The High End Munich 2024 trade fair took place between Thursday, May 9 and Sunday, May 12 in Bavaria. Like every year, manufacturers took the opportunity to unveil new products. The vinyl market was no exception, with the arrival of FiiO, a highly innovative new player, and the new iFi Audio Zen Phono 3 phono preamplifier.
FiiO TT13, a semi-automatic, direct-drive turntable
This was one of the main surprises of High End Munich 2024. FiiO has entered the turntable market! The innovative Chinese manufacturer unveiled the TT13 turntable. A semi-automatic, direct-drive model. Capable of playing 33 and 45 rpm records, it is also Bluetooth aptX HD and aptX LL compatible. The FiiO TT13 hi-fi turntable features LEDs and comes with a remote control. The latter allows you to start playback remotely by controlling the tonearm, as well as managing the source. Its metal chassis gives it an elegant finish. The FiiO TT13 turntable will be available at the end of July for €300.
Argon TT Signature
Turntable specialist Argon Audio presented its new Argon Audio TT Signature model. The latter becomes the brand’s top-of-the-range model and will soon be available at €1,499. It features a carbon fiber tonearm and a real wood chassis (black cherry or walnut, depending on finish). The Argon Audio TT Signature turntable features the ATS technology already tried-and-tested on the Argon Audio TT-4 and TT-4 Special Edition turntables. The aluminum platter is decoupled from the chassis for optimum vibration isolation. A guarantee of high quality, it comes with an Ortofon 2M Black cartridge.
Technics’ surprise
High End Munich 2024 kicked off with a major announcement! Right from the opening, Technics surprised visitors with an exceptional new release. The Japanese brand presented its new Technics SL-1200M7B turntable in collaboration with Lamborghini. This prestigious partnership highlights the unique expertise of both manufacturers. The turntable will be delivered with a vinyl record featuring recordings of engines from the best-known Lamborghini racing cars. Priced at €1,500, the Technics SL-1200M7B turntable will be available from July in a limited edition.
Pro-Ject EVO 2
A key player in the vinyl world, Pro-Ject announced the launch of the Pro-Ject EVO 2 range. Staying true to the brand’s DNA, this new model builds on the success of the first generation, and will be available in a range of colors to suit your interior decoration. While the design remains streamline and similar to that of previous versions, the concept has been rethought. The turntable promises improved vibration isolation and a significant reduction in background noise to ensure clearer, more detailed sound. Available during the summer.
Ortofon 2MR and the new Concorde Music range
In addition to the many turntables on show, Ortofon also exhibited its latest range of phono cartridges. The Ortofon 2MR series, designed for low-profile turntables such as Rega models, caught the eye of many analog sound lovers. All Ortofon 2MR hi-fi cartridges are reduced in height by 4mm to fit record players without height-adjustable tonearms. As a result, they maintain a playback angle of 20°, optimal for delivering the information engraved in the grooves of vinyl records.
Ortofon took advantage of High End Munich 2024 to raise the curtain on a new Ortofon Concorde Music series. The range includes five models: the Ortofon Concorde Music Red (€149), Ortofon Concorde Music Blue (€249), Ortofon Concorde Music Bronze (€399), Ortofon Concorde Music Black (€599) and Ortofon Concorde Music Black LVB 250 (€999). This series features an original design, reminiscent of the OM series. All cartridges in the series feature an aluminum cantilever, with the exception of the Black LVB 250, which is equipped with a boron cantilever.
iFi Audio Zen Phono 3 phono preamplifier
Recently added to the Son-Vidéo.com catalog, the iFi Audio ZEN Phono V3 phono preamplifier was officially presented to the public. This compact model is versatile and upgradeable. It can process signals from MM and MC cartridges. Its RIAA equalization circuit uses TDK capacitors mounted in a balanced architecture to reveal every detail of your records. The iFi Audio ZEN Phono V3 phono preamplifier also benefits from a fully isolated power supply and Active Noise Cancellation II technology, which eliminates all unwanted noise.
Adaptive, this new phono preamplifier from the British manufacturer features four gain settings, with one parameter for moving magnet cartridges and three for moving coil cartridges. Impedance is also adjustable on four levels, from 47,000 ohms to 1,000 ohms. Finally, the unbalanced RCA and balanced 4.4mm jack outputs make it easy to combine this preamplifier with any hi-fi amplifier or pair of active speakers.
