Hi-End Asia International Audio Visual Show is happening soon. Spanning three days from Oct 23rd (Thursday) to the 25th (Saturday) at Level 3, Suntec Convention & Exhibition Centre, don't miss this.
Featuring a line-up of esteemed speakers and singers, I'm really looking forward to this. The singers include Anette Askvik, Anne Bisson, Zhong Zhigang, Hao Wei and Kiva.
Visit hiendasia.com to get your tickets and for more details. Do check back regularly for live updates as the show unfolds.
Here are some preview pictures as the exhibitors continue to work hard on setting up their systems for opening tomorrow.
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| The early birds get the worms. This was even before the official opening hours. |
The opening ceremony started off with the customary speeches and an opening by Chen Lei that was certainly memorable - loud and colourful!
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| The lovely Anne Bisson and her very handsome husband. |
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Anette and STein introducing themselves. I've been saying it wrong the whole time. Annette is pronounced "Ah-net-ter" in Norway.
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| Some words from the big man himself, Louis Chew. |
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| More words from the other big man, Christopher Tan. |
Music Performances
Having attended all the concerts, please do not miss any. In case you are sitting on the fence on shelling out the money for the VVIP and VIP tickets, please don't hesitate. Or as we say in Hokkien, Mai Tu Liao. The performances are worth every penny.
Anette Askvik and STein
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Kiva
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| This talented young lady does wonders with her Zhongruan and voice. |
Zhong Zhigang
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| If Xiaogang had given me some lessons in my youth, I would have been infinitely more popular with the girls. |
The Rooms (In alphabetical order)
Alexandria Audio (Honourable Mention)
Co-founders Henry and Kenneth were on hand to answer any questions. Hailing from Bali, Indonesia, this company has a lot of very nice products. I had an extensive discussion with Henry previously when I covered their bookshelf speakers, "The Monitor".
With the Praetoria speakers playing, this was one of my top rooms for the day. The imaging is not the pinpoint type which I'm more used to, but it made up for it with sheer presence and musicality. Brass instruments are really right in front of you during jazz tracks!
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| Can you really trust something said by one Eric Teh? |
Artisan Acoustics / Cornerstone Audio
SB Acoustic speakers and JW Speaker Labs were on display. JW hails from Malaysia and utilises SB Acoustic drivers in their designs. The home-theater setup sounded quite good. I'll be back for a more detailed listen.
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| Origin Live Resolution turntable, Lab12 and B Audio electronics. |
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| SB Acoustics Sasandu |
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| I didn't get the model name. I'll just call it "Helluva big pumpkin center speaker" |
Aston Martin
I've always wanted an Aston Martin, probably since the days of watching too many James Bond movies. In my pursuit to be suave, debonair, dangerous and champagne-loving, I somehow only managed to become a danger to audiophile wallets and develop a love for Bollinger Champagne.
Audio Atelier
I had a quick catch-up with Ian, the owner of Audio Atelier. The tablet was in the hands of Mr. FH, who was testing out the dynamic limits of the system. FH is a legend in the local community. The last time I visited him, I could hear his system from the carpark downstairs. I'll be back when the speaker woofer cones recover and the dust settles.
Audio Exotics
Hifi.com.sg
High-End Research
Lingke
While their massive speakers were visually impressive, the real surprise for me was the smaller room. The A5 active speakers sounded pretty good. The sales representative mentioned that they cost about USD700+
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| Close-up of the A5 active speakers. |
Ong Radio (Honourable Mention)
I had a quick listen during the setup phase. The B&W and McIntosh system was really nice and was one of my top rooms for the day.
Vinshine / Laiv
The rooms of the day were Mod Audio, Audio Perfectionist Malaysia and Audioline (TAD).
It had presence and dynamics. But .... it was only performing at a fraction of its potential. Having heard this at the dealer's showroom, you were only getting a teaser at the show. The electronics from Westend were beautiful, with lavish amounts of chrome.
Audio Perfectionist Malaysia - Audio Group Denmark (Honourable Mention)
The first system featured Borresen C3 speakers with Aavik electronics
The second system consisted of Borresen M3 speakers, BBM subwoofers and Aavik electronics.
A short demo was performed with and without the BBM subwoofer. It's the most unsubwoofer-like subwoofer I've heard. The open-baffle design utilises multiple small drivers firing both forward and backward. You don't get the chest-thumping lows, but a more natural fill of low frequencies and midrange depth and density. BBM stands for Borresen Bass Module, but I think Bad-ass Bass Machine would be more appropriate. This system sounded really good to my ears, with all the stuff that audiophiles love. The price tag is very unfriendly to the wallet. On the other hand, the first system is quite impressive for the money.
Audio Perfectionist Malaysia - Audiovector
The Audiovector speakers were paired with equipment from J.Sikora, DS Audio, Luxman and Keces (courtesy of Simplicity Control).
Audio 88 (Room One)
YG Acoustic Carmel 3 speakers were paired with Vitus amplification. The source consisted of the new flagship Lumin U2x streamer and a three-box MSB DAC. Cabling was from Nordost.
Audio 88 (Room Two)
The striking speakers were the YG Acoustics XX Live. This is an active speaker design. The silver box with the volume knob is its dedicated control module.
Audioline (TAD) (Honourable Mention)
The full TAD system anchored by the Plixir Elite BAC 3000 II was really good. It really ticked all the boxes for me. It did both dynamic and gentler tracks very well. Great staging, detail and a nuanced presentation.
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| These Ensemble speakers are truly a work of art! |
AV Intelligence
Balanced Audio Technology / TAD
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| TAD Compact Reference One. |
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| The mighty BAT REX 500 power amp. 500 WPC into 8 ohms and 1000 WPC into 4 ohms. Go easy with the volume knob! |
A very tight, grippy and dynamic sound. I like my music gentler, but many others would love the presentation of this system.
Hifi.com.sg - Audionote
JBL Everest
Top marks for the very nice backdrop. If you have a preconceived notion of what a JBL speaker should look and sound like, you are in for a shock. I quite liked the sound of these speakers but the music material and very soft volume (even by my standards) made it very difficult to form any conclusion.
JW Speaker Lab
I returned for a longer listen and had a nice chat with Mr. JW. The speakers are designed and made in Malaysia, utilising SB Acoustic drivers exclusively. Their home-theater set up had excellent coherence and channel steering. The timbre was full and natural, which was a refreshing welcome from the sizzle and tizz of some other HT-centric speakers. The slim subwoofer design (not pictured) makes perfect sense for local homes. Pricing is a pleasant surprise.
Mod Audio (Honourable Mention)
The Thales analog system was mesmerising. The "twin-chopstick" tangential pivot system is very innovative. The rest of the system consisted of a Plixir power conditioner, Rogue amplifier and YG Acoustics Hailey 3.2. Don't miss this room. While the system did not have COE-like prices, it punches very well above its weight and demonstrates high mastery of analog setup and tuning. Surface noise and inner-groove distortion? You won't find it here. To give them due credit, the smaller "container-like" rooms were extra-challenging and they handled it very well.
Peak Consult
SB Acoustics
I had a very quick listen to the Sasandu. Nice tone, but the room acoustics were challenging. I had a nice discussion too with Melly Wulandari, project manager for Sinar Bajar Electric (which produces SB Acoustic drivers).
SGLiveacoustics / Point
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| The Power Master aka Uncle Point was doing a live demo of his AC conditioner. |
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| I love the styling! |
Sound Machine
This is a local company. Their products certainly had visual presence!
Voxativ
This system showed great potential, but was ultimately held back by challenging acoustics. I loved the look of the speakers. For a full-range driver design, the high frequencies were quite extended and natural.
Yongse
Yongse had very interesting headphone and IEM cables. The wires are separated by a 3D-printed spacer. Despite the thickness, the cables were light and flexible. They operate a store on Aliexpress. Mr. Lee gave me an IEM cable to try. I'll post my findings in due course.
Conclusion
The move to large-format rooms really helped big systems shine. The performances were top-notch and international standard. While there were some teething issues like all shows (a lack of signage led to some people missing out the left-wing rooms and the even more mysterious Area A, but the organisers were quick to remedy them. Let's commend Louis and Michelle for all their efforts. Their sleepless nights paid off and wishing them a well-deserved break now.
