Munich HiFi Show 2016

[Sligolad]

Okay I followed up on last years plan for Munich this year and just booked flights and hotel....

http://www.highendsociety.de/index.php/ ... d_moc.html

Anyone else planning on going this year feel free to post here and we can hook up for travel, daily breathers/wrap-ups or a few beers in the evenings.

My plans are:
Flying out of Dublin on E!352 at 07:10 on the 06 May 2016 to Munich.
Return out of Zurich on EI357 at 20:20 on the 08 May to Dublin.
Flights cost €140 all in.

I had Hilton rewards points to use up so these covered the Hotel for 2 nights which is between Zurich central and the Show.
Rates were about €130 per night.
Hilton Munich Park at Am Tuchenpark 7, Munich, BY 80538.

Cheers, Pearse.

[Fran]

I've booked!!


Flying in on the sat morning with aer lingus, Dub 0710 MUC 1035, back out again aer lingus MUC 2020 DUB 2155 flight cost 144

Staying at the Ramada Munich Messe which is about 300m from the exhibition hall, 89 per night. I've stayed there before at a conference in Messe and its near, right beside the underground station and the hall. The hall is around 8 times the size of the simmonscourt in the RDS.

Its about an hour from the airport from Munich messe and easy enough to get around. Day tickets are €12 ea


Gives me 2 longish days to look around.



Fran

[giant haystacks]

i was thinking of this also it would need 2 days probably.
also considering an outing to the bristol show which i have been at before which i would describe as an outing
and also maybe taking my 7 seater to the melton mowbary show going on the boat im not sure of the cost and it maybe would suit some of the other tirna hifi members and go together
pearse you would know if the scalford hall show would be a good option it is on sunday 20th of march maybe boat prices are not cheap that weekend starts 10am to 5pm

[tony]

i was thinking of this also it would need 2 days probably.
also considering an outing to the bristol show which i have been at before which i would describe as an outing
and also maybe taking my 7 seater to the melton mowbary show going on the boat im not sure of the cost and it maybe would suit some of the other tirna hifi members and go together
pearse you would know if the scalford hall show would be a good option it is on sunday 20th of march maybe boat prices are not cheap that weekend starts 10am to 5pm

I know you are coming a bit of a distance! but unless you are exhibiting muckair to Birmingham or East Midlands is the way to go. Maybe Shannon or Belfast are easier to get to? Scalford is well worth a visit it is a great show. We can advise you on a hotel to definitely avoid if you decide to go. Nice indian restaurant in Melton Mowbray for Sunday night as Saturday night is spent mooching around the exhibitors rooms as they set up.

There is a polish show on at some point and that interests me more than Munich or Bristol. Not sure I can or want to do any show this year but that one looks a bit more left field. Sure could always stay with Lukasz for free!

[Fran]

Yeah, lots of choices. I did the manchester one some time back, was in and out in a day (smaller show). Funny thing is, I might actually be at the same place in munich the week before at a different trade show!!

[Satrus]

I booked my flights to Munich yesterday. I am flying out of Dublin on Wednesday the 4th May and returning to Cork on the 9th May. I have been going to this show since 2006 although I missed one or two in that time over the Icelandic volcanic eruption(s). I generally make this my Spring vacation and besides I like to visit the record stores in Munich as well. I used to go to the U.K. regularly before that but considering the threat of terrorism (London 2005 attacks) and the impossibly high value of Sterling against the Euro, I gave up on the U.K. entirely. Anything I need to get via mail order in the way of music etc., I deal with German businesses. Delivery to Ireland from Germany is way ahead of the U.K./Royal Mail too.

Off topic maybe, but I can't fathom why anybody here in Ireland (Euro currency) would even consider buying anything from the U.K. anymore?

[Diapason]

Totally agree on sterling and importing from the UK. All the value is in the Eurozone these days!

I'm tempted by Munich this year. Very tempted...

[Satrus]

Well, I can thoroughly recommend it. It's a very well run show and you'll see everybody who is anybody in the high end business there from designers/engineers to audio dealers and members of the audio press. In the last few years, I've seen Chad Kassem and his crew from Acoustic Sounds in the U.S. Michael Fremer is there every year too. Allen Sides, owner of Ocean Way Recording Studios, has been there in the past few years also. Todd Eichenbaum presented an excellent exhibition of the new Mark Levinson 585 integrated amplifier last year but my female companion preferred the Devialet presentation which was right next door ... and I trust her ears!

I was talking with Mark Doehman (Caliburn turntables) at length in 2006. I saw him there last year as well. He is launching a new range of turntables

And how can you not want to see and listen to Lars Christiansen (formerly of Nordost) who now works with Denmark's Raidho Acoustics. I always found Lars very entertaining during his days with Nordost. I let the [absurd] prices float into the ether.

If you're traveling with your wife or girlfriend, there are plenty of excellent shops around Marienplatz and Neuhauser Strasse as well. And importantly, Germany is affordable unlike the U.K., sadly!

[Kevin]

Can anyone tell me how to take (relative) advantage of buying from Hifi from Euro countries? When I contact hifi shops here asking about european made hifi the prices still seem to be elevated by the sterling exchange rate, because the distributors are mainly UK based. As an example, I enquired recently about Sonus Faber speakers, the prices quoted to me were way above the prices I see on Italian hifi store websites.

[Satrus]

Can anyone tell me how to take (relative) advantage of buying from Hifi from Euro countries? When I contact hifi shops here asking about european made hifi the prices still seem to be elevated by the sterling exchange rate, because the distributors are mainly UK based. As an example, I enquired recently about Sonus Faber speakers, the prices quoted to me were way above the prices I see on Italian hifi store websites.

Provided what you want is not represented here via a local distributor/agent, you should be able to deal with whoever you want. If there is a dealer appointed for the particular brand here then you will have to buy from him. The problem is that the Irish distributor/agent does not always have sole distribution rights for the Republic of Ireland. It sounds absurd in today's world but he will, more often than not, have to secure stock via the U.K. importer/distributor who will have sole distribution rights for the U.K. and the Republic of Ireland! In the case of your Sonus Fabers, I believe Absolute Sounds of Wimbledon, U.K. have the distribution rights in question. The local man here has to source those speakers from AS in Wimbledon and the currency used is Sterling. It is frankly ridiculous that this is the case when the Republic of Ireland is a separate independent country using the Euro currency. As a matter of common sense though, I think it is up to the local agent to take this up with the manufacturer in Italy [or in the U.S.A. as the case may be] because it is putting him at a competitive disadvantage and harming his business. The consumer is prejudiced because he cannot buy the item at a price or level that is commensurate with the average European price excluding altogether what AS chooses to do in the U.K.

I am aware that certain importers, say in France, have sole distribution rights for France, Belgium and Luxembourg. There is no problem with that because all of these countries use the same currency, i.e. the Euro. It is utterly frustrating to check the international distributors for U.S. and Canadian equipment. There is representation even in the most unlikely countries but the Republic of Ireland is not even mentioned! We are 'lumped' in as being part of the U.K. in many cases and by implication in others. It is seriously frustrating to be an audiophile in the Republic of Ireland being lumbered as we are with this 'Sterling Monkey' on our backs. Ultimately, I think it is incumbent on the local agent/distributor to make his case and show the commercial and competitive disadvantage he is under and the loss of potential sales he is suffering. This adversely affects the manufacturer also. I have put off a buying decision for almost a year now because of currency fluctuations. Of course, if what you want is manufactured in the U.K., you have no recourse but to pay the price according to the exchange rate that prevails on the day!