Approximate system cost: €600,000

Approximate system cost: €250,000

Approximate system cost: $230,000

The final day of High End 2022 was much like the first few: lots of new products, some of them very cool. In fact, I came to the realization that we would only cover a fraction of what’s here on display in Germany—I regret that we’ll definitely miss some relevant products. One thing is for sure, though: customers have some wonderful stereo components to choose from when shopping for a new audio system. Prices below in US dollars or euros.

Anyone who loves sports and watches ESPN—the United States’ most influential sports-related cable network—and, specifically, commentator Stephen A. Smith, knows what the term hot take means. Merriam-Webster defines the hot take as “a quickly produced, strongly worded, and often deliberately provocative or sensational opinion or reaction.” As I traversed the halls of High End 2022, ate in the restaurants of Munich, or worked in various places on my computer, I muttered myriad opinions both to myself and folks I know in the industry. It occurred to me: Why should the sports reporters have all the fun?

I wrote the first High End 2022 product-coverage article we published, but then turned my attention to taking most and editing all of the photos. But during that time with the photos I came across a number of products I knew that the others on the team didn’t get and I knew I had to make sure they got published—so that’s how I ended up writing the last product-coverage article, which is this one. All prices are in US dollars or euros.