Day two started with Abbingdon Music Research's value brand iFi Audio.

"Their new flagship amp is named iCan Phantom. Works with electrostats and sounded great with Shangrila Junior. The iDSD Diablo X is the upcoming DAC/amp also for IEMs based on novel xMEMs drivers." That latter bit was Swahili to me but nothing on which my factory contact Victoria Pickles in Blighty couldn't sort me out in due time. The Phantom sports SD-type plug-in cards to customize the bias voltage of its electrostatic outputs. In the photo we see a 580V card inserted right next to the headphone cable. Possible values run up to 640V and down to 500V. The multi-tiered circular top plate is a heat exchanger which could perhaps double as base for a headphone stand? I joked with Dawid that Vic had clearly held out when for my preshow report, I'd asked her about iFi novelties. "They had no idea before the show whether a working unit of this model would land in time so her secrecy was well placed." 'round back the Phantom of this opera rocks 3 RCA inputs, one XLR and outputs on either.

Dawid had welcomed remote suggestions whereupon I proposed that Stenheim's new Alumine 2.5 could be a worthwhile discovery. "Not sure whether this is the new model but the main word to describe its sound with a darTZeel amp is crisp in a good way." I told our man that this indeed was the bigger Alumine 3. The new one does only three drivers so two 6½" mid/woofers plus tweeter; and a round front port.

Fifteen minutes later, "found 'em. Big sound from small boxes. Very effortless and punctual though."

His next stop were "speakers with glass membranes which don't make glassy sound. On the contrary, they're like latte." Though he didn't say so specifically, these must have been transducers by Gai-Tech of Taiwan though if here used OEM, the speaker brand could be different, possibly that of the logo on this wall?

"The Crystal Cable Minissimo Forte. Active buffering as you said, somewhat similar to what Siltech did in their Symphony speakers." Hidden away in the new larger stands are active electronics which don't power these drivers—our own amp still does that—but apparently work like a current-gain buffer to lower impedance; prevent back EMF; and probably replace passive crossover parts like coils to lower overall inductance and make for an easier load which has our amp perform better. I recall reading that the rakish top hat was styled to reduce audible diffraction effects. To get the full breakdown of the 5¼" 2-way Forte with beryllium tweeter, 95dB and 16Ω specs will obviously require the maker's own explanations to move from assumptions to confirmed things.

"Stuff from Innuos, their new Pulse range. Their room always makes some good sound and Estelon clearly had something to do with that." Other electronics by Greece's Pilium.

"When I came in these Albedo Agadia were on. Not sure whether these were ceramics or not but the effect was in that quick refreshing informative ballpark. Two thumbs up from me." Having owned their Aptica for a decade, I'd hoped to review another Albedo for ages but the company had gone with ever bigger heavier pricier fare. This year's new 2½-way with bigger half way looks just about doable for my back and crib. Here's to hoping. These electronics were by Soul Note of Japan.

"The big Raidho sounded utterly majestic and in control. Very impressive. New Scansonic Q series speakers were very low in volume when I came by so can't say much." Electronics were Moon by simaudio in either Dantax exhibit.

"Big Kroma made big sound but I won't say more." Apparently room and bass weren't copacetic?

"WLM were impressively open, spatially gifted and investigative. Those small shallow box speakers meant for a more mainstream audience really have me intrigued." That was Dawid on Martin Schützenauer's Wiener Lautsprecher Manufaktur from, obviously, Vienna.

If he could find their exhibit in time before his second day came to an end, I suggested to Dawid that he might enjoy the new Lyngdorf Cue-100 which mates an AMT to a 6½" Purifi mid/woofer then one matching passive radiator on each remaining surface of the triangular cross-section cab. "€20K/pr retail, loaded with tech, visually brilliant. They didn’t play though. And that's a wrap."

When asked what his favorite—or most surprising—Munich 2023 discovery was, "no surprises but Børresen's X3 with Axxess Forté all-in-one was one awesome most memorable standout especially given price. Sven’s W22 with his own electronics was the other. These were my two highlights of the show."