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Christmas time has come once again, and once again we gathered with friends — fellow music lovers and audiophiles — not only to meet, but to share what binds us more deeply than words: time, taste, and sound. It was an evening for unhurried conversations, the aromas of home-cooked food, a glass of good wine, and, of course, analog music, which that night felt like a living participant in our dialogue. This time, a Hungarian goulash simmered on the table, we tasted an old Italian red wine from 1971, and the evening was crowned with a classic tiramisu dessert. All of it blended into a warm, almost timeless atmosphere, where every moment carried its own weight and meaning.

That evening was special — simple in form, yet rich in sensations and closeness. I believe such gatherings are slowly becoming a tradition: a pre-Christmas pause where friendship, music, and shared presence matter more than any gifts. Perhaps it is in moments like these that one realizes that true sound is born not only from the grooves of vinyl, but also from the people who listen together.

Here are a few photographs capturing moments from our gathering…

A wonderful pre-Christmas evening at my place, with delicious food and excellent analog music. This time, there were five of us: Vaidas, Povilas, Gintas, Virgius, and me. The dinner had an Italian theme:  I prepared Tuscan-style chicken with cream, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes, and Gintas brought a homemade tiramisu cake. After enjoying a delightful meal paired with wine, we moved to the music room to treat our souls to the sounds of music.

We listened to a variety of genres: jazz, classical, blues, instrumental, and even light rock.
We also tested and compared my freshly built tube phono preamp, which I made for my friend Vaidas. I assembled it using vintage NOS components—tubes from the 1940s, resistors, and capacitors from the 1940s–1970s. Interestingly, this new preamp turned out to sound better than the vintage one I’ve been using myself. This gave me the idea that my own preamp might need some upgrades :)))

In short, we had an amazing time with friends, and now we can look forward to Christmas.
Wishing everyone good vibes, delightful music, and a Merry Christmas ahead!!!

Sweet memories from the participation in the international Hi-Fi show "High End Munich" in May 2024

Memories from the participation in the international Hi-Fi show "High End Munich" in May 2022

Not a great news for us, our trip will have to be postponed again, it was already canceled in 2020, and again this year. I hope in 2022 hi-end show will take place .

The organisers have decided to pull the plug on this year's high-end hi-fi show

The hi-fi industry will have to wait until next summer to get its customary high-end show fix. High End Munich 2021 has just been cancelled following – you guessed it – the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In November, the organisers of Europe's biggest annual hi-fi show announced its plans to hold the event this year – not in its usual May timeslot but four months later – following its cancellation in 2020.

In an official statement, Stefan Dreischärf, managing director of the event's organisers, HIGH END SOCIETY Service GmbH, said: “We have prepared for the event extremely well and were confident that the HIGH END... would be able to take place this autumn despite the changing conditions. That said, we have to adopt a far-sighted approach to maintain the trust of our exhibitors. Given the slow development on a global scale, we believe that the current situation is too uncertain. The risk of having to cancel the event at short notice is simply too high.”

The rescheduled dates, which you should now put a big thick line through in your diary, were the 9th–12th September. The organisers are now planning the show's return to MOC Event Center in Munich for the 19th–22nd May 2022.

Indeed, the hi-fi industry's 2021 calendar is, unsurprisingly, looking pretty bare. The February-held Bristol Hi-Fi Show was another 2021 victim of the pandemic's continued backlash, while January's CES was an online-only affair. Only time will tell whether IFA will go ahead as an in-person event in September as planned.