The Hong Kong High End Audio Visual Show 2013

[garylkoh]

Thanks guys! The system was doing things that was making me speechless too! And we were only running the 160W Viola Legacy - not the 800W bridged mono Viola Bravo that I had requested.

The track was from this album. One of Winston Ma's masterful re-issues from the original Decca tapes.

 

[garylkoh]

Audiophiles in Hong Kong and China pay $1000 and up for these CDs made of a special tempered crystal glass.



I won't speculate as to why it would sound "better" than the ordinary CD - even on the CH Precision D1 transport and C1 DAC. The music seemed to have more energy and flowed better. The Chinese instrument used here - the GuZheng has the reputation of being extremely difficult to record well.

 

[Jazzhead]

AAhh the famous glass CD ... a mention in this RG article ... http://www.theaudiobeat.com/visits/asia_3.htm

 

[garylkoh]

AAhh the famous glass CD ... a mention in this RG article ... http://www.theaudiobeat.com/visits/asia_3.htm

Thanks. I loved his conclusion:

It was also tremendously encouraging to find such enthusiasm and to enjoy such astonishing experiences after so long resisting the downbeat cynicism of so much of the audio industry in the UK and US. Only an ostrich would deny that the center of audio gravity is shifting East. On this showing it’s easy to understand why.

I came back from the exhausting HK show with Rebecca and Lincoln with more energy. Mostly, after a show in the US, I am sapped.

 

[LL21]

...The Chinese instrument used here - the GuZheng has the reputation of being extremely difficult to record well.

OK...now THAT is what I was really hoping to hear!!! Sensational! I am no techie...and frankly was not sure whether (in your first videoclip) the live playback of the 2 singers thru the speakers was the same kind of test as just playing a CD through your system. I thought perhaps live feedback direct into the speakers might have greater fidelity.

But now that you've done CD-playback in this video snip...in a room of 300 people...I am simply amazed. I admit that I went out of my way to post quite a bit on the Genesis 1.1s I heard on a killer system in Europe a few months ago...I said it was officially the best system I have ever heard. And I am glad to see that your video did nothing to convince me otherwise...Absolutely amazing, Gary. If I closed my eyes, I would absolutely believe you recorded the live instruments on that stage. period.

Cannot wait for the Genesis 'Komodo' as I like to nickname it...the new speaker you're working on that will come out just under the mighty Genesis 1.2/Dragons...

 

[carolkoh]

I listened to that GuZheng track from Gary's Facebook posting on my iPad. Frankly, I was amazed. I had clicked on it and then opened the Sunday papers. The reproduction made me look up and stare at my iPad. Considering that it was recorded with a little camera... Facebook compresses any video you put up and c'mon... iPad speakers... it was astonishingly good.

 

[cjfrbw]

I listened to that GuZheng track from Gary's Facebook posting on my iPad. Frankly, I was amazed. I had clicked on it and then opened the Sunday papers. The reproduction made me look up and stare at my iPad. Considering that it was recorded with a little camera... Facebook compresses any video you put up and c'mon... iPad speakers... it was astonishingly good.

Impressive even through the vitiating screen of YouTube.

 

[Bruce B]

The track was from this album. One of Winston Ma's masterful re-issues from the original Decca tapes.

View attachment 11248

The tape and files from the original MO discs do sound superb!

 

[garylkoh]

OK...now THAT is what I was really hoping to hear!!! Sensational! I am no techie...and frankly was not sure whether (in your first videoclip) the live playback of the 2 singers thru the speakers was the same kind of test as just playing a CD through your system. I thought perhaps live feedback direct into the speakers might have greater fidelity.

But now that you've done CD-playback in this video snip...in a room of 300 people...I am simply amazed. I admit that I went out of my way to post quite a bit on the Genesis 1.1s I heard on a killer system in Europe a few months ago...I said it was officially the best system I have ever heard. And I am glad to see that your video did nothing to convince me otherwise...Absolutely amazing, Gary. If I closed my eyes, I would absolutely believe you recorded the live instruments on that stage. period.

Cannot wait for the Genesis 'Komodo' as I like to nickname it...the new speaker you're working on that will come out just under the mighty Genesis 1.2/Dragons...

I was floored by that Crystal Disc too. After hours, I played the ordinary CD that Andy Lam, the producer, gave me, and I felt that I much preferred the dynamics, clarity and detail of the glass CD. I don't know how to explain. Sitting down with Florian Cossey, the CEO of CH Precision, he seems to be the engineer's engineer. Unfortunately, he also agrees with me that there are things that make a sonic difference that he cannot explain or know how to measure either.

I wish that I was able to rip the Crystal Disc to my server and compare the bits..... but they would have nothing of that.

 

[Bruce B]

I wish that I was able to rip the Crystal Disc to my server and compare the bits..... but they would have nothing of that.

Probably because the files would null....

 

[garylkoh]

Probably because the files would null....

That's what they said.... but I wanted to be sure.

 

[Roysen]

OK, now I am officially very curious. I"ve read about these glass CDs before. Where can they be bought?

 

[Bruce B]

That's what they said.... but I wanted to be sure.

The Glass Master always sounds better than the stamped production....

 

[garylkoh]

OK, now I am officially very curious. I"ve read about these glass CDs before. Where can they be bought?

The company that was demo-ing them on my speakers was Modern Audio at www.modernaudio.com. they might have them on their website, or a link to where you can get them.

 

[audioarcher]

The company that was demo-ing them on my speakers was Modern Audio at www.modernaudio.com. they might have them on their website, or a link to where you can get them.

Very interesting. $1000 is allot for a cd. Would you say it is worth the expense? You can buy allot of good vinyl for that.

 

[JackD201]

........or half of a rare one

 

[garylkoh]

Turns out that the Crystal Discs are less than US$1,000 each. They are "only" HKD 6,000.

http://www.modernaudio.com/main/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=65

 

[garylkoh]

I was stuck in the theater all day from early morning sound check till greeting and talking to visitors after the last event of the day, so I didn't get to take many pictures, but I'm sure that they will be all over the blogosphere soon.

Here's my distributor's other room.

Wilson Benesch Cardinal with the full CH Precision set-up - C1, D1 + monoblock A1's.




On silent display was Air Force One and DartZeel

 

[garylkoh]

The grand opening event certainly set the stage. They had live music with a percussion group and a military band. When the bagpipes also came out, I overheard someone say, "After that, how can we go and listen to a pair of speakers??"

 

[mauidan]

Anyone hear this system with the new EMM Labs MTRX amps?