recording, acoustics, and the nuances of critical listening.
Next, I reconnected with Harry van Dalen and Michael van Polen from Rhapsody. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — listening to systems together with them is like attending a masterclass in critical listening. Their experience and ability to discern what makes a great system truly great is unparalleled. Over the years, I've learned so much from their shared insights and willingness to pass on their listening and tuning knowledge.
A highlight of the day was a visit to the HIFIMAN booth. Their team was incredibly helpful, and I had the chance to do a comparative listen to some of their top-tier headphones. From the highly accessible Ananda Nano, a great entry-level model, to the breathtaking, master-grade SUSVARA UNVEILED, each product reflected a thoughtful design philosophy and sonic excellence. It's impressive to hear how far planar magnetic technology has come.
Another room that stood out for me was Genelec’s. Walking in, I immediately recognized the signature sound. For the first ten years of my active audio career, I mixed almost exclusively on Genelec 1030A monitors. That kind of early sonic imprint never quite leaves you. However, listening again now reminded me of the fundamental difference between studio monitors and high-end 'hi-fi' speakers. Studio monitors are analytical by nature, precise, revealing, sometimes brutally honest. But they rarely offer the 3D imaging and emotional depth that true high-fidelity speakers can provide. Once you become accustomed to the immersive nature of a well-tuned hi-fi system, it’s hard to go back.
As the day winds down, I find myself preparing for tomorrow, a special day at Linkwitz where I’ll have the honor of presenting the One Mic Recording Award. It’s a meaningful moment for us at Sound Liaison, where we strive to capture music with purity, realism, and emotional impact using minimalist microphone techniques.
Stay tuned for more impressions and stories from HEM Munich. Meanwhile, explore our catalog of one mic recordings at www.soundliaison.com and hear for yourself what makes a recording truly come alive.