Part 1: As You Like it!

Now that the Hifi show is no longer the conversation
piece at drinking sessions, the excitement is almost
over but thoughts still linger on with memories of the
3 day festival. Let's get back to the real world realities
and problems, if you have not stop thinking about
your wish list of what setups you may want to have
or bring back home from the hifi show, time to snap
out of it!



This posting I will ask some real world questions,
many may want to evade these questions, but
some how you will still have to face it one way
or another, even worst you may have to face
it alone! Something that audiophiles would
rather not face, rather not know and rather
not have to answer to anybody at all! All right
then, keep it to yourselves if you wish. As
you like it, then!


The question : What musical presentations
do you have in your listening room?
Irrespective if the speakers in use are
bookshelf type or floorstanders and with
or without the use of subwoofer or subwoofers,
there will be a musically beautiful soundstagings
of the sonic images in your listening room/ space,
which will be part of the music reproduction
which you will enjoy everyday of the year!


Simple but yet a nagging little question that
many felt best left unanswered! I would
reckoned readers will have their main speakers
pulled away from the front wall and side walls if
space permits, other than that the speakers
are placed plush to the front wall!


1. A musical soundstage presentation that
hugs your 2 main speakers? Meaning the
soundstage is in your listening room &
surrounding the main speakers!


2. A musical soundstage presentation that
falls into the spaces between the speakers
and the front wall, and some sonic images
to the sides of the speakers too, between
the speakers and the side walls. Meaning
the soundstaging starts from behind the
main speakers.


3. A musical soundstage presentation that
falls onto the front wall and it's 'tosai thin'
and hugs the wall! Meaning it's still in
the listening room but practically
plastered onto the front wall!


4. A musical soundstage presentation that
falls behind the front wall, and no images
seems to be in the room including the
omni directional low hz sound! Meaning
the walls of your listening room, the front
wall and the 2 side walls seems to have
disappeared, and you are no longer in
a confined space of your listening room,
and it's something you can confirmed when
you switched off all the lights! You feel you
are being transported from the listening room
be it big or small, you perceived you are
now in a big concert hall (if you are replaying
orchestral music), in a big auditorium (if
you are listening to live gig recordings),
you are in a large studio (if you are listening
to studio recording be it audiophile recording
or not).


Now take a deep breathe and think and see
what you have.

KLIAV 2011

One night at 1.37 am I heard a loud explosion. I saw a bright light and I saw 2 alien appeared from an UFO. The next thing I heard the alien told me “You are the chosen one”. After that I can’t remember anything the next thing I know is I am 999999999 light years away from the earth. This happened 2 month ago and I am an obedient guys in their world so the alien granted me a wish. I said to them” I wish to attend the KLIAV 2011 show”. With just a blink of an eye I appeared at the show.

So this is my view for the show.

Most Consistent

PMC ib2i speaker+ Bryston 28b-sst2 amplifier
PMC + Bryston room get my vote for consistency as they really know how to put up a good system year by year. The sound is good for the surround duty but is a bit let down by the 2 channel stereo music It’s too dry for my liking.

Most Affordable.

The Creek and Epos room.
On the first day I saw an Epos being priced at RM700.OO.On the last day I saw another pair priced at RM990.The sound is not bad for the price.

Most Relaxing

Ls3/5a Room
This year the ls3/5a room line up consist of pre power of FM acoustic. The power amplifier churn out 150 watt per channel. As usual the Rogers 60 th anniversary being fire up together with the Rogers AB1.This is the best Jo ki system that evolve from

Mission cyrus 2 to

Cello etude +Quad II to

Diva Pre and power to

FM pre + Quad II 40 to

FM pre + power (Current)

I had the opportunity listen to a higher range pre power FM acoustic but surprisingly current Jo ki FM Acoustic sound better with ls3/5a.

I love this room, totally relax, natural, palpable imaging, stable pace and effortless.

The system is more open up on the last day.
I vote for this system even i didn’t convince on the connection method using AB1.
Congrats Jo ki, your gamble pays off.

Most disappointing

Focal stello utopia EM + Mcintosh room

Focal Stello Utopia EM is the 2nd top model.It is a 3 way that use a new 13inch(33mm)  "W" woofer,2 6.5 inch power flower "W" midrange and 1 inch beryllium inverted dome tweeter.The unique feature of this speaker is the use of a electro-magnet woofer.
The use of Mcintosh MC1.2kw monoblock that pump out 1200 watts.It is a quad balanced design that consist of 2 amplifier circuit that combine output in Mcintosh output autoformer.

Sound disappointing on both AV and 2 channel stereo music.

I came to understand that the Focal speaker and Mcintosh amplifier is just arrived for the show.The system do sound better on the 3rd day but still fail to save the show.

Here is some of the reason that I can think of that lead to the disappointing performance:
1)Lack of run in
On the first day when I came for listen the system is running in less than 4 hours .The power amplifier is a output transformer type of design and need a long time to run in.
2) Need tuning

As I aware the Focal speaker can be tilt and able to adjust the strength magnet of the drive.

3) Mismatch Maybe Focal speaker AND Mcintosh amplifier is a mismatch



Other system that I still remember

Nagra system with verity audio speaker. Sound sweet but the bass is wooly maybe lack power. Maybe the amplifier is under power. I visit this room on the 1st day where a solid state power amp being fired up.

German physic with moon electronics. Sound dynamic but I prefer more sweetness from the mid.

Triangle Magellan Cello + Krell KAV 400xi integrated amplifier.Looks promising and sound much better on the 3rd day.

Electrocompanient room.All electrocompanient electronics with Nordic Tone speaker.I saw this room is crowded.The sound is mellow and relax but I prefer a more upbeat sound.

BAT + Joseph audio room (Acoustic art)I like this room too.

Audio-note room

The equipment line up is AN-J/LX speaker,Quest Silver power amplifier,M2 pre-amp, Dac2 and CDT-4 as transport

Scale is bit small, i think the system should at least use a Audio-Note M3 and better still a M6 pre amp.