HIGH END 2026 — Vienna – DrZ Laboratorij

Gemütlichkeit ohne Schlamperei

In early June 2026, the HIGH END hi-fi audio exhibition took place in Vienna for the first time. After more than two decades at Munich’s M.O.C., this was a welcome change. If the increasingly stale content of the show is difficult to shake up, a radical change of venue was certainly refreshing.

The exhibition was held at the impressive Austria Center Vienna, a five-level conference centre with capacity for 28,000 visitors.

After two decades of practice in Munich, finding one’s way around the new venue was quite confusing for most visitors. Long, wide corridors and the split-level layout of the two lower floors added to the sense of a sprawling space.

‘Gemütlichkeit und Schlamperei’—comfort and sloppiness—a phrase used to describe life in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, applied here only in its first half. To me, at least, the atmosphere felt considerably more relaxed and pleasant than at Munich’s M.O.C. The spacious centre played a large part in this, as did the excellent organisation, with plenty of places for refreshments and a rest after the inevitable kilometres of walking. There was not a trace of sloppiness, particularly from a Croatian perspective.

There was no significant change in the exhibitors compared with previous years. Unfortunately, in hi-fi, the only thing that keeps changing and growing is the audience’s age.

Although the statistics are impressive—500 exhibitors, 1,000 brands and so on—it is easy to feel that, for the past decade or so, we have been seeing much the same exhibitors and systems, often even playing the same music at their demonstrations.

Large systems and room acoustics

As in previous years, most systems in the demonstration rooms sounded good, which is hardly surprising given that their prices usually ran to tens of thousands of euros, with some reaching several million. My impression, however, was that fewer rooms achieved truly outstanding sound this year, probably because exhibitors were unfamiliar with the venue. Room acoustics may still be the most important component of a loudspeaker-based audio system. A large room with large loudspeakers remains an almost sure route to a successful demonstration, as Korea’s Silbatone showed once again with century-old Western Electric cinema speakers, and China’s ESD Acoustics demonstrated with modern horns. JBL showed why large speakers should ideally also have a large room: the impressive new Summit Everests overwhelmed theirs, with excessive bass at all but a few listening positions.

Silbatone and Western Electric—an enduring HIGH END highlight.

The ESD system: impressive in sound, appearance, size and price.

JBL Summit Everest would have fared better in a larger room, or at least one with more effective acoustic treatment.

DIY audio and components

Apart from plenty of inspiration, DIY builders will find little out of the ordinary at this show. There is the usual small selection of established manufacturers such as Mundorf, Lundahl, SB Acoustics and Hypex, a few Chinese component manufacturers, and now a regular stand from semiconductor manufacturer AKM. All of it, however, is aimed at the OEM market.

Lundahl—Swedish transformers for the world of audio.

SB Acoustics had good reason for its lavish presentation space this year.

Hypex amplifiers revolutionised high-quality audio amplification. Their continuing development still sets standards today.

The components and OEM services offered by manufacturers from China and Taiwan are always interesting.

In the listening rooms

Alongside the component stands on the two lower levels were numerous manufacturers of headphones and Chinese ‘ChiFi’ equipment, as well as many other familiar names—Grimm, D&D, GOTO—and less familiar ones. Some had only a display stand, while others also had a booth: in effect, a small isolated room for audio demonstrations.

Grimm presented a power amplifier and a passive bookshelf loudspeaker. The sound was faultless.

The D&D booth had an exceptionally helpful representative. I listened to the 8C and 6C; unfortunately, the 15C was not on display.

The Canvas soundbar achieved excellent, spacious sound with high-quality drivers and electronics, together with the sophisticated BACCH system for enhancing the spatial presentation of stereo.

The EPOS ES28 and legendary designer Karl-Heinz Fink as DJ: faultless sound and music.

Once again, Magico failed to impress me.

The usual MBL room, but the new acoustics did the sound no favours.

To me, Cessaro horns always look more impressive than they sound.

The new active Harbeths, with their electronics in separate enclosures, did not disappoint sonically.

Germany’s ELAC is celebrating its centenary, with excellent sound for the anniversary.

MAAT GOTO Zenith: monumental active loudspeakers from an Italian designer, using Japanese GOTO drivers and tube amplification.

Turntables and cartridges

Thorens presented its full range of turntables, from the new Reference model to a charming portable model under the Coturn brand.

EMT also had an extensive and interesting exhibition space.

Cartridges came in every colour, shape and price.

Topping—it is incredible that some audiophiles still shy away from equipment made in China. Topping is one of the established manufacturers whose products offer a price-to-performance ratio that competitors in the EU or the US cannot match.

History and beyond the halls

Alongside almost every current high-end product one could imagine, some legendary brands proudly displayed a little of their history.

A Tannoy PA loudspeaker from the Second World War.

JBL Paragon—the forefather of all Everests.

Some exhibitors chose rooms in a neighbouring office building rather than the ACV itself, probably because the terms were more favourable. The ever-unconventional OJAS installed a shipping container outside the ACV and fitted it out as a listening room.

OJAS: new loudspeakers clearly inspired by Altec VOTT models, with a good choice of music but rather unremarkable sound.

Tannoy Westminster—a loudspeaker whose appearance, and even more so its sound, fully deserves legendary status.

The catering was very good. Fortunately, now that everything in Croatia has become frighteningly expensive, even the show’s food and drink prices no longer seem excessive.

All in all, moving to Vienna has made HIGH END closer, more accessible and more attractive for Croatian audiophiles.

As always, I recommend a visit to anyone for whom hi-fi means something in life.