The German High End Society has been hosting their road tour World of HiFi since 1997 "to introduce the idea of living with high-quality music to the German public. For that, we have a partnership with one of the most important magazines in Germany called Stereo. We have developed the show as a completely different concept than the show High End [in Munich - Ed.]. We place different stereo systems in suitably large hotel rooms along with seating for the public. We hire DJs who are not allowed to reveal anything about the systems. They don't discuss prices or technical specifications. They are there to play music - nothing more. The companies who have provided equipment present their products and brochures on a static display in a separate show room."

The next installments of this tour are:

  • 19th - 20th of March 2005, Grand Hotel National, Luzern - Switzerland
  • 11th - 12th of June 2005, Kurhaus Bad Hamm/Westphalia
  • 4th - 5th of November 2005, Sofitel Dorint Hotel, Hamburg
  • 11th - 12th of February 2006, Congress Centre Westfalenhalle, Dortmund
  • 25th - 26th of March 2006, Hotel Meridien, Stuttgart
  • 23rd - 24th of September 2006, Congress Centre, Bremen

At this weekend's event, the following companies participated: Acoustic Solid . ASR . Burmester . Clearlight • Conrad Johnson • Copulare Tonbasenbau • Creaktiv • Creek • Cyrus • Dali • DCS • DNM • Einstein • Epos • Fadel Art • Fast Audio • Fischer & Fischer • Heil • HGP • HMS • Isophon • KEF • Krell • Kuzma • Lyra • MBL • McCormack • McIntosh • MDM ACE • Monitor Das Kabel • Mudra Akustik • Ortofon • Phonosophie • Resolution Audio • Reson • Restek • Rowen • Silvercom • SME • Sonus Faber • Swiss Mape • Thorens • Verity • Vincent • WBT •

The following eight active systems were on display:

System 1 up to 8,000 Swiss francs
Record Player: Reson Goldring GR2R (890 CHF)
Phono Stage: Creek OBH 18 (375 CHF)
CD Player: Creek CD 50 MK II (1,950 CHF)
Integrated Amp: Creek 5350 SE (2,150 CHF)
Loudspeaker: Heil Aulos (1,580 CHF)
Stand: Creaktiv
Wiring/Conditioner: MDM ACE LS & NF
System 2 up to 13,000 CHF
CD Player: Cyrus CD 8X incl. PS. (3,340 CHF)
Integrated Amplifier: Cyrus 8 with PSX (2,870 CHF)
Loudspeaker: Dali Helicon 400 (6,380 CHF)
Rack: Cyrus Original
Wiring/Conditioner: Fadel Art


System 3 up to 21,000 CHF
CD Player: Restek Epos (5,400 CHF)
Integrated Amplifier: ASR Emitter I plus (6,980 CHF)
Loudspeaker A: Isophon Cortina (7,500 CHF)
Loudspeaker B: HGP Corda Supertech (8,500 CHF)
Rack: Creaktiv
Wiring/Conditioner: Monitor 1202 NF/LS


System 4 up to 25,000 CHF
CD Player: Phonosophie Impuls 1.5 (6,600 CHF)
Record Player: Thorens TD 2030 (3,590 CHF)
Cartridge: Ortofon SPU Royal N (1,500 CHF)
Integrated Amplifier: Phonosophie Bi-Amp 1-4 (6,600 CHF)
Loudspeaker: KEF XQ 5 (4;800 CHF)
Rack: Phonosophie Original
Wiring/Conditioner: Phonosophie


System 5 up to 26,000 CHF
CD Player: Vincent CD-S 6 MK II (2,190 CHF)
Preamp: Vincent SA 93 (2,650 CHF)
Monaural Amplifiers: Vincent 2 . SP 998 (5,380 CHF)
Loudspeaker: Fischer & Fischer SN 450 (15,000 CHF)
Rack: Copulare Tonbasen
Wiring/Conditioner: Mudra Akustik
 System 6 up to 55,000 CHF
Record Player: Acoustic Solid Small Royal (3,168 CHF)
Phono Stage: Lyra 4-2 Connaisseur
Universal Player: Mc Cormack UDP 1 (7,700 CHF)
Preamp: Einstein The Tube (13,500 CHF)
Amplifier: Einstein The Light in the Dark (8,900 CHF)
Loudspeaker: Verity Audio Fidelio (17,500 CHF)
Rack: Copulare Tonbasenbau
Wiring/Conditioner: WBT/HMS


System 7 up to 87,000 CHF
CD Player: Burmester 001 (16,990 CHF)
Preamp: Burmester 011 (18,990 CHF)
Amplifier: Burmester 911 MK III (22,990 CHF)
Loudspeaker: Clearlight Symphonie (27,900 CHF)
Rack: Creaktiv
Wiring/Conditioner: Monitor 1202 NF/LS


System 8 up to 192,000 CHF
Digital Front End: DCS Elgar plus (25,800 CHF); Purcell (14,800 CHF); Verdi (19,800 CHF)
Preamp: MBL 6010 D (22,211 CHF)
Monaural Amplifiers: MBL 9008 (5,.018 CHF)
Loudspeaker: MBL Radialstrahler 101 E (58,590 CHF)
Rack: MBL Original
Wiring/Conditioner: HMS/WBT
Naturally, the size of Germany makes participation by manufacturers as easy as throwing gear into a van and driving it to the hotel. Still, the somewhat more challenging distances of the US shouldn't automatically mean that a similar concept couldn't work here. However, except for Tyll Hertsen's World of Headphones tour, nothing of the sort has been attempted in anywhere near recent memory. Perhaps it's because we lack an organization like Germany's High End Society that is proactive in its efforts to counter market trends and invests into educating the public about the existence of its members. Instead of complaining, this organization actually does something to positively affect its domestic industry. Is it perhaps time that American
manufacturers modeled an outfit after Germany's High End Society to start taking things into their own hands? They organize their very own HighEnd Show, we play fifth wheel and second fiddle at CES. They as a group cooperate directly with the preeminent print publication in their market to secure advertising and visibility while we have a massive media conglomerate completely outside the industry organize (and financially benefit from) our Home Entertainment events. Doesn't it seem to you that the Germans don't merely excel at making superior cars?