Stereophile

3 days ago | stereophile.com | Ken Micallef

Lucca Chesky’s LC1 bookshelf speaker was a hit at AXPONA and Capital Audiofest, so it made sense to see Chesky’s stand positioned prominently outside one of High End Munich’s large halls. The demo setup was straightforward yet effective: music files streamed from a laptop into a Cambridge Audio EXA integrated amplifier ($1299). To optimize sound quality, the computer sat atop four IsoAcoustics Orea Graphite Isolators ($45 each).

3 days ago | stereophile.com | Ken Micallef

Two well-known French high-end audio brands, Kora and Diptyque Audio, debuted new products together at High End Munich. An Innuos Statement music server and streamer ($18,900), a Kora CD Player 140 ($6300, all prices approximate when converted from Euros), and a Kora DAC 140 ($8150) fed Kora's new CSA 2120 stereo amplifiers ($30,600 each), which offer 120Wpc into 8 ohms, and the new CSA 1200 monoblocks ($51,000/pair), rated at 200W into 8 ohms. O2A cables connected the works.

3 days ago | stereophile.com | Ken Micallef

By this stage of the Munich show, I was frazzled but still hungry for more. The Thrax/Ramar room delivered, with Thrax's Rumen Artarski and Ramar's Rangel Vasev presenting a compact, well-executed system and a set of ingenious vinyl accessories. This compact rig included a Thrax Yatrus turntable ($17,000) with Frank Schröder CB tonearm ($6000) and MySonicLab Signature Diamond cartridge ($15,000), feeding the new Thrax Cotys phono stage ($9,300).

3 days ago | stereophile.com | Ken Micallef

Advance Paris. The name might evoke images of WWII’s French Resistance or even the cold suspense of The Day of the Jackal. But for audiophiles, Advance Paris has a different, equally compelling meaning: it’s a 30-year-old French hi-fi company that manufactures integrated amplifiers, stereo and mono power amps, preamps, and CD/network players. Advance debuted its Nova line at this year’s High End Munich, consisting of six new components that should arrive in retail channels by the fall.

4 days ago | stereophile.com | Ken Micallef

The Spin Doctor, Michael Trei, and I visited the booth of Korf Audio’s Alexey Kornienkov, who showed two new products: the TA-CF9 monocrystallic sapphire arm tube/reference tonearm ($5600), and an updated version of his HS-A03 ceramic headshell ($215; all prices approximate when converted from Euros). The TA-CF9 tonearm, mounted on a classic Micro Seiki RX-1500 turntable, is available in 9" and 10" versions.