5 Links to Consider | June 4, 2025
A round-up of this week's compelling and considered clicks, compiled from The Absolute Sound's veteran staff of experts and reviewers.
The 2024 Munich High-End Show: Electronics & Digital Sources
It is bittersweet that this last High End Munich show was the biggest and best-sounding I’ve attended. After 21 years at Munich’s MOC convention hall, next year’s show will be in Vienna, a move that left many in the industry uncertain about the new venue. That’s because it’s hard to argue with the juggernaut that High End Munich has become: 10,562 trade visitors (manufacturers, dealers, distributors) from 87 countries, 11,675 consumers from 63 countries, and 581 press from 43 countries. A total of 501 exhibitors showcased nearly a thousand brands over the four-day exhibition. There’s simply nothing that compares to the Munich show.
CH Precision debuted its long-awaited 10 Series digital components, the D10 Reference Transport, C10 Conductor, and C10 Master DAC Audio a Matter of Life-And-Death in Future Vehicles
In-vehicle audio systems are facing one of the biggest challenges and opportunities presented by the rise of automated driving while taking on a “life-and-death” role in future cars. That’s the view of one of Audio Foundry’s founders Matt Marchese, senior director of automotive at specialist auto supplier Tymphany, who says the industry is in the process of gearing up to face the biggest technological changes in its history. Marchese says: “We think that, from an audio perspective, this is going to be the biggest shift change for audio and presents opportunities for companies to provide hardware. That’s because the way people will consume audio or infotainment is changing with this technology. “Now people are going to be sitting in non-traditional locations around the vehicle, the seating positions could be quite different, entering and exiting the vehicle all become a very big challenge for positioning audio hardware. Read the full article...
More collaboration called for between automakers and audio suppliers to face future challenges. When the history of 20th Century American music is written at a sufficient remove from its creation and initial consumption, three white poet/songsmiths will figure prominently within a larger universe dominated by people of color. Bob Dylan will likely be designated the most influential but two Canadians will also have their champions. The late Leonard Cohen, respected as much for his written word output as for his darkly evocative songs, will loom large. And Roberta Joan “Joni” Mitchell, whose worldview developed in a small Saskatchewan town and matured in the cultural maelstrom of Los Angeles, is the literary equal of her two male colleagues and, many would say, a more accomplished musician. Rhino Records has been honoring the artist with their ongoing Joni Mitchell Archives project and has recently reissued her first four albums for Asylum Records on music-only Blu-ray discs that hold high-resolution stereo, quadraphonic, and Dolby Atmos mixes that demonstrate, perhaps for the first time, the potential for the last of these formats to reveal the full musical meaning of the best popular music. Read full article here...
The QUAD Story: The Closest Approach to the Original Sound
From early tube amplifiers like the Quad II, through the legendary ESL-57 electrostatic speakers, to innovations like the Current Dumping technology and the Quad 405, this is the story of a company that pursued accuracy over marketing trends. Today, QUAD continues its work under IAG, with models like the ESL-2912 and the Revela series.
Hiatus Kaiyote - Laputa (Taylor McFerrin Remix feat. Anderson .Paak)
Hiatus Kaiyote is an Australian neo-soul quartet formed in Melbourne in 2011, known for their eclectic fusion of jazz, funk, soul, and experimental sounds. Led by singer-guitarist Nai Palm, their innovative "future soul" style has earned praise from artists like Prince, Kendrick Lamar, and Beyoncé.
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