If the sound of the various horn systems came as a rude awakening, it was nothing compared to the outbreak of rude and inconsiderate behaviour that swept the show this year. Badly set-up systems with ponderous, overblown bass, played at ridiculous levels seemed to be the order of the day, with acoustic breakthrough all too often making any kind of attempt at serious listening utterly impossible. Rockport, whose system was certainly capable of considerable transparency, delicacy and musical communication, found themselves swamped in low-frequency pollution from Audiovector next door, while fellow Scandinavians Electrocompaniet took things even further, blanketing the CAD/Trilogy room with tuneless thuds and a constant background drone. And they were only the tip of a very large and deeply offensive iceberg. In years past, polite requests for moderation have proved effective. This year, they were largely ignore, the problem getting worse the longer the show went on. It’s tempting to point to the collapse of manners and behavioural norms in international relations as a root cause. We’re not sure it’s that simple, but one thing was inescapable: a general Me First/WTF attitude was both prevalent and unbridled. If sonic standards are slipping, social standards are in danger of following suit.
Vienna Viability? Seamless transition or jumping the tracks?
By Roy Gregory
As everybody knows (and some people never tire of repeating) this is the last High-End show that will be held in Munich. While some are predicting that the MOC will go out with a bang, others are voting with their feet (and wallets). Want to spend time in that traditional audio oasis, the Living Voice room. This year you’ll be out of luck. With no new product to show/launch and the other big reason to attend (keeping hold of your room for the following year) no longer relevant, the company has decided to sink the funds and time consumed by the Munich show, into new product development. Nor are they alone, with other brands stepping down or down-sizing their attendance.
I can’t say that I’m surprised. The shift from Munich to Vienna has thrown the central contradiction at the heart of the High-End show into stark relief. The High-End Society has been loudly trumpeting the virtues and advantages of the new venue with an almost ostrich-like optimism. The rooms are perfect, the city is wonderful and we’re all going to have a swell time… Meanwhile, they’ve been ignoring the central contradiction at the heart of their show.
Let’s start by asking why Vienna? Two reasons are obvious. Firstly, the High-End Society already has an event there – although it’s much smaller than the Munich Show. But the second reason is far more significant: language. They speak German in Vienna. The High-End Society is a German organisation that was set up to organise a show for the German industry and market. In the absence of a suitable venue in Germany, Austria/Vienna is the next best thing. Except that for most exhibitors, the High-End Show is a global B2B opportunity: their interest in the German market comes a distant second to the international contacts and opportunities on offer. In which case, the choice of venue needs to be seen in a rather different light: a light that casts some considerable shadows over Vienna.
