A Saturday afternoon in an audiophile heaven in Hong Kong

[CKKeung]

Some WBF members had asked me in pm previously : how come you have listened to and compared so many diff brands/models of audiophile products?

I always answer by saying that Hong Kong is a compact city and audiophiles can have frequent gatherings easily.
Also there are so many dealers/retailers and used hifi shops to visit in HK.

Give WBF members an example : I spent yesterday a Sat afternoon listening to and comparing hi-end products in one of the big hifi dealer & used hifi shops in HK.
The shop occupies several units in a commercial building in the Mongkok area of HK.

This is their biggest listening room for hi-end products :



This is one of the smaller listening rooms of theirs :


This unit houses their used component shop section :


A disclaimer : I am not in the audio/music industry and not paid by this hifi dealer.
I am only one of their usual customers.

More info of them can be found here if you have interest of visiting them after the COVID Pandemic has ended :

首页 | fnaudio

www.fnaudio.com

 

[CKKeung]

So what did I specfically do yesterday afternoon?
I went there and listened to this fabulous set of digital combo :






The amps and speakers used for the audition were :



A Sat afternoon very very well spent!
Extremely satisfied!

Do you agree with me that Hong Kong is an audiophile heaven?

 

[Sablon Audio]

I would agree that HK is indeed an audiophile heaven, though the Adelphi Centre in Singapore also deserves an honourable mention. The reasons behind this are a combination of consumer behaviour and tax policy.

Few other places in the world have zero sales tax and a top rate of income tax of just 17% which gives consumers greater purchasing power. Earn 100, receive 83 and buy 83. Here in EU, @50% top rate income tax and 20% VAT, hence earn 100, receive 50 and buy 42 of goods.

Sellers in turn have a more dynamic and motivated customer base to drive sales volumes and are able to discount more since they are taxed less on their income.

Win, win for consumers.

 

[Carlos269]

So what did I specfically do yesterday afternoon?
I went there and listened to this fabulous set of digital combo :

View attachment 71947
View attachment 71948
View attachment 71949
View attachment 71950

The amps and speakers used for the audition were :

View attachment 71951

A Sat afternoon very very well spent!
Extremely satisfied!

Do you agree with me that Hong Kong is an audiophile heaven?

Have you listened to the Orpheus Labs Heritage Ultimate Power Amplifiers? Any listening impressions compared to the other amplifiers there, with the same source and through the same speakers?

 

[howiebrou]

Have you listened to the Orpheus Labs Heritage Ultimate Power Amplifiers? Any listening impressions compared to the other amplifiers there, with the same source and through the same speakers?

I used to own them. Liked them a lot but ultimately I still gravitate towards a tube sound a bit more. They are warmer than your typical SS amp which is why I bought them in the first place. The Orpheus line is worth a listen, certainly.

 

[howiebrou]

I would agree that HK is indeed an audiophile heaven, though the Adelphi Centre in Singapore also deserves an honourable mention. The reasons behind this are a combination of consumer behaviour and tax policy.

Few other places in the world have zero sales tax and a top rate of income tax of just 17% which gives consumers greater purchasing power. Earn 100, receive 83 and buy 83. Here in EU, @50% top rate income tax and 20% VAT, hence earn 100, receive 50 and buy 42 of goods.

Sellers in turn have a more dynamic and motivated customer base to drive sales volumes and are able to discount more since they are taxed less on their income.

Win, win for consumers.

Time you set up shop here then Mark...

 

[Sablon Audio]

Time you set up shop here then Mark...

hmmm, maybe there’s some mileage in that suggestion Howie

 

[gian60]

Incredible!
In Italy in the best shop you can find in one shop L1 and M1,1,no one shop can find P1 or X1
In other shop MC intosh 2600 and 1.25
In other ARC ref 6 and stereo amp and Dartzeel 8550
In other Thrax integrated

Poor Italy

 

[Zero000]

The Hong Kong Hi-Fi Show is nearly as good as Munich I thought.

Here's my coverage from 2008 LOL. The first time I did Munich was 2011.

Hong Kong Hi-End Show 2008 Pics

Posting after having spent the morning at said show from the Langham Place Hotel, Mongkok, Kowloon, Hong Kong (nice hotel!)... I am very tired - excuse any typos... This show was probably more 'hi-end' than any other show I have ever been to, and I have been to a few:) They had some stunning...

www.martinloganowners.com

 

[CKKeung]

The Hong Kong Hi-Fi Show is nearly as good as Munich I thought.

Here's my coverage from 2008 LOL. The first time I did Munich was 2011.

Hong Kong Hi-End Show 2008 Pics

Posting after having spent the morning at said show from the Langham Place Hotel, Mongkok, Kowloon, Hong Kong (nice hotel!)... I am very tired - excuse any typos... This show was probably more 'hi-end' than any other show I have ever been to, and I have been to a few:) They had some stunning...

www.martinloganowners.com

You still have the 2008 Show sacd?

 

[ashandger]

So what did I specfically do yesterday afternoon?
I went there and listened to this fabulous set of digital combo :

View attachment 71947
View attachment 71948
View attachment 71949
View attachment 71950

The amps and speakers used for the audition were :

View attachment 71951

A Sat afternoon very very well spent!
Extremely satisfied!

Do you agree with me that Hong Kong is an audiophile heaven?

Are you in a position to your share your general impressions from the listening session? Fully appreciate that these brief listening sessions are not conclusive. HK does seem to have an incredible selection of products available in a relatively small area.

 

[Zero000]

a

You still have the 2008 Show sacd?


View attachment 71968
View attachment 71969

Somewhere in a storage box I think!

 

[Bobvin]

I would agree that HK is indeed an audiophile heaven, though the Adelphi Centre in Singapore also deserves an honourable mention. The reasons behind this are a combination of consumer behaviour and tax policy.

Few other places in the world have zero sales tax and a top rate of income tax of just 17% which gives consumers greater purchasing power. Earn 100, receive 83 and buy 83. Here in EU, @50% top rate income tax and 20% VAT, hence earn 100, receive 50 and buy 42 of goods.

Sellers in turn have a more dynamic and motivated customer base to drive sales volumes and are able to discount more since they are taxed less on their income.

Win, win for consumers.

Funny how leaving the $$ in the hands of the person who earned it flows to the whole economy allowing everyone to prosper, vs having the bureaucrats take and spread it around in the most inefficient (and corrupt) ways. (End of political comment — not wanting the censors to down on me!)

 

[astrotoy]

Economics in Hong Kong is not quite as simple as it appears. For most people, the two most expensive expenses are housing and automobiles. In Hong Kong, the housing costs are the highest in the world, up to double the cost of LA or NYC, the highest cost places in the US. You can get a sense of the cost of commercial space by looking at the pictures in the posts and how densely packed the rooms are. You seldom see anything like the spacious listening rooms in many hi end audio salons in the US. Similarly new cars are taxed at a progressive rate up to 115% for a luxury car. In addition the annual license fees are very high.

For many years we regularly visited my wife's parents (now deceased) and sister (and her family) who both owned flats in the mid-levels of Hong Kong Island. Her sister is still there and we get a pretty good sense of what is going on in Hong Kong from their perspectives.

Larry

 

[howiebrou]

Economics in Hong Kong is not quite as simple as it appears. For most people, the two most expensive expenses are housing and automobiles. In Hong Kong, the housing costs are the highest in the world, up to double the cost of LA or NYC, the highest cost places in the US. You can get a sense of the cost of commercial space by looking at the pictures in the posts and how densely packed the rooms are. You seldom see anything like the spacious listening rooms in many hi end audio salons in the US. Similarly new cars are taxed at a progressive rate up to 115% for a luxury car. In addition the annual license fees are very high.

For many years we regularly visited my wife's parents (now deceased) and sister (and her family) who both owned flats in the mid-levels of Hong Kong Island. Her sister is still there and we get a pretty good sense of what is going on in Hong Kong from their perspectives.

Larry

True, there's always pros and cons when you look closely. However, if you are lucky enough to own a property, and since most people don't drive (i.e. own a car), the 15-17% tax and no sales tax is very useful. Having almost every hi end brand within a 15 minute drive is quite nice to have!

 

[Nevillekapadia]

Having been around to Adelphi and Mongkok, I found Seoul right up there and may be the best in what they offered. There is one building which houses most of the used and new dealers. The vintage gear also was terrific.

 

[CKKeung]

Having been around to Adelphi and Mongkok, I found Seoul right up there and may be the best in what they offered. There is one building which houses most of the used and new dealers. The vintage gear also was terrific.

Good info!
Do they welcome overseas visitors?
Please share the address with WBF members.
Manu thanks!

 

[QuadDiffuser]

So what did I specfically do yesterday afternoon?
I went there and listened to this fabulous set of digital combo :

View attachment 71947
View attachment 71948
View attachment 71949
View attachment 71950

The amps and speakers used for the audition were :

View attachment 71951

A Sat afternoon very very well spent!
Extremely satisfied!

Do you agree with me that Hong Kong is an audiophile heaven?

How were the room acoustics in their flagship showroom? Were you able to discern a deep, wide, layered and unconstrained pin-point imaging of instruments and voices in the soundstage?

 

[Ultrafast69]

No doubt lots of gear in Hong Kong, thanks for sharing!

I did not realize the massive size of the WADAX Atlantis Reference.

 

[CKKeung]

Part 1 of the adventure of Richard Austren in the audiophile heavean of HK :

Hong Kong: A License to Thrill, Part 1 – From Hong Kong with Love.

Every Day an Audio Show “Hey Richard, will you be attending the California Audio Show in California this summer?” “Sure. Are you going?” I reply. “Yes. I have saved up for the air and hotel and am excited to hear all those brands I read about in the press. The hotel is booked and the [...]

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