Press service

With its impressive sound experiences, exquisite technology and the ultimate showcase of top-quality products and services, this year’s HIGH END 2023, which will take place at the MOC Event Center in Munich, Germany, from 18th to 21st May, will focus on sound at its very best for the 40th time. On the four days of the event, the anniversary edition of the world’s most important audio show will offer an exciting programme with a variety of highlights sure to impress both its international trade audience and its hi-fi and music-loving visitors.

The companies exhibiting at the event will present the entire range of products available from the international audio industry, from modern streaming solutions to impressive loudspeakers and high-performance amplifiers and right through to state-of-the art turntables. The multitude of new products and innovations on show at the event is sure to attract a great deal of attention in particular. “Loving music” is the fitting title of the HIGH END 2023 and will be underlined by this year’s brand ambassador, Al Di Meola. He will appear on stage for the media as the event’s honorary guest at the opening press conference of the HIGH END on 18th May. Afterwards, with a little bit of luck, visitors may encounter him during his tour of the audio show, listen to his interview with Lothar Brandt on Saturday or get the chance to meet him in the subsequent autograph session. Everyone visiting the audio show will certainly be able to make the most of a fully packed schedule. The four halls and two atriums in an exhibition area covering a total of 30,000 square metres will offer many opportunities to enjoy music and technology with all the senses. Acoustic, visual and technical highlights to suit every taste are guaranteed among the around 1,000 brands presented at the show. What’s more, visitors can also enjoy a diverse programme of live events such as a panel discussion and presentations during their time at the HIGH END 2023. Direct communication opportunities, the balanced mix and the combination of a B2B platform and a trade show all promise to make the world’s most important audio show a very special experience for the 40th time.

Exciting themed zones for different target groups

Last year, the WORLD OF HEADPHONES proved to be a huge visitor attraction. Headphones are companions that most music lovers cannot do without when it comes to enjoying their favourite music when out and about or undisturbed at home. Nowadays, the range of headphones available is so wide that it is often difficult to find the ideal model for you. At the headphone show, a multitude of different variants will be presented. Here, visitors can take their time to try out and compare many headphones ranging from wireless Bluetooth technology to wired high-end models, as an in-ear version or with noise cancelling.

The wide variety of products, also in all the other categories presented at the HIGH END 2023, can also quickly become overwhelming for those new to the audiophile world. Visitors who keep an eye out for systems with the SOUNDSCLEVER label, however, can discover interesting audio systems that make it easier for them to embark on their journey into the high-end universe. The label recognises completely playable, cleverly assembled audio systems that offer excellent music reproduction. These systems are comprised of individual components from one or more brands, with overall prices of less than 5,000 Euros. With this label, the HIGH END SOCIETY debunks the myth that high end is only available in the luxury price segment. Twelve exhibitors will showcase their SOUNDSCLEVER systems at the HIGH END 2023. In addition, four well-known hi-fi magazines have combined their favourites under the label and will present these special models in a separate room.

Future-fi – what’s next?

Visitors to the HIGH END 2023 can look forward to not one but two exciting panel discussions. Olaf Adam, Chief Editor of the German hi-fi website hifi.de, together with well-known hi-fi journalists, will discuss the important question of how the hi-fi industry can tackle the challenges of the future. High-res downloads and streaming technology have transformed the way in which people listen to music. At the same time, vinyl is still all the rage, above all enjoying huge popularity among a younger audience. For this year’s event, we have secured Michael Fremer from the USA, Ljubiša Miodragović from Serbia and Stuart Smith from Great Britain as key speakers. Together with Olaf Adam, these special guests can be seen and heard on the podium stage on Friday, 19th May.

On the next day, Saturday 20th May, the Hamburg-based expert Dimi Vesos will explore the topic with regard to digital media. Together with the expert participants in the panel discussion, he will address the question of the meaning of future-fi for the community, hi-fi stores and the audio industry in general and explore the role that social media plays in all this. He will welcome the hi-fi journalist Bernd Weber, the YouTuber Patrik Scholz, the specialist retailer Markus Wierl, and Lars Baumann from the company ELAC onto the stage.

HIGH END Kolleg and ALTI Conference

A comprehensive programme of talks and presentations will yet again be available as part of the HIGH END KOLLEG seminars. The programme includes talks and presentations at which industry experts share informative and entertaining insider knowledge on various topics in the audio world. Moreover, visitors on the trade visitor days can look forward to an extremely interesting programme of talks created in cooperation with the ALTI Conference. These informative highlights will focus on innovations in the audio industry, for example Analog Devices, Dinaburg Technology, Kartesian and Loudsoft.

Young start-ups with fresh ideas

The Start-Up Area at the HIGH END show has developed into a well-established stage for rising newcomers in the audio industry. On a group stand provided by the organiser, the HIGH END SOCIETY Service GmbH, new and upcoming companies will showcase their fresh ideas and examples of successful technology transfer. From the applications submitted for this year's audio show, the organiser has selected six promising newcomers that will present cutting-edge products and new innovations, among others.

The IPS – International Parts + Supply complements the HIGH END

As a solely B2B event, the IPS OEM trade show brings together the entire value chain and the supply part industry in one location. In its own area, directly next to the HIGH END, the event will allow trade visitors and audio show exhibitors to establish contact with IPS exhibitors, get to know new partners and expand their existing business relationships. The range of products presented stretches from high-quality electronic components to bespoke loudspeaker systems, high-tech contact solutions and modern cabinet solutions, and right through to packaging solutions for the protected transportation of exclusive goods.

Information on the HIGH END

The HIGH END, the internationally renowned audio trade show, is the undisputed leader when it comes to impressively setting the tone for top-class music reproduction. It has been providing ideas and impetus for producers, sellers and consumers of high-quality audio technology for four decades. On the four days of the event in May, the entire world of audio experts and professionals will gather in Munich to visit hundreds of exhibitors from more than 40 different countries as they showcase their latest innovations in the halls and atriums of the MOC Event Center.