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High End Munich - trade fair report Part 2
After focusing primarily on Spirit Torino in Part 1 of our trade fair report, we now report on further exciting discoveries.
In addition to Spirit Torino, another of our manufacturers was also represented at this year's HighEnd: Ferrum.
Ferrum
Ferrum are relatively new on the market and yet known to some for their intelligent "Hypsos" Power supply, by the way, a bestseller with us! The Hypsos It supplies (via splitter) up to two devices (with the same voltage) with power and also improves the sound. Don't you believe it? Then test it yourself, free of charge and without obligation.
The Hypsos works with most devices on the market (amps, DACs, etc.) and already comes with a large number of Presets for many manufacturers. Of course, it also works excellently with Ferrum's own DAC, the fully symmetrical "ERCO" and its headphone amplifier "OOR".
All three together make a "perfect" combo, whose size fits on any desk and, of course, in any living room. Oh, and the little pieces look stylish, too. 😉😅
The ladies and gentlemen at Ferrum have a lot planned for this year: They're planning five new devices, and during our conversation with Woijtek, it became clear they have many, many more ideas! A truly creative team full of energy!
In-ear
InEar from Germany actually managed to secure the rights to the term "in-ear" as a trademark 20 years ago. And they've been around that long!
A family business, now in its second generation, run by Marius Schmitt, whose father founded the company.
I had some great conversations with Marius, and his attitude and passion immediately captivated me. In-ear headphones come from a professional background; you've been offering in-ears for musicians and producers for a long time.
Of course, the lineup also includes universal in-ears, two of which I took a closer look at. ProMissionX and ProPhile8 are high-end in-ear monitors that are rather neutral in their basic tuning, but can be "tuned" in their treble and bass reproduction via a mini switch on the IEMs.
The sound is very balanced yet has a wonderful naturalness that's simply enjoyable. What impressed me most was the fit: I've never had a better fit with any other in-ear earbud on the market! Marius immediately explained to me with a smile why.
InEar has actually analyzed over 100,000 ear impressions over the past two decades and determined the average Central European "ideal ear" on which the fit is based. All I can say is, "Hats off!"
Here we work with dedication and passion. 🙌😊
It is very possible that InEar products will soon be available at Audio Essence. A personal visit to us in Zurich is already possible. in planning. 😉🤝
Feliks Audio
Right next to the Spirit Torino booth, my gaze was magically drawn to some particularly beautiful tube headphone amplifiers.
I quickly grabbed my Valkyria (and my Empire Ears Odin) and disappeared into the soundproof booth of Feliks Audio, where me Lukasz Feliks personally to introduce me to her works of art.
You can see it immediately: These are not factory products from the assembly line, this is handcraft from the finest to the most expensive to the most cheapest device - visually and haptically beyond any doubt.
Lukasz briefly explained the lineup to me, then I plugged my Cayin N8II with Satin Audio Perseus cable into the "biggest" tube amplifier, the Feliks Audio "Envy".
Wow! I've never heard anything like that before—with any other amplifier, tube or not. 😲😱 The whole thing sounded simply natural in every respect. Voices, instruments, stage—everything was just right. And it didn't sound "tubey" at all, meaning warm and ponderous, but rather fast and crisp.
Tube at the highest level.
Unfortunately, Feliks-Audio already has a distributor in Switzerland. But: The smallest tube amp, the brand new "echo 2", which is not yet sold in Switzerland. And even this relatively inexpensive tube headphone amplifier already develops a sonic power that is addictive and doesn't have to hide behind significantly more expensive devices.
What I mean is: We'll definitely add it to our shop if no one else wants to sell it! 😎 On the last day of the trade fair, Lukasz promptly packed up one of their Echo 2 demo devices for us to take home.
Dziękuję, Łukasz! - thank you very much! 🤝🤩
Back home, the "Echo 2" I immediately paired them with the new Spirit Torino "Pulsar," and what can I say? What started as a "quick try" turned into an extended listening session, which I eventually had to end due to fatigue. All I can say is: "Wonderful!"
And otherwise?
Of course, there were many other exciting things to discover at HighEnd 2022. Let me just say this: We had many interesting conversations and diligently made new contacts! 😉
The next audio show is just around the corner, and it's going to be a special one: CanJam 2022 in London, and it's ONLY Head-Fi. We'll be there!