I love how Audionote offers a different product. Speakers that are designed to be in the corners, close to the walls… and sound awesome.

😂 yeah, for real. They should rethink the music selection at the shows…I mean, who wants to hang out with a bunch of dudes in a small, hot, dark room listening to “wet noises?”

😂Take a shot of Bourbon every time Mikey says BALLS. Do it! Love this wrap up. Great analysis!

Really enjoyed this. First time someone has articulated so many of the feelings/reactions that I have at audio shows. I thought it was just me! Bravo.

So refreshing to hear the honesty of your reviews. Other KZfaqrs could learn from your coverage. Thanks for the breath of fresh air! BTW, Thomas Mayer is an amazing circuit designer (an engineer's engineer) and responsible for the resurrection of Elrog tubes. He actually publishes his schematics! No black box BS! Keep up the great work! Enjoy Europe.

A good lough. Made my day. Btw- Avantgarde Acoustics played "Metal Will Never Die" by The Rods on their Duo Mezzo in freaking concert spl. And TAD a drum solo that shaked the bad coffee I've had just before. Amazing impact. Oh yes, I and I agree on Max of Grandinote.

totalmente de acuerdo señor ! agree totally !! ...gracias , thank you very much .

😂 I love you brother you crack me up ! And I know you know your business!🤣

"It's not part of the program"...LOL

Great show report, thanks Mikey

"no pun intended" 😂😂 bro

I think DCS makes the Rossini

"Suicide music for anorexic people" I lost it on that. 😂😂😂

Sounds like you needed to bring your brands over there. From the coverage I saw there was no one pushing the limit at the show. Love your coverage. Thanks.

you the best dude! good on you!..Its so true what you saying!!

😂I’m going to turn my system on to see if I get the warm fuzzies or the itchy prickles ❤, if I’m still listening after an hour I’m thinking 😊I need a hot chocolate You rock OCD

Yup. Sometimes I put away the tubed Audio Note and plug in a 1976 (refurbished) Sansui 9090 and it makes me so happy I own one.😊

Love that Playback Designs amplifier your friend bought , but I question the dimensions (73x87)cm , you're going to need a forklift. You're absolutely right about the "pots and pans" type of music that everybody tests their speakers with. Thanks for sharing the Munich experience.

Vienna is one of my favorite cities in the world. It is the home of the Freud's. Munich overall sounded like a great time.

Was nice meeting you in HORNS / David Laboga room 👍

The Chinese rant was EPIC ... LOL ! 🤣

I've had my eye on Thomas Mayer for a while, but these look like totally new designs from him. His stuff has always been fairly understated traditional tube gear with an almost retro touch to the design. These are much more modern and streamlined and look really slick!

Brutha, you need to run for public office! You got my vote!

Man, I am ROFLMAO! Best show coverage right there! Hoping to go to High End next year! Or is it Dead End, music-wise?

so far i have only been to 2 audio shows...and i had them play rap music :)

Good Vibe Tribe!

23:45 😂 Mikey! I nearly died laughing

Hi Mike, wise words. I have an suggestion for a new name: OCD HI-Fi BUDDHA RESPECT keep on rolling!

The music selection is critical. I wish I could control the selections. It takes me about 30 seconds or less to judge a system. I want to be engaged, enveloped and hugged.

say it how it is as always, enjoy your wrap up....thx

Great show coverage. Thanks Mike. 🤙

Hey Mikey, do you mean DCS or MSB because the Rossini Apex is DCS. MSB would be the select two or the new one from them, which is the Cascade, it incorporates the digital director from them. The select 2 I do not like it is edgy and digital sounding I haven't heard the Cascade yet. Did you get a chance to go into the Vitus room what were your thoughts mate?

I liked grandinote at axpona need to learn more it was new to me

Loved this video! Thanks for sharing! Enjoy your European tour. Hopefully you'll drop by Paris next time!

Excellent commentary

Bro can u share web link for RA acoustics web link I could not find that brand, thanks

Definitely a fan of the Zeile and AudioNote... and how have you never heard the Melvins, Mikey?

A guy goes into a TV shop and says to the salesman: I want one of those TVs that does this, and looks like this, and makes people look twice as big on the screen. Salesman: Nah mate, we don't stock those but I think the HiFi shop next door sells something like that.

Thank you for this. I have to agree about the demo music being played. I saw a lengthily review of all the rooms at the show and generally the music seemed very "Old Dad" just boring, plinky vocal stuff. I thought maybe this was the type of music you listen to when you are old and have decent money to pay for some of these pieces. I'm glad to hear this is not the case for your clients.

Inon Zur has written symphonic video game music such as Syberia, Dragon Age or Fallout 3. He uses full symphony and we had a full orchestral performance of his various compositions with the LAJS at CSUN Soroya concert hall 2023. Multiple bass clarinets and contrabassons. I'm not into video games but the music was very impressive.

Peter Qvortup of Audio note seems 🤔 Sketchy looking. His gear looks like it's from Wal-Mart. It had no ballz but it was very musical.

I really appreciate it someone calling out the nonsense music at these audio shows. People listen to real music, not wind chimes, or someone playing the violin while they're flossing.

Your right they should make speakers too like audio note 😊

I learnt so much from you. And those little rants can open our ears to what really matters in this hobby. Thanks !

$35K boom box. Mikey, this an example of the kind of beauty (in design, in this case) that you find “worth it”.

Melvins is some mighty fine consumable noise. Dig their latest release especially.

Melvins! 🤘

People's vibes is so true.

Did you visit the Dali Rubikore showroom? You did not mention it in the wrapup

I will play Pink Floyd for you when you visit again next year. BTW my 300B amplifier is a Thomas Mayer design clone.

What's funny is I shared the same sentiment about the music choices on another content creator's page. I'm hearing some of the WORST music that I have ever heard. I don't know who's picking this crap! I wish they would let me create a good audiophile playlist. I think people would really enjoy it!

I share the same sentiments about exotic system setup, I watched a video on KZfaq last year with this super expensive McIntosh with dual mono blocks pushing 2000watts each and he was playing classical music” The system sounds like music from my IPhone 😂, I was like can you play some Bob Marley, something with some ⚽️s

Old European people are not into music that we like.

High end meaning high prices. Looks like hifi has become a status symbol. Like cars and houses

Panzerholtz is a densified lumber plywood in a polymer resin that is formed under heated high pressure. Its very expensive. Bullet proof, hard to burn too. If I had to guess the cabinet of the speaker alone would cost over 10K per speaker (RA Acoustics) (Based on the cost of getting Panzerholtz in the states.) The closest thing I found in the US is Richlite which is recycled cardboard. Just as crazy expensive. Like wow. How did they sound?

Thanks for the great coverage. I couldn't agree more with the lousy music played at all "high end" shows and demonstrations. I have never heard any music I own or listen to at any show and therefore cannot evaluate the equipment playing and have gotten the same "stupid" comment, "we don't listen to that", and they continue to play what they like or feel demonstrates their equipment to themselves. I just walk out keeping my 6 figures in my account, goodbye.

The music picks are criminal... Honestly unforgivable...

LOL. A hugely expensive audio set up sucked and "I blame it on the DAC." I'm an audiophile, but man audiophiles can be hilarious. Reminds me of those audiophiles who go to shows and feel they can discern: "Wow, those Nordost cables really made that system sing!"

I just checked Enzo Ferrari's birth horoscope, and as I suspected - based upon your description of him - he had Moon in Capricorn. Which is the emotionally (Moon) "coldest" (Capricorn) placement it is possible to have in a horoscope. On the place side such people are good at cutting of distractions and focusing on their goals.

Loved your insight on "vibes." I totally get it.

Really you suggest buying stereo equipment because of the sellers smile and Vibe? How about how realistic the sound is?

I listened to the esd room at axpona and didn't like it, I thought it sounded muffled but I put it down to the room being way too small

Pilium is a Greek company and they make ss 70,80,90 kgs amps by the book I don't know if they are bad or good but they are made by the book Thank you

Darko was complaining about this too. Listening being crap across the board.

love your approach to hifi, thanks for sharing all that with us! Have a nice trip in Europe 🙂

Welp, that was an incredible wrap. Thanks, Mikey! Just a few observations. First, this Munich audio show was billed as fairly woke (at least diversity was mentioned in ads). Second, that triggers a lot of responses, including anti-American takes on music. No wonder there was a reluctance to showcase rock and roll music demo tracks

You got to Love this guy if you're a logical person. And have a passion for music. I'm logical!🤔😉😇 Not everyone unfortunately is.😳😎

The new Melvins release is bitchin. Buzzy kicks ass.

Last time in Germany I enjoyed the food, the cars and the watches. The music not so much. Although the metal scene was pretty cool. Such a great visit! Enjoy!!!

Im 76 and all I listen to is ROCK. My age are the rock generation coming out of the 60S. Who the hell are these old farts who listen to chamber shit ? Rock on brother!!

suicide music for anorectic people, woop, love your rants man! 1000% agree.

GARGOYLES !!!

Hi! Thanks for commenting on my room! But I think you mixed up my room with my neighbours, Zeiler audio, that is a different company, and I agree they make cool amps too. One comment about music selection: I don't understand why people criticise about the music selection at a show. Music tastes are very different and no matter what you play some people will not like it. Why not bring your own records? We had been happy to take music requests but only 2 or 3 people brought their own records. We also had a streamer set up with access to millions of high res tracks but again only 2-3 people picked a track they like. Just speak up when you don't like the music at a demo I am sure most of the exhibitors would be more than happy to play something to your liking, but you need to let them know :-) Best regards ... Thomas

100 % , I am on it before I even enter the room , but unfortunately, those demoing the equipment dont get the engagement you have to have with the music. They play way too much twinky, twanky music at shows .

+ 1000 on Melvins

Chamber music, that would be better than poorly streamed rock and pop at the LA SHOW last year. This year, my friend (a major boutique brands distributor) will be doing dynamic jazz (lots of brass) and big classic recorded orchestral music (not Reiner) but Mercury recordings, etc. in his rooms. If rock, how about Steely Dan instead of Pink Floyd. Despite room conditions, without good, big dynamic recordings, who knows what high end, expensive systems can do. I require good dispersion. My friends and I aren't into imaging. We listen hours daily and can't stand another problem-resolution. If it's all about resolution, it's bothersome. There's a counter movement that past several years, softer sounds, lacking adequate resolution. Heck, why not Magic Bus or other Live at Leeds tracks to show off a system's dynamics (unless the system is only for vocals and chamber music). So many choices of music yet such poor music choices. One wonders if the audio manufacturers know anything about music.

Dem so called very high-end manufacturers are stuck into 17-18-19th century music wise...😂If it is not classical it is not music for dem 🤣. You are coming from the future music-wise for dem 🤣

I agree with the music, so much boring elevator music. Another thing is so many rooms didnt play loud enough at all to judge the system, everytime the music turned up to a okay volume some guy would go and turn down the volume knob smh......

Did anyone listen to the all new Silent Pound Challenger MK2 speakers ?...

Destination Audio report?

Suggest to the room manànagers that Rock&Roll aint noise polloution & Rock&Roll will never Die lol.

The burning question we're all dying to know the answer to... Did cheapaudioman show?

we need to get Audio Jesus back to the states.

They must have see this guy coming with his T-Shirt, sneakers, hair, etc. who can't get into accoustic music because he can't bang his head against a wall. You should be able to judge a speaker based on its accoustic sound, etc. .

Did NAT Audio show?

PMC and Steven Wilson 💪🏻

MSB Cascade or Select DAC

Next time pls. provide all exhibitors with a playlist well in advance so they can all cater to your exact musical taste. OCD moaning minnie indeed... You'll have to fight it out with John Darko though since he wants indie and you good ol' American rock 'n' roll. To be honest I couldn't stand to be 5 mins in the same room with you not because of your musical preferences but because of your obnoxious character.

I remember 6:30 Mikey playing a LOT chamber music and Sax at CAF... not sure what he's talking about. No AC/dc , led zeppelin, police....

Music? What music? Hi-End shows have moved away from real music for several years now. In many instances it is really just NOISE! I don't know what is going on with these companies.

Music selection bugged me too! Too much whispery female vocals w/ sparse accompaniment. However, Tannoy SGM 15 were in full swing with tons of energy and brought a crowd!😊

Did you hear Audionet room?

soul as AN .. easy .... sw1x, lampizator, Vinnie Rossi....

Rock&Roll is easy music to be reproduced. Buy a pair of big JBLs and a Crown 2000Watts amp and you're already there. Source and cables don't even matter much. It's classical music that is way more subtle and nuanced and with extreme, complex dynamics and multiple instruments, of strong individuality and identity, to play at the same time, at different levels, that is far more demanding for its proper reproduction. Jazz next, but easier (less instruments).

One word on show music: Predeathjohnnycashenough.

A $15,000 or $35,000 boomboxes. I am glad there was so many items for everyday folks. Did you have to rent a Lambo to be allowed in the door?

Wow , I have serious issue with your on this, I have followed u on YT for many years, and appreciate we all have different musical tastes , but if you know anything about highend, timbral accuracy is important, violin and chamber is super hard to reproduce, the fact Europe address this and you don’t or appreciate is as issue imho !

Your infantilism is amazing! 😂

Nice shirt Mikey now go see Phish and get a T-Shirt

The Zeiler stuff looks awesome. And yeah there needs to be less audiophile music BS it’s always same Diana Krall Norah Jones, that one “Libery” zzzzz. Who the f*** listens to this music?