High End Munich 2025: Michael Fremer on Analog Innovations

Explore the latest analog audio breakthroughs showcased at High End Munich 2025, highlighting turntables, cartridges, and phono preamps.

From Whisper to Roar: Analog's Triumph at High End Munich

What started as a soft murmur back in 2004 at High End Munich has exploded into a full-throated celebration of analog in 2025. Germany’s vinyl scene was never truly down and out, even during those early 2000s "nadir years," but the 2025 show was something else entirely. While record sellers were fewer—due primarily to high retail costs as noted by Jan Sieveking, a Bremen-based audiophile record dealer—the manufacturers of playback equipment showed up in full force, making this year’s event a feast for analog enthusiasts.

First, Something Completely Different!

Soulution 787 turntable and tonearm combo, boasting a stationary tangential-tracking tonearm paired with a moving platter. While tangential tracking isn’t a new concept—Transcriptor dabbled in it years ago—Soulution’s system takes it to new heights with modern, computer-controlled motion tracking. The system delicately balances a tad of lateral “play” to avoid crabbing across grooves, all while adjusting the platter width minutely for perfect tracking. Zenith-angle error correction is built into the headshell slots to refine play. Expect a price tag near $90,000.

Cartridges: From Affordable to Astronomical

Starting with the wallet-friendly options, Ed Forth from Audio-Technica Europe proudly announced the return of boron cantilevers in the new VMx moving-magnet cartridges. These upgrades retain the classic dual-magnet and stacked coil design, with the top-tier AT-VM760xSL priced at about $599.

Ortofon MC X moving-coil cartridge series, replacing their decade-old Quintet line. This series includes four models, from the MC X10 to the MC X40, each featuring stainless-steel honeycomb frames and high-purity silver coil wire. Prices range from $369 to $1,199, with the impressive $5,499 MC 90x representing a modern take on the classic MC A90.

For the high rollers, Kuzma CAR70, HSE Swiss, and Reed debuted some jaw-dropping top-end cartridges:

• Kuzma’s CAR70 shines with a sapphire body and a one-piece lab-grown diamond cantilever and stylus, avoiding any metal in its mechanics. Price? $35,000.
• HSE Swiss showcased two prototypes with unique boron and Orbray diamond cantilevers, boasting incredibly tiny coil formers.
• Reed, collaborating with DS Audio, introduced an optical cartridge combo priced around $50,000 featuring cutting-edge technology.

Soundsmith’s Kudos moving-iron cartridge features a ceramic cantilever and boasts near-unbreakable durability. At $19,999, its $900 re-tip cost is a bargain compared to other high-end cartridges. Also hot on the scene is the $9,999 Hyperion MKII-MR, sporting a micro-ridge stylus mounted on a cactus needle cantilever—ultra-low mass for exquisite performance.

DS Audio presented mono editions of their five optical cartridges, maintaining stereo prices—a delight for classical vinyl lovers.

Meanwhile, JICO, known for reviving stylus assemblies for Shure cartridges, teased a back-engineered Shure V15 III lookalike without the Shure badge. China’s Skyanalog revealed intriguing cartridges like the boron-cantilevered P-1 at about $650 and the sapphire cantilevered REF around $3,200.

European Audio Team impressed with the $9,000 Jo No 10 cartridge, featuring a diamond cantilever and hand-shellacked body, while Nagaoka previewed its new MP-700, still hunting for US distribution.

Phono Preamplifiers: Power and Precision

Chord Electronics ULTIMA, an “ultimate” phono preamp sporting front-panel VU meters, expected around $20,000, though availability remains limited.

Thrax rolled out its first solid-state MM/MC preamp, offering full balanced three XLR inputs, a large display, polarity inversion, and mono mode.

Musical Fidelity launched two new phono preamps: the tube-based, fully balanced Nu-Vista 2 at $12,000 with an optional $12,000 PSU, and the more affordable Vinyl S around $5,000.

The Netherlands’ Grimm Audio unveiled the sleek PW1, a compact FET-based MM/MC preamp priced at $4,900 with RCA and XLR outputs.

European Audio Team’s trio of new phonostages includes the multi-tubed, fully balanced $18,000 E-GLO FB, the one-box E-GLO S, and the petite E-GLO Petit. German brand SPL debuted the balanced Phonos Duo at $3,666, featuring capacitance, resistance, gain, and rumble filter controls.

In the Zellaton room, the fully balanced Staltmanis Lab WS8 phono preamp made the $12,000 Grado Epoch3 cartridge sing with dazzling dynamics.

Turntables and Tonearms: Cutting-Edge Craftsmanship

Airon Audio, a Pennsylvania-based company, introduced the TH1, a $36,000 unipivot air-bearing tonearm riding on a thin air film. Its tensionable carbon-fiber wand and intricate engineering promise a unique spin on tonearm design.

TechDAS premiered the new Air Force IV air-bearing platter turntable, priced around $35,000, positioned between their Air Force V and Air Force III Premium S models. It was shown alongside the $45,000 10-inch AirForce 10 lateral air-bearing tonearm.

Funk Firm displayed the Kepler turntable, embodying four decades of physics-driven audio engineering—a beauty that audiophiles would love to hear.

J. Sikora’s Aspire turntable with the KV9 tonearm made its European debut, having world-premiered earlier at AXPONA. Korf Audio showcased its ceramic headshell and arm tubes priced from around $3,400 USD.

SME revealed the 3-tower Model 35, a smart step-down from the flagship Model 60, with the new machined polymer Series Vi tonearm—a sonic leap from their magnesium arms.

Pro-Ject’s Heinz Lichtenegger hyped an upgraded E1 turntable, their top-selling entry-level model, now featuring a 1.5-pound machined platter and better tonearm bearings, priced near $300. The stripped-down Pro-Ject X9B, X10B, and X12B models offer affordable options ranging from $2,500 to $4,000, trimming costly features without sacrificing quality.

Pro-Ject also revived the legendary La Platine Verdier, now back in production at $13,995.

Burmester updated their Reference line with the 257 belt-drive turntable featuring an outboard PSU and a magnetic bearing. The stainless-steel/polymer platter is driven by dual 12V motors and speed monitored optically. A built-in phono preamp is optional.

Technics showcased the SL-1000R direct-drive turntable at $24,699, alongside Clearaudio and SME tonearms.

Transrotor added two mysterious “NEU!” new turntables without official names yet.

Wilson-Benesch demoed a model priced around $270,000, while Döhmann Audio presented its adaptation of the $40,000 Gravitron Ti tonearm mounted on the Helix One turntable. The new Supatrac Nighthawk (12** edition, about $16,000) made an appearance on the Helix One’s rear position.

European Audio Team displayed the hefty dual motor, 97-pound F-DUR turntable, priced from $5,600 without an arm to $10,000 fully equipped.

KLAUDIO debuted its magnetic levitation-driven Magnezar direct-drive turntable, featuring a “liquid-stabilized” platter available at $38,000 (non-clamping) and $50,000 (clamping) versions. A separate $18,000 tangential-tracking arm is optional.

Thorens showed the new TD124 DD Exclusive with a copper-top platter and balanced outputs for €11,999, paired with a special ruby-cantilevered EMT cartridge for €4,999. They also launched the budget-friendly TD 404 DD direct-drive model with XLR and RCA outputs.

R2R Tape Recorders: Reel-to-Reel Excellence

Revox demonstrated the new B77 MKIII priced at $19,950, plus a special Alice Cooper edition at nearly $28,000. Their extensive catalog of 15 IPS half-inch reel tapes was also on display, preserving the legacy of analog tape.

Accessories: Perfecting the Analog Experience

DS Audio introduced a more affordable version of its acclaimed record-centering device, the ES 002, swapping tungsten for brass on the bottom plate. It targets $3,600, down from the original ES 001’s $6,000. However, be cautious: electromagnetic cartridge users might face magnetic interference with this device used as a record weight.

Lastly, Martina Schöner’s L’Art du Son stylus cleaning fluid and brush promise safe, efficient cleaning of bonded styli by removing stubborn baked-on film under microscopic scrutiny.

“If new vinyl customers have a bad experience with their first turntable, he can’t later sell them the upper models.”

—Heinz Lichtenegger, Pro-Ject

Wrapping It Up: Analog’s Vibrant Future

High End Munich 2025 showcased that analog sound is not just alive—it’s thriving with innovation, passion, and boundless creativity. Whether you're a casual listener or a hardcore audiophile, the new gear and technologies exhibited here promise a richer, more immersive vinyl experience than ever before.

So, what’s catching your ear? Ready to upgrade your analog setup or dive into the world of vinyl for the first time?

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is tangential tracking in turntables?
  It’s a tonearm movement that follows the record grooves in a straight line, reducing distortion compared to traditional pivot arms.
• Why are boron cantilevers significant in cartridges?
  Boron offers a lightweight and rigid structure, improving tracking accuracy and sound clarity.
• How expensive can high-end cartridges get?
  Prices vary widely, from under $1,000 to $50,000 or more, depending on materials, craftsmanship, and technology.
• What is the advantage of air-bearing tonearms?
  They reduce friction by floating on air, allowing smoother, more precise tracking of the record groove.
• Are optical cartridges better than traditional ones?
  Optical cartridges use light to read grooves, potentially offering less mechanical wear and unique sound qualities, but preferences vary.

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