The High End Society show in Munich gives premium grade audio manufacturers an opportunity not only to exhibit their esteemed bestsellers to their loyal leagues of audiophiles, but also to present new offerings to the market.
This year saw SCV brands Questyle Audio, Bricasti Designs and Meze Audio all announce new game-changing products. Below we take you on a flying visit to each booth and a summary of the innovation on offer.
Questyle QP2R
Following on from the popular QP1R, the QP2R is Questyle’s hotly anticipated second-generation portable audio player. The upgraded design features an all-discrete circuit, Questyle’s latest CMA (Current Mode Amplifier) circuit technology, ultra-low 0.0005% distortion and less than 0.1Ω output impedance. The QP2R is also the world's first portable DAP which uses pure Class A BIAS control system.
However, the most impressive improvements have been made from the perspective of operation design: Questyle have developed and implemented an entirely new navigation wheel design sporting 30 individual components (and patents) for improved mechanical accuracy and usability. The expansion options have also undergone a revamp, with only one slot now on offer at a greatly improved capacity (200GB via MicroSD in addition to 64GB internal storage as standard).
Whilst the analogue audio section of the QP1R was sizeable, the QP2R’s occupies around 70% of its PCB - the largest of any portable audio player on the market. Questyle’s commitment to putting audio first is what has made this design so unique, and listening at the show we saw the benefits of this effort first hand.
Questyle QP2R portable digital audio player
CMA400i
The CMA400i is Questyle’s latest and most affordable DAC and headphone amplifier to-date. Only a few units have made it to the UK for the purposes of gaining absolutely rave reviews, so SCV were grateful for the opportunity to give this piece another look! The converter features AKM’s AK4490 DAC chip and USB, Optical and S/PDIF connectivity built-in. At £849, Questyle quality has never been so affordable! Units are due to hit dealers late-July 2017.
CMA400i, Questyle's newest affordable DAC and Headphone Amp
Bricasti M5
Presenting Bricasti's latest foray into wireless media rendering! The Bricasti M5 Network Player is capable of delivering lossless audio from your networked music source directly to your DA converter either via Ethernet/LAN or Wi-Fi. Connectivity, as with all Bricasti product designs, has been thoroughly thought-out. The rear of the unit offers S/PDIF and AES connections, and sampling rates of up to 192k PCM, DSD64 and DSD128 are possible via USB.
Finally, the M5’s looks are stunning. Bricasti have featured their signature solid milled-aluminium chassis making a perfect aesthetic match for any distinguished audiophile setup, and whilst many networking products are manufactured in the Far East, each M5 is being lovingly handcrafted in Massachusetts, USA to ensure the highest consistent quality.
Bricasti's newly announced M5 network media player
Meze Audio 99 Neo
The 99 Neo is a new and cost-effective take on Meze Audio's revered 99 Classic model. Several tweaks have been made to the design, all of which have been detailed in our recent newspiece 'Meze Audio Launch 99 Neo.'
Meze Audio fans checking out the latest 99 Neo over-ear headphones!
For further product information, arrival dates or to find your authorised dealers get in touch with SCV Distribution!