Event Coverage

Top 9 things to see at International Sound & Sight Exhibition 2014

By Marcus Wong - 28 Nov 2014

Top things to see at International Sound & Sight Exhibition 2014

This year’s International Sound & Sight Exhibition (ISSE) is happening from November 28 to 30, 2014 at Parkroyal on Kitchener Road (next to City Square Mall). As per its namesake, you can be sure to find loads of audio-visual wares, from home theater receivers and Hi-Fi gear, to network players, portable media players, headphones and desktop speakers. HardwareZone was at ISSE earlier today, and there are some of the cool gear that caught our attention:-

Astell & Kern

Pocket-sized power, the AK240 is a audiophile heaven in your pocket.

The pocket-friendly Astell & Kern AK 240 is a portable media player that features 256GB internal memory with an additional microSD card slot that will support up to 128GB microSD cards. Thanks to the dual DAC setup for better left and right channel separation and sound quality, and native support for up to Stereo/DSD128 as well as High Resolution Audio (24bit/192 kHz), the AK240 looks to be a premium player that you can fit easily into your pocket.

The Astell & Kern AK 240 is available now at all authorized retailers for S$3,199.

 

Fischer Audio

The Kennerton Magister is a showcase of dedication and craftsmanship.

Assembled by hand in Russia through the joint efforts of Kennerton and Fischer Audio, these headphones are made of Bog Oak wood and feature high-quality 42mm drivers that have a composite mylar diaphragm that’s strengthened by a titanium coating. The wood itself is specially selected as the density, elasticity, porosity and fiber strength affect the damping factor of the wood and therefore the fundamental resonance frequency, which affects the sound the headphone produces. Needless to say, this headphone produces a most pleasing, natural sound.

The Kennerton Magister by Fischer Audio is available now from all authorized retailers for S$1,999.

 

Grado Labs

The Grado PS500e features the classic Grado look but with improved electronics, making it easier to drive.

The Grado PS500e is considered a mid-range model by these legendary headphone makers, but boasts quality sound that can easily please the most demanding audiophiles. Featuring newly designed 44mm drivers and an improved eight-conductor cable design, the PS500e is easy to drive and boasts an overall sound that’s both warm and rich, with incredible dynamics and an extremely smooth top-end. While it looks no different from the previous "I" series, we’re told the new PS500e is more efficient and hence can be used direct with ordinary smartphones.

The Grado PS500e is available now from all authorized retailers for S$779.

 

Jamo

The C109 Flagship is gorgeously crafted, but it sounds even better than it looks.

Jamo’s flagship Concert series speakers get their aesthetics from world-renowned industrial designer Kieron Dunk, and feature high-performance drivers that have been tuned to provide warm, natural sound with an open, transparent sound stage. With its hand-polished gloss finish, satin painted MDF baffles, satin aluminum trim rings, center plugs and stabilizer feet, the looks of the C109 will easily catch the attention of all in the room – if the sound doesn’t mesmerize them first.

The Jamo C109 Flagship is available now from all major retailers for S$2200 per unit.

 

Oppo

The Oppo PM-3 feature planar magnetic drivers for great sound.

The Oppo HA-2 is a portable high-performance DAC that works as a battery charger too.

The Oppo’s new PM-3 headphones were on display for maybe the first time, and these closed-back planar magnetic headphones offer a balance of portability with sound quality while being easy to drive. We’re told the PM-3s have been designed so you can use them with just your mobile phone, but for optimal sound, they recommend pairing it with the stylish Oppo HA-2, a high performance DAC that features 30-minute rapid charging and a mobile device power bank. Prices are not available as yet, but we can expect to see these products by early next year.

 

Pioneer

The SC-LX58 features dual ESS Sabre Ultra DACs for incredible audio performance.

Pioneer’s new AV receiver, the SC-LX58 features dual ESS Sabre Ultra DACs (ES9016S) placed on a dedicated noise-resistant board for optimal audio performance. Enjoy hi-res audio (up to 192 kHz/24 bit) in WAV, FLAC or AIFF and up to 96kHz/24 bit Apple lossless files via USB or streaming from your home network. The SC-LX58 is also able to support DSD streaming over network, and you can even upgrade it to enjoy a full Dolby Atmos experience with at least a 5.2.4-ch configuration of speakers.

The Pioneer SC-LX58 is available now from all authorized retailers for S$1,999.

 

Sony

The VPL-GTZ 1 is a 4K projector that needs a throw distance of just 7 inches!

As covered in this detailed news piece, Sony’s VPL-GTZ1 is an ultra short-throw projector that delivers stunning video from 66-inch to 147-inch wide in true 4K resolution! It uses a laser phosphor light source that lasts longer than regular light sources and needs a maximum throw distance of just seven inches.

 

Yamaha

Blending sound and light, that's the concept of the Yamaha Relit series.

The S$549 LSX-170 is a desktop audio system that contains two speakers that point upwards. The main contributor to its attention-grabbing looks is a Sound & Light Reflector (an aluminum-coated tapered cone that’s polished to a mirror finish), which diffuses both the sound and light horizontally over a 360-degree range. With the Yamaha DTA Controller app (available on the iTunes App Store and Google Play store), you can remotely turn the lights on or off, set timers for both the audio and lights to come on, and of course, control music playback.

To find out more about the other Yamaha products on display, do head over to our feature article here.

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