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MartinLogan Dynamo & Dynamo Foundation Series

Have You Seen?

Details: Written by: Jason Thorpe; Category: High End 2026; Created: 07 June 2026

It was Sunday afternoon, and Doug and I were strolling around one of the halls with a whole bunch of prefab listening rooms. We were trying to think about what we might have missed and wandering somewhat aimlessly.

Details: Written by: Jason Thorpe; Category: High End 2026; Created: 07 June 2026

Certain turntables become the stuff of legends. I recall my early exposure to serious high-end components back in the late 1980s, before which I was only aware of Stereo Review–level gear. At that pre-internet time in my hi‑fi evolution, I considered NAD, Rotel, and Thorens to be top-tier equipment.

Details: Written by: Jason Thorpe; Category: High End 2026; Created: 07 June 2026

I’ve been in this business for over 25 years now, and I like to think I’m jaded enough to avoid being drawn in by a component’s looks alone. For the most part, I am. But every once in a while, I find myself captured, fascinated, like a magpie, by a shiny component. It’s got to be something spectacular, but it does happen.

Details: Written by: Jason Thorpe; Category: High End 2026; Created: 07 June 2026

You know it when you see it. A component so outlandish, so obviously engineered outside of the norms of this industry, so completely untethered from convention.

Details: Written by: Doug Schneider; Category: High End 2026; Created: 06 June 2026

Just before leaving for Austria, I wrote an editorial titled “Can High End in Vienna Be as Good as It Was in Munich?” In that article, published June 1 on SoundStage! Hi‑Fi, I laid out the concerns many people in the hi‑fi industry had expressed since the High End Society announced the show’s move from Munich, Germany, to Vienna, Austria.

Details: Written by: Jason Thorpe; Category: High End 2026; Created: 06 June 2026

After my fun experience reviewing the Audio Research D‑80 power amplifier, I made sure to drop in on Valerio Cora—founder of Acora Acoustics and owner of Audio Research—and hear how his room sounded. We met in the narrow hallway just outside of his room.

Details: Written by: Jason Thorpe; Category: High End 2026; Created: 06 June 2026

The X-series of halls in the Austria Center Vienna are startlingly similar to the setup back at the Munich Order Center, the previous High End venue. For large swaths of these huge halls, it’s a little bit like a farmers’ market—lots of small stalls about 10′ × 10′ in size, all with static displays. There’s no way to demonstrate equipment, as that would create one giant conglomeration of noise.

Details: Written by: Jason Thorpe; Category: High End 2026; Created: 05 June 2026

I’m always keen to hear how products I’ve reviewed perform under show conditions. It’s like visiting an old friend. It’s a bit of a minefield, though, given that the components accompanying the one I’ve reviewed are likely wildly unfamiliar.

Details: Written by: Jason Thorpe; Category: High End 2026; Created: 05 June 2026

One of the benefits of attending shows such as High End 2026 is getting to meet the legends, the people behind the long-standing brands. Walking through the halls, I know I pass by people who have stories to tell, but it’s not easy to determine who’s who—especially since I have a poor memory for names and faces.

Details: Written by: Jason Thorpe; Category: High End 2026; Created: 05 June 2026

I always feel like a slob when I walk into a room hosted by Gryphon Audio Designs. Rune Skov, global sales director of this Danish manufacturer of extremely high-end audio components, is the sharpest-dressed man in audio. He’s trim and well-groomed, except for what looks like a carefully curated length of stubble, and he wears a suit like it was made for him just prior to the opening of the show.

Details: Written by: Jason Thorpe; Category: High End 2026; Created: 03 June 2026

“You’re the only person who’s ever broken one,” Doug said in response to my offer to carry two of the four SoundStage! Network Product of the Year trophies he was hauling around. “I’ll carry them.” The trophies are made of glass but are quite well packaged in sturdy boxes lined with form-fitting foam.