Sarone Bluetooth Player Canterbury HE EAR 509 Rey Audio

Click pics to enlarge. Right, book spotted at WSS. In English it would be Money cannot buy thoughts. I just reserved a copy from the HK Public Library, where it is still freely available (not sure for how long). Surprisingly, the Shenzhen Library has a lone reference copy not available for borrowing (but can be read in house).

Letter from Hong Kong (24-3): The Longest Days, Part I

What goes around comes around?

Written in Shenzhen

Part II. Jan 29th, Part I, at Taimonsing's, RCA vintage

Part III, Jan 29th, Part II, chez moi, SET amps

All of a sudden, I had a few days to myself. I contacted the resourceful icefox (aka my taskmaster) and he arranged a couple of day's worth of events (many thanks). This starts the chronicle.

January 28th, Chaiwan 

I arrived in Yuen Long around mid-morning and ran some errands. I returned some old HiFi News and, as I had some spare time, sat and read the January issue of the HiFi News from cover to cover. Really enjoyed the thorough review (not yet online) of the newly re-issued Musical Fidelity A1, which our Ray Salamat had reported on (here). It's also one of my favorite integrated amps (here).

icefox was so thoughtful as to have arranged a ride to faraway Chaiwan. So I met them at Tsuen Wan West MTR at 1 pm. The driver was Taimonsing, whom I had met once 20 years ago. He's a fascinating character, and you shall hear a lot more about him in Part II of this series.

Tannoy Canterbuy driven by EAR 509 monoblocks. ANUK Jinro and MC2 not heard. 

Tannoy Canterbury HE, EAR 509, Sarone Bluetooth Player

First we hit the den of WSS, surely familiar to many regular readers (should you want to read more about his older setups, just search WSS). Preamp was ANUK M8.

Story: When I left HK for NYC in 2018, we moved my Canterbury HE to my friend trazom's place. I had much earlier sold the Spendor SP-100 to him and he still enjoys it. During my stay in NYC, WSS moved to his current den, which is much larger than his old one that I had reported on several times. The Tannoy then went to him. I had actually visited him in this den towards the end of 2020, just before I went to China.

On this occasion, finally I got to hear the fabled Sarone Bluetooth Player, designed by WE guru Yip 西電葉. Basically, supposedly it cuts down functions performed by the Bluetooth chip to the minimum and the output circuit had been greatly tweaked, with many WE parts used. It is not cheap but many Golden Ears (like our own icefox) swear by it. Many have foregone CAS and CDPs in favor of it. Believe it or not! For my whole stay, source was icefox's iPhone playing Tidal Lossless. I must say its performance was excellent, and none of us missed the ANUK digitals. Incidentally, our own ELO had reported his experience at a Mongkok shop (here)!

Sound was very good indeed. Much better than in 2020, when it sounded a little overdamped (dead). Credit must also go to the EAR 509 monoblocks, which I had also sold to him. Incidentally, at my old place, it had sounded very good with the Tannoy's. My friend Thomas (moniker tubediyer) always said that was the best he had hear my Tannoy's. WSS had it serviced and it put out a flawless performance, tube neutrality at its best. It's fitting that trazom was also present to hear these gear at a larger place than his.

Rey Audio Loudspeakers. In front of the Left speaker is a Thomas Mayer Phonostage. Center left is the Connoisseur Phonoamp (I think Lyra). On the 2 stands in front is the 4-piece JC Verdier Phonoamp. Crazy!

On its own stand the Thomas Mayer Compactron Phono.

Rey Audio, Turntable and Phonoamp Galore!

Then we hit on old friend wher (moniker wadia). Read about my 2009 visit (his old place, where he now lives), which also tells you something about Chaiwan the locale for audio. This new place is actually a little smaller but has golden ratio, and it surely sounds better!

I won't try to list the 13 or 14 TTs, many with two arms, nor the plethora of phonoamps (you name it, it's there). Preamp was an old Studer Mixing Console. Otherwise it's FM Acoustics Electronic Crossover to Klein and Hummel amp and old FM professional amp.

wher was generous with his 威水, aka Scotch. Thanks man! I stayed for a long time. I was very glad that I met again Lawrence (moniker mda) who had actually sold me the EAR 509. Small world, huh? He's one of the many HK emigrants of recent times, who now lives in Nottingham.

Just because I was enjoying wher's whisky so much, I missed one of the scheduled stops, but I have some pics here:

Winston's R2R and Pro Stuff (Grundig Loudspeakers)

Then we all went to a delicious dinner. I just post the menu here, but pics shall appear in another article. Many thanks again to icefox for arranging things!

Enjoying HiFi News report on A1

Sarone at bottom of middle rack. Roksan TT and digitals not heard.

One channel of the JV Verdier Phonoamp, PS below.

Connoisseur Phono

Thomas Mayer Phono

Studer Mixing Console

The very rare Fi Phono amp

icefox refers to this kind of food as 麻甩佬 food

Winston's R2R