This nice and relaxed Hi-Fi event brought together a group of manufacturers, retailers and enthusiasts to showcase the latest innovations and technologies from the world of high-end audio. It might not have been the largest or fanciest Show there is, but certainly one of the most good-humoured one, and in what marine landscape: a shallow hotel by the sea side large windows opening to the sunny garden! On display was amplifiers, speakers, turntables and other Hi-Fi equipment that offered the best possible sound quality mainly but not exclusively for music listening.

Below you find some images of the Show in the order of appearance:

Two speakers from Scandinavia: Ø Audio Frigg 02 from Norway, and Audiovector Trapeze R1 from Denmark. Both had their own strengths, and performed well, together with Nelson Pass amplification and Linn’s analog source, and a streamer I didn’t pay attention to.

Genelec’s massive 8381A with a load of technology inside to avoid mistakes. For academic listening par excellence.

A less well known German loudspeaker (Brizio Coax 6) with a paper coned 6,5 inch coaxial driver, electronics from Soulnote (A-2 & SACD) and Ayon.

German Physics Borderline omnis caressed by the flagship tube amplification from Italy: Unison Research Reference Pre and Reference monoblocks. Other electronics by McIntosh and Melco.

A small portion of a circle of loudspeakers (PMC IB1S) in a multi-channel demonstration of a highest caliber (Atmos).

Simple and elegant 1: an all Linn system.

Simple and elegant 2: Dynaudio’s active Confidence 20A.

Simple and elegant 3: Totem’s new floorstanders and a rackful of electronics by Luxman.

Here’s an interesting loudspeaker from Finland: a two-way Solaudio Luminosity (upgraded version) with the manufacturer’s pre and power amps designed by Jarmo Ohvo.

SOLAUDIO – FET is a serious preamp, designed by Jarmo Ohvo, with three inputs/outputs (rca, xlr) and quality components.

With input/output trafos.

If you think the loudspeakers are Aurelias you are mistaken about the name but not about the designer: Antti Louhivaara and his new design for the Polish Audio Anatomy: AA5 speakers with the WLR-3 tweeter and 6,5 inch Nanomatrix woofer. The monoblocks by Michi.

Here’s the number one candidate for the the cutest system of the Show: Closeracoustics OGY one-way loudspeaker in conjunction with Tektron 300B amp (below), and Pear Audio turntable & Moonriver Audion 505 hybridi-phono.

The output tubes are Psvane 300B.

In the Italian style: Opera loudspeakers and Prima Luna amplifier.

The DIY section of the Finnish Hi-Fi Hobbyists’ club occupied three rooms. This beautiful open back speaker is made of solid wood (ash), the waveguide for the tweeter being directly CNC’ed onto the baffle. The drivers by SB Audience and Scan-Speak.

Here’s a superb combination of a meter tall ribbon mid/treble driver assisted by a pair of woofers radiating without a box (dipole). A quality sound!

My Show favourite! That legendary Fostex inexpensive four incher, the FE103, is such a fabulous driver when correctly loaded. The self-sustained and self-justified sound left little to hope for. What a pleasure! I’m sure the Atma-Sphere OTLs were part of the equation. Visiting this room made me determined that I should do something with my unemployed FE103 Sigmas.

Finally, an elegant system of a reasonable size but composed of rarely seen products such as Audiogram MB Plus amplifier and ALone 1 loudspeakers but the true attention stealers were the three turntables:

Simon Yorke S9 “Pure”/Jan Allaerts MC2 Finish/Tom Evans Groove+ SRX MkII and Holbo Mk I/EBI Audio Khumar/Audiogram PRPH 2Frame and Simon Yorke S8/Kiseki Blue rebuild/Concert Fidelity SPA-4C FX. Give me one place on earth where else these turntable wholes, together or separately, could be heard? The answer: nowhere else!