The English
speaker's guide to life in today's China Every Two Weeks
High-Fidelity
All-Stars
By Ping Zhesheng, August 18, 2004
Time to take another listen to 'Made in
China'
Chinese audio equipment has long been maligned as tacky knock-offs of
superior foreign brands, and on the face of it, this seems justified. The
dismal underwater sounds too often found thundering around bars and clubs,
the juddering squawk of PA systems in shopping malls, and the tinny rattle
of speakers in the electronics markets. Yet why should this be so? Most
audio equipment, like just about everything else, is assembled and 'Made
in China'.
Eric Chan and Greg Ng are two Hong Kong stereo fanatics who went
straight to the source, looking to buy originally produced goods from the
manufactuers. They found Shengya - a company that is the original
equipment manufacturer for the global brand Vincent. "The models are
identical; the parts are the same, the casing is the same, everything is
the same except the logo and the price. While you would spend about
Y15,000 here, the same system in Europe would cost about Y60,000," Eric
explains. Listening to the system it is hard not to be impressed. If you
close your eyes, you feel like you can pick out where the musicians are
standing on the other side of the room.
Eric and Greg have now made their hobby into a business. In an old
1930's style villa tucked away on Yuyuan Lu, they provide a range of
customised hi-fi systems tailored to clients' needs and budgets. At the
low end of the range is the Bada amplifier and the UK brand KEF speakers
for a few thousand yuan, which can be plugged into your existing CD/DVD
player. At the other end of the scale is the Shengya amplifier, CD player
and Aurum Cantus or KEF speakers for around Y16,000.
This high end Shengya amp uses what's known as a hybrid tube integrated
amplifier, combining two different output technologies. In this case, its
preamp inputs feed a pair of vacuum tubes and those tubes provide signal
for the transistorised amplifier output devices. The amplifier and
pre-amplifier are in separate casing, to stop the transformers' magnetic
field interfering with the delicate low-level signals. What this means in
layman's terms is you get a little glass window with an orange glowing
tube behind it, a solid brushed aluminium case, and sexy blue input
indicator lights. And of course: amazing sound.
Besides KEF speakers, Studio FH also has speakers from the
manufacturers of Mark Levinson equipment; the audio system used in
Lexus cars. While not exactly the same as the American product, it uses
the same components and the quality of sound comes close. Where in America
the Mark Levinson speaker would cost US$ 3,500, here a model using parts
from the same factory costs Y3,000.
A word of warning to the uninitiated is that to get any decent sound
quality from MP3s you would need to have recordings at about four times
the bit rate that you typically get downloading from the internet. These
systems are overkill for anything except CDs and vinyl. For the true
audiophile, the absolute optimum sound comes from the Super Audio CDs
(SACD), but this means buying legitimate discs and that isn't so easy in
Shanghai.
Studio FH has now expanded its business into furniture, providing sleek
designs from the 1930s and 40s in the modern classic style. "People like
to have a hifi room at home so we help them design the room, lay the
cables, select the equipment, and furniture to go with the whole sound
system, so that they have a comfortable environment to listen to their
music," says Eric. If you're looking to upgrade your sound system, it's
worth listening to what these guys have to offer.
2/F, No.3, Lane 520, Yu Yuan Lu, Jing An District
静按寺区愚园路520弄3号2楼 T: 6252-0082 Opening Hours: 2:00 pm - 9:00pm
(Mon-Fri): 11:00am - 9:00pm (Sat and Sun) Phone to make an
appointment
Life doesn't get much better than relaxing in a comfy chair in a chilled out environment, surrounded by your favorite tunes, does it?
Music lovers of every kind ¡ª whether it be classical, rock, jazz or any other ¡ª can bring along their own CDs, sink into a sofa with a cup of coffee, and pump up the volume in a cool refurbished 1930s' villa, while an expert guides them through the various pros and cons of a complete range of stereos, amps and speakers.
Studio FH is the first audio testing and modern furniture showcase with a classic architecture backdrop in Shanghai. Eric Chen and Greg Ng, both audio enthusiasts from Hong Kong, founded the studio in 2004.
The idea behind it, said Chen, "Is to help customers create their own personal space where they can come to test our audio products, bring along their favorite CDs and exchange ideas on home furnishings and audio settings with us."
"We want to share with our customers the fact that owning a top-quality sound system together with a set of designer furniture is not necessarily expensive," he added.
Their intelligently combined sound system menu offers a full range of customized hi-fi systems tailored to clients' needs and budgets, meaning customers can get the quality they want at a price they can afford.
"We acknowledge that in the past, people have been wary about the quality of Chinese made audio products, but this is changing rapidly now. The products that we are introducing are all highly rated on European markets and the numerous prizes they have been awarded internationally speak for themselves."
The two Hong Kong stereo enthusiasts saw a niche in the market, which was just waiting to be filled in terms of locally produced, high-end audio equipment.
Both Chan and Ng decided to go straight to the source, buying originally produced goods direct from the manufacturers.
They partner with Shengya ¡ª the original equipment manufacturer for Europe's highly-rated Vincent brand.
While all the components of these amplifiers, tuners and CD players are the same, the brand and price are significantly cheaper. Often products cost less than a quarter of the amount that you'd shell out in Europe.
It's definitely worth taking a listen to some of Shengya's hi-fi systems. Compare the construction and you will likely agree that it is top-class, equal to anything from Europe or the United States.
The Shengya amp uses what's known as a hybrid tube integrated amplifier, combining two different output technologies. Its preamp inputs feed a pair of vacuum tubes, which provide a signal for the transistorized amplifier output devices.
The amplifier and pre-amplifier are encased separately to stop the transformers' magnetic field interfering with the delicate low-level signals, helping to foster an amazing sound.
At the high end of Studio FH's range is the Shanling amplifier, Shanling CD player, and Elite speakers, the package priced at around 53,000 yuan (US$6,543.21). Lower end hi-fi packages sell for as little as 10,000 yuan.
One of the most impressive elements of Studio FH is the romantic crossover between quality hi-fi products and modern, classic furniture.
They have sourced a collection of funky furniture, with replicas of master designers like Le Corbusier and Marcel Breuer and those who derive their inspiration from them.
Chen refers to the designs as "sleek, from the 1930s and 40s in modern, classic style."
"People like having hi-fi rooms in their houses and we can help them design the room, lay the cables, select the equipment and furniture to go with the whole sound system," he said.
Studio FH's current market includes mainly expatriates with interests in audio equipment as well as couples and families, and basically anybody who wants to invest in high quality goods for their home.
Studio FH personally delivers and installs the equipment and furniture, and this level of customer care makes them an increasingly popular choice when it comes to selecting a hi-fi system.
