I remember going to this event about 5 years back, at the similar venue - JW Marriott opposite Pavilion. I was surprised then to find out that the exhibits were quite literally in hotel rooms. It was a similar affair this time around as well. This time, I went there with Puan Anita. And this was the first time she was there.
During my days in the UK, I used to have a hi-fi system. It was a Rega Planar 3 turntable, Audiolab amplifier, Arcam Alpha CD player, with a separate DA convertor. The cables were from Linn and these were connected to a pair of Mission floorstanders. Not a bad setup actually.
My dream was one day to own a Naim amplifier and CD player, connected to Linn speakers. So, I saw just that yesterday. And still, I couldn't afford them.
The show itself was OK. Since it was late afternoon - we arrived there at around 6, with the doors closing at 7.30, those who were left were enthusiasts. We spent some time on the lower floors looking at cinema displays and sound system. Nothing really fancy. The newly released Panasonic 70 inch LED was quite good, and retailing at just over 10K was reasonably prices too.
Anita was looking for an integrated stereo system, similar to my Zeppelin Air at the moment. After browsing on a few models, the Zikmu Solo caught her eyes, but the sound we found lacked weight. Maybe it had something to with the space we heard the speakers at. There were too much sound from the adjoining rooms to really listen. At the end she decided against buying it.
I spent some time listening to the Audiolab line-up. The current amplifier series was called the 8200s - my 20-year-old amp was part of the 8000 series line-up. The sound coming out of the bundled Mission floorstanders were quite sweet, until I realised that the setup also had a couple of power amps strung in. Too much wiring and of course, too costly. Not the time to indulge in such luxury at the moment. Maybe in a few more years.
In the end I was glad that I went. I learned a lot about what was available. The only thing I missed was the chance to have a look at a Bose system. I couldn't find them in any of the exhibit floors. This was the system I wanted to install in my office at the apartment.
