Audio systems
Audiophile installations of Hi-Fi and High-End equipment
Ready-made systems, already installed and configured by lovers of good sound - a visual guide to the selection of audio equipment and acoustic systems. In addition to Hi-Fi and High-End audio installations, you will find in this section examples of a selection of the most optimal components for various requirements (such as vinyl optimized systems, systems of the month, etc.). Each of the systems contains many photos, as well as a list of equipment with detailed characteristics and descriptions in our database.
Canor Virtus and Perlisten A3t System with Clearaudio and DS Audio Vinyl
11 components
Perlisten A3t towers take their signal from Canor electronics in this demonstration, with two Canor integrated amplifiers, the valve Virtus I2 and the transistor Virtus I4S, swapped in front of them. Sources cover vinyl, CD and external digital files, from a Clearaudio Celebrity Al Di Meola Edition turntable through a valve phono stage to a CD player and a separate DAC. A second chain in the room put an optical cartridge in front of Danish monitors.
Tidal Ferios G2 and Marten Coltrane Supreme 2 MK2 System
Mbl+12 components
Marten Coltrane Supreme 2 MK2 towers are driven here by two Tidal Ferios G2 monoblocks, with a Tidal Contros G2 working as streamer, DAC and preamplifier in one chassis. The same room ran three more setups, so the demonstration moved between Swedish passive towers, the powered Tidal AP1, MBL omnidirectional speakers and a Swiss Soulution chain.
Rega Planar 6 RS, Tsakiridis Theseus and Apertura Sensa Vinyl System
Rega+4 components
A record player, a valve amplifier and a pair of slim French towers are the entire chain in this demonstration. The Rega Planar 6 RS Edition plays through its factory-fitted Nd9 moving-magnet cartridge straight into the phono input of the Tsakiridis Theseus, a Greek single-ended valve integrated, which drives Apertura Sensa floorstanders from Stentor SAS. There is no separate phono stage, preamplifier or digital front end.
Thuono, Omega Audio Concepts and Lawrence Audio Dragon Analogue and CD System
7 components
Lawrence Audio Dragon towers from Taiwan are driven in this room by a single Omega Audio Concepts Assolo integrated amplifier, fed by two complete sources. Vinyl comes from a marble Thuono TH300 turntable carrying an Analog Relax EX700 moving-coil cartridge, stepped up by a Phasemation T-600 transformer into a CS Port C3EQM2 valve phono stage. Discs play on the Omega DNA CD Player, with the separate Omega DNA DAC handling conversion.
Naim 300 Series and Focal Scala Utopia Evo M System
Naim+9 components
Naim and Focal belong to one company, and this demonstration put that link to work with Focal Scala Utopia Evo M columns driven by two Naim NAP 350 mono amplifiers, a NAC 332 preamplifier and an ND 555 network player. Of three stations in the room it was the most complete, the others covering a vinyl front end feeding a hybrid all-in-one amplifier and Canton towers, and active Focal speakers that need no electronics.
MOON 891 and 861 Monoblocks with Wharfedale Elysian 4R
QUAD+14 components
A pair of Wharfedale Elysian 4R towers, each with an air-motion transformer in place of a dome tweeter, takes its drive here from two MOON 861 amplifiers bridged to mono and a MOON 891 that streams, decodes and sets the volume. It was the most complete of several stations in this room, whose other corners ran from a compact vinyl setup to electrostatic panels.
Indiana Line Utah 8 and NAD C 3050 Stereo System
NAD+5 components
In this demonstration the NAD C 3050, the 50th anniversary stereophonic amplifier modelled on the original 3030, drives Indiana Line Utah 8 three-way floorstanders. Both pieces take a retro line, walnut and twin VU meters on the amplifier, a low, wide cabinet with a magnetic grille on the speaker. Two more Indiana Line towers, the Diva 6 and the Lira 6, shared the room with the NAD M33 V2 streaming amplifier.
Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G and Matrix Audio System
17 components
Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G floorstanders take their power here from a complete Matrix Audio chain, the MA-1 stereo power amplifier fed by the MP-1 Class A preamplifier. Digital sources are the NT-1 network transport and the ND-1 DAC, with the NA-1 headphone amplifier on the same rack. Around this main system the room spread smaller setups built on Hegel, Mark Levinson, Arcam, B.E.C. Akustik and Kanto equipment.
CH Precision 10 Series and Kroma Atelier Irya Bi-Amp System
8 components
Kroma Atelier Irya Bi-Amp floorstanders from Granada take their signal here from a full CH Precision 10 Series stack, the M10 power amplifier, L10 line preamplifier, C10 DAC with network input, T10 master clock and P10 phono stage. Records turn on a TechDAS Air Force IV air-bearing deck fitted with a Dynavector XV Ultima moving coil, so this demonstration gives streams and vinyl equal weight.
Metronome DSC, NuPrime Evolution and Radiotehnika
6 components
A French streaming DAC heads the main chain in this room, with the Metronome DSC feeding a NuPrime PRA-9X preamplifier and a pair of NuPrime Evolution Two-SE monoblocks, and compact Radiotehnika S-10NA monitors at the far end. Two simpler routes into music stood beside it, the Technics SC-CX700EE wireless speakers and the Technics SL-40CBTE record player, so the demonstration ran from a single pair of boxes up to full separates.
Zellaton STAGE Ultra High-End!
10 components
Zellaton STAGE floorstanders, from the Munich maker's Klassik series, are powered here by the Gryphon Mephisto Stereo, a Danish class A amplifier with large current reserves. Around them sits a two-source chain, with CH Precision L1 and P1 electronics, a TechDAS Air Force III Premium S carrying a Kuzma 4Point and an Air Tight Opus-1, and an Aurender N30SA streaming into a LampizatOr Golden Gate 2.
Grandinote MACH 8 XL Rule
10 components
Grandinote MACH 8 XL towers run from two Aries Cerat Concero 25 single-ended monoblocks, an Italian crossover-free speaker matched with Cypriot 845 valve amplification. Around them sits a heavy analogue rig - CH Precision L1 and P1, a TechDAS Air Force III Premium S with Kuzma 4Point arm and Air Tight Opus-1 - plus an Aurender N30SA feeding a LampizatOr Golden Gate 2.
Ultra High-End is on the march!
5 components
Custom-made loudspeakers and CH Precision's 10 Series electronics.
Wilson Audion, CH Precision and TechDAS
6 components
Wilson Audio Alexx V floorstanders are powered here by a CH Precision M1.1 stereo amplifier, with the rest of the electronics also coming from the Swiss maker. An L1 line stage sits between sources and amplifier, a C10 converter handles digital, and a P10 phono stage takes the signal from a TechDAS Air Force V Premium air-bearing turntable. The core of this six-box chain is a Swiss class A design set against a large, low-impedance Utah loudspeaker.
High End Munich 2025 Systems - Tune Audio Anima
1 component
Tune Audio specifies 109 dB system sensitivity at a nominal 8 ohm and recommends more than 3 W, which means even a low-powered amplifier rarely nears its limit. All three bands are horn loaded and mechanically time aligned. A 15 inch woofer fires downward into a tall bass horn, a 5 inch midrange upgraded in house drives a side-mounted horn, and a 1 inch compression driver with a titanium diaphragm and neodymium magnet sits on top. The bass and mid horns are built from 13-layer Baltic birch plywood, while the treble horn is cast from an epoxy compound with selected aggregates. First-order networks divide the signal at 250 Hz and 1,500 Hz, internal wiring is high-purity OFC copper in waxed cotton, and bracing uses brass parts isolated with felt. Owners can trim the mid and high levels and adjust the beam alignment of the treble horn toward the seat.
High End Munich 2025 Systems - Davis Acoustics THE STAGE
1 component
A single French two-way floorstander, THE STAGE from Davis Acoustics, makes up the whole system in this listening space at High End Munich 2025.
High End Munich 2025 Systems - Brinkmann Audio Balance analg paradise
1 component
The drive starts at the Sinus motor, designed by Helmut Brinkmann and used in the Balance since 2012, which is fed with a sine-wave supply to run with little vibration. A precision-ground round belt turns an 18 kg aluminium platter, 316 mm across and 90 mm high, topped with polished crystal glass that gives the record a flat, hard support. The heavy platter stores rotational energy, so brief changes in drive force barely move the speed. The fixed bearing uses hardened stainless steel in sintered brass bushings and is heated by its own solid-state supply, keeping the oil viscosity constant from switch-on. The RoNt II supply regulates its voltage with selected NOS Mullard valves made in the UK. The second arm base has a collar system for any arm the owner picks, which allows a second cartridge, for instance for mono records. The HRS Reference-series base is rated effective from subsonic frequencies to 40 kHz. The kit adds a screw-down clamp, flight cases and a signed book on the history of the Balance.
High End Munich 2025 Systems - Gershman Acoustics 30th Anniversary Black Swan!
1 component
Gershman rates the Black Swan at 88 dB/W/m with a 6 ohm nominal impedance and a frequency response from 18 Hz to 24 kHz. That sensitivity and load put no unusual strain on an amplifier, so a solid-state stereo amplifier or monoblocks of moderate power, or a capable valve design, can drive it. The bass reaching 18 Hz is the part that asks for reserves, since deep low notes at realistic levels draw current. The patented Separate Sub Alignment System places the woofer in its own enclosure on metal cones, while the upper cabinet with a 1 inch soft-dome tweeter and a 5.25 inch midrange straddles it on long double-layer extensions resting on IsoAcoustics feet. The bass box can be moved by a few centimetres to fine-tune the time alignment between the two sections, and its energy cannot travel into the upper enclosure. Both boxes use two 51 mm layers of high density board under piano lacquer, and the anniversary version adds upgraded drivers, an internal bass trap and a revised crossover. Black is standard and other colours are made to order.
High End Munich 2025 Systems - agian WADAX Studio Player and Audio Research
1 component
The Studio Player belongs to the Wadax Studio Collection and takes its converter design from the Atlantis Reference DAC, built in simplified form. Processing runs on the dual-differential musIC 3 fixed-point engine with 128-bit feed-forward error correction, which maps time and phase errors of the converter and corrects them before conversion. The circuit is balanced and dual-mono, fed by five initial regulation stages and 30 local regulators. For a valve amplifier the useful part is the output stage. The analogue output is balanced XLR, fixed or variable, with RCA as an option, output level can be set to 1, 2 or 4 V and output impedance to one of 16 steps from 0.4 to 600 ohm. That lets the player match the input sensitivity and impedance of a tube line stage, or drive a power amplifier directly with the internal volume. Streaming covers Spotify, TIDAL, Qobuz Connect and UPnP, with DSD64 to DSD256, and two BNC clock inputs accept the optional Studio Clock. The chassis measures 48 x 35 x 20.4 cm and weighs 32 kg.
High End Munich 2025 Systems - Magico S2 full potential with Vitus and WADAX
2 components
Magico rates the S2 at 86.5 dB sensitivity with a 4 ohm nominal impedance, quotes a range of 26 Hz to 50 kHz and recommends 50 to 300 W. That modest sensitivity and low impedance favour a solid-state amplifier with generous current, which is the territory Vitus works in. The speaker combines a 28 mm diamond-coated beryllium tweeter derived from the M9, a 5 inch midrange on a 75 mm titanium voice coil and two 7 inch woofers with Gen 8 Nano-Tec cones, crossed over with 24 dB Linkwitz-Riley filters. The cabinet is a single aluminium extrusion with an integral full-length vertical brace, standing 1,104 mm tall and weighing 60 kg. On the source side, the Studio Player borrows its converter from the Atlantis Reference DAC, simplified, running balanced and dual-mono. Its XLR outputs run either fixed or variable, output level can be set to 1, 2 or 4 V and output impedance in 16 steps from 0.4 to 600 ohm, so it can drive a power amplifier directly or match a preamplifier input. Streaming covers TIDAL, Qobuz Connect and UPnP, with DSD up to DSD256.