June 1998

The Frankfurt High End '98 Show Report
by Robert Jørgensen,
European Correspondent

The Frankfurt High-End '98 Show was held May 21-24. More than 180 exhibitors filled up the elegant Kempinski Hotel, so many that exhibits overflowed to the Frankfurt Holiday Inn.

Many Frankfurt Shows have come and gone, but this year's Show was especially noteworthy. In the past, products exhibited had to be represented in Germany, but this year the restriction was removed, thereby opening the possibility for the Frankfurt High-End Show to become perhaps the gathering on the European high-end scene.

I spent three days roaming the corridors and rooms of the Kempinski, and I still didn't see and hear all of the equipment on display. However, some major trends were apparent:

• Vinyl lives! More that 40 exhibitors showed LP equipment.
• The large interest in tube amps and high-efficiency speakers continues.
• Big changes are ahead for digital replay (this is not necessarily a surprise).
• Speaker technology is taking some major steps forward.

First, let me introduce you to some astoundingly good products, most of which are new, that may change the high-end marketplace. These ShowStoppers are already available in European high-end shops, or they will be within a month or two.

And there's much more to come. Our report will consist of the following areas (please keep checking back as we continue our coverage)

• Frankfurt '98 ShowStoppers
• Speakers (big and small)
• NEW: Amplifiers
• Digital Replay

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Keep checking back as we update the
Frankfurt High End '98 Show Report

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