Now, for the final part of the KLIAV 2009 show full report.
AVP Soundcraft, the new Simaudio representitive in town, show cased a full line of the flagship Moon series electronics powering a pair of German Physics omnidirectional speakers. The sound was highly impressive to say the least. With lightning fast transient response, tight, solid bass and very airy highs, making sound staging very believable and convincing. Too bad the mids were a bit lean for vocals, and the music choice was rather limited to showcase the system's strengths. One of my personal top 3 fav demo.
Over the Simaudio Moon???
A closer look at the German Physics speaker.
AV World, demonstrated a very tonally balanced, coherent beyond reproach sound, from a system, consisting of the lagendary Mark Levinson electronics and KEF Reference speakers. Cables are all Nordost and a Burmester Sine Wave Reconstruction PLC helps no doubt. These guys know some good, real world music choices too. A mighty fine demo. On static displays are B&K amplifiers and the full line of KEF speakers.
Great synergy from the ML and KEF combo! Noticed the Nordost Valhallas streching across?
The Burmester Perfect Sinewave Regenerator, very potent indeed!
More KEFs on display.
Great synergy from the ML and KEF combo! Noticed the Nordost Valhallas streching across?
The Burmester Perfect Sinewave Regenerator, very potent indeed!
Not to be out done, A&L Audio also had a big demo room on the 4th floor, displaying their newly aquired Dali speaker line and VTL tube amps. Their main demo system consist of a 2 pc PS Audio Perfect Wave memory player, VTL 6.5 Signature pre amp and MB450MKII mono block power amps and a pair of Dali Helikon Euphonia MS5 speakers. The sound was big, powerfull, warm and dynamic. Also on static display were the full lines of Dali speakers and VTL tube amps. PS Audio power products were also featured here.
The latest Dali Euphonia MS5, and VTL tube amps!
PS Audio Perfectwave memory player with VTL 6.5 Signature pre amp.
Dalis in a row.
The ATS Marketing room featured their full range of locally made hifi supports, racks, speaker stands and isolation cone sets.
Wood support?
Or would you prefer acrylic?
The Ayre/TAD Ref 1 demo room, presented by Pioneer, is one of my top 3 fav demos. The sound was highly resolved, transparent and very coherent. Though some others had remarked that for a big system, the sound was rather small scale, but that's my point actually! How many big systems can portray sonic imeadiacy like a smaller system??? I also found that the highs tend to beam at certain frequencies from the speakers, but that's more of a set up issue, I guess. The system is made up of Ayre CX5e CD player, KX-R pre amp and MX-R mono blocks powering the TAD Ref 1 speakers.
AV Designs had some very impresive surround sound AV system on display, probably the best AV display of the show! They had devoted most of the show time for AV demo, which has short changed us stereo dudes a chance to hear the new PMC PB1i speakers powered by full Bryston electronics in it full musical glory. I did get a chance for a private audition and it was impresive. I was so musically awed by the sound, I had forgotten to take the pictures! Sorry James.
The new PMC Fact 8 speakers on silent display, no sound! James tells me this is PMC's new direction for the next generation of speakers.
I missed this Bryston setup, which was in my room just a few days before the show.
The naked Torus Power PLC, it shows that you're not paying for a box full of air!
Next up is the Kondo demo room, displaying the full Kondo Japanese set up. Many remarked that it did heavenly vocals and organically beautifull music. I personally think this set up is more for conoisuers whom are very seriously well endowed!(think $$$...........)
I've heard that you could buy a prestigeous condo in Kuala Lumpur for a full Kondo set price!
More condos, err..... Kondo on display.
The Sooloos Meridian room was show casing more of the user friendly interface in the Sooloos music server, feeding low level signals straight in to a pair of Meridian DSP powered speakers.
The Sooloos Meridian music server, the future of music sources?
Another room featuring music servers is the Norman Audio demo room featuring a pair of Avalon Acoustic NP Evolution Series 1.0 speakers power by an intergrated amp. Crystal cables were on display too.
The Avalon Evolution NP 1.0 speaker.
See the great amount of room treatment efforts by Joamonte?
The very refined Vitus Audio electronics, the high end aura is certainly there!
Look at your RM1.2 millions worth of high end audio.
And lastly but surely, here are the following results of our Readers Choice for Best Show Demo.
The latest Dali Euphonia MS5, and VTL tube amps! PS Audio Perfectwave memory player with VTL 6.5 Signature pre amp.
Dalis in a row.The ATS Marketing room featured their full range of locally made hifi supports, racks, speaker stands and isolation cone sets.
Wood support?
Or would you prefer acrylic?The Ayre/TAD Ref 1 demo room, presented by Pioneer, is one of my top 3 fav demos. The sound was highly resolved, transparent and very coherent. Though some others had remarked that for a big system, the sound was rather small scale, but that's my point actually! How many big systems can portray sonic imeadiacy like a smaller system??? I also found that the highs tend to beam at certain frequencies from the speakers, but that's more of a set up issue, I guess. The system is made up of Ayre CX5e CD player, KX-R pre amp and MX-R mono blocks powering the TAD Ref 1 speakers.
AV Designs had some very impresive surround sound AV system on display, probably the best AV display of the show! They had devoted most of the show time for AV demo, which has short changed us stereo dudes a chance to hear the new PMC PB1i speakers powered by full Bryston electronics in it full musical glory. I did get a chance for a private audition and it was impresive. I was so musically awed by the sound, I had forgotten to take the pictures! Sorry James.
The new PMC Fact 8 speakers on silent display, no sound! James tells me this is PMC's new direction for the next generation of speakers. I missed this Bryston setup, which was in my room just a few days before the show.
The naked Torus Power PLC, it shows that you're not paying for a box full of air!Next up is the Kondo demo room, displaying the full Kondo Japanese set up. Many remarked that it did heavenly vocals and organically beautifull music. I personally think this set up is more for conoisuers whom are very seriously well endowed!(think $$$...........)
More condos, err..... Kondo on display.The Sooloos Meridian room was show casing more of the user friendly interface in the Sooloos music server, feeding low level signals straight in to a pair of Meridian DSP powered speakers.
The Sooloos Meridian music server, the future of music sources?Another room featuring music servers is the Norman Audio demo room featuring a pair of Avalon Acoustic NP Evolution Series 1.0 speakers power by an intergrated amp. Crystal cables were on display too.
The Avalon Evolution NP 1.0 speaker.The jewel like Crystal cable, for the feminist in an audiophile?
Auralex sound treatment products made it's KLIAV debut courtesy of Acoustic Innovations.
Lastly, my personal top 3 fav demo at the KLIAV is also the most expensive, the Swedish Statement main demo on the 4th floor, cost a whopping RM$1.2 million! The sound is understated, refined and highly transparent. It's strength is more in micro dynamism rather than macro dynamism. Most say that I had eye-fi ed rather than hifi ed. But my point is, irregardless of price, it's still the single most impressive system on display(I am talking sound wise!) Most have failled to factor in the point of diminishing returns at this level of high end audio. Frankly, the sonic diference between an RM$500k system and of those costing more than a million is somtimes not that much either! Never expect to double the returns for the double of your $$$ investments, well at least that's the way it is with high end audio. Anyway, this is where the big boys play! This system had plenty of room treatment help from our dear friend Joamonte, whom spent more than 3 sleepness nights tweaking the system.
Lastly, my personal top 3 fav demo at the KLIAV is also the most expensive, the Swedish Statement main demo on the 4th floor, cost a whopping RM$1.2 million! The sound is understated, refined and highly transparent. It's strength is more in micro dynamism rather than macro dynamism. Most say that I had eye-fi ed rather than hifi ed. But my point is, irregardless of price, it's still the single most impressive system on display(I am talking sound wise!) Most have failled to factor in the point of diminishing returns at this level of high end audio. Frankly, the sonic diference between an RM$500k system and of those costing more than a million is somtimes not that much either! Never expect to double the returns for the double of your $$$ investments, well at least that's the way it is with high end audio. Anyway, this is where the big boys play! This system had plenty of room treatment help from our dear friend Joamonte, whom spent more than 3 sleepness nights tweaking the system.
See the great amount of room treatment efforts by Joamonte?
The very refined Vitus Audio electronics, the high end aura is certainly there!
Look at your RM1.2 millions worth of high end audio.And lastly but surely, here are the following results of our Readers Choice for Best Show Demo.
1st place, total of 4 votes = Swedish Statement, featuring Marten Design Coltrane Supreme & Vitus Audio electronics. (Panzer, 1 vote)
Joint 2nd place, total of 3 votes each =
a) CMY, Dynaudio Confidence C4 & Jeff Rowland electronics with Acoustic System accesories.
b) CMY, ProAc & Naim electronics with RGPC power supply.
c) Kondo, full Kondo system.
d) Ong Radio, full McIntosh system. (Hifikaki, 1 vote)
Joint 3rd place, total of 2 votes each =
a) Rave System, Wilson Benesch C-60 & Gryphon plus Weiss electronics.
b) Norman Audio/Hi Way Laser, ATC SCM50A & Ayre electronics.
c) Audionote, full Audionote system. (Hifikaki, 1 vote)
d) Pioneer, TAD Ref 1 & Ayre electronics. (Panzer, 1 vote)
Others that made the survey with 1 vote each =
a) Tropical Audio, Harbeth & Quad electronics.
b) Centre Circle Audio, Amphion, Pathos and Esoteric, with JPS cables.
c) AV Designs, PMC & Bryston electronics.
d) AV World, KEF Reference & Mark Levinson electronics with Burmester power supply.
e) CMY, Dynaudio Confidence C1 & Jeff Rowland electronics with Siltech cables. (Hifikaki, 1 vote)
f) AVP Soundcraft, German Physics & Simaudio electronics. (Panzer, 1 vote)
g) A&L Audio, Focus Audio FS88 & Densen electronics.
All tallies are taken from those votes presented by our readers, taken from an earlier survey. Also tallied in to account is Hifikaki's and my own top 3 fav demo choice.
Hifikaki's top 3 fav demo choice:
1) Audionote, full Audionote system.
2) Ong Radio, full Mcintosh system.
3) CMY, Dynaudio Confidence C1 & Jeff Rowland electronics with Siltech cables.
Panzer's top 3 fav demo choice:
1) Swedish Statement, Coltrane Supreme & Vitus Audio electronics.
2) Pioneer, TAD Ref 1 & Ayre electronics.
3) AVP Soundcraft, German Physics & Simaudio electronics.
Congrats to all the those exhibitors mentioned above, your extra care in setting up efforts have made a strong imppression on the KLIAV 2009 show goers and our readers. My special congrats to the Swedish Statement team for an extra ordinary strong showing.
In summary, I thought the show would be a subdued affair, with the economic crisis in full swing and wanning stereo interest, as indicated by demographics. But as the show ended, most dealers actually reported higher interest, with more quality enquiries than before, which indicates a healthier stereo market. We can only speculate the show attendence traffic, once 3 DOTS Events, the show's organizers release their statistics.
Once again, I throughly enjoyed the show.
Here's looking forward to another KLIAV show next year!
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