Mohan and his crew had been conquering challenges one after another in the past 12 months. First, a channel imbalance of 6db was identified in the mid range between left/right channel. Second, the measured output between the 2 x active 項羽 subwoofer despite the same volume reading was different. Third, the integration of Arya Air Blade (located at the back of the main speakers) was obstructed by impedance mismatch with the main speakers stressing the amplifier.
Numerous late nights were spared with respect to a demanding daytime job in the past twelve months. It was not until these anomalies were resolved before they could seriously move on to the next stage. These are structural problems no expensive cables and accessories could resolve. Given the titanic scale of the Cessaro Carmen Horn system, the challenges are tremendously physical involving change of new compression drivers alongside physical relocation of subwoofers many times.
What I admired Mohan the most is that he did not put the cart in front of the horse. He had chosen to rectify structural ills before meticulous selection of cables at the right place alongside instruments to annihilate various kinds of noises. They even resorted to the use of an external analog crossover to replace the digital crossover of the subwoofer due to circumstances repeatedly called for such a solution.
At AE, we don’t use Uber items for the sake of exemplifying the price tag. We focus on harnessing intrinsic value from the system as immensely as possible. Value in the form of musicality must far exceed price. That requires skills, knowledge, patience, education and communications. Think of us as a chef preparing an artisanal dish. We need good ingredients but not all have to be pricey. It is the integration that matters.
This system consists of two pairs of active subwoofers and a pair of 180 degree augmentation tweeter. Blending them together as if they don’t physically exist is next to impossible, notwithstanding numerous acoustic issues consequentially resolved by Acoustic Grove System. Mohan did it with flying colour. Even the analog part is fabulously presented with conviction.
Due to the intelligent application of external analog crossover bypassing digital crossover in the subwoofer, this is probably the most transparent system I have ever experienced confirmed (bass is particularly phenomenal) by acoustic measurements and listening.
I am proud of Mohan carrying the AE badge in South East Asia.
Congratulations on the grand opening of AE SG over the last weekend where I witnessed the enthusiastic passion of the SG crew and the overwhelming delights from those who joined the celebrated event.
The performance of the system has definitely achieved a level pleasantly shake-shacking whoever come prepared or unprepared. I obviously belong to the first group who have instituted by AE philosophy for years. Words can’t express my elevated expectation of my overseas sibling; listening by myself enhanced comprehension of differences in sonic outcome between mine and AESG under the roof of same institution.
All components and cables are no strangers. The room acoustics treatment is genuinely top notch and professionally executed. It fulfils the original design goal of attaining a vibrant lively aura. I listened to many pieces of music either intensively or causally teleporting me to the recording venue. Many guests experienced the same.
The Cessaro Carmen 4-way horn system has a build-in active woofer. It is augmented further by a pair of external subwoofer (項羽) alongside Arya Air Blade radiating treble energy at 180 degree. This is a mega speaker system demanding advance skills in integration and speaker positioning. The outcome is very reassuring. Efforts made are well paid off.
We won’t be complacent on the milestone attained and will continue to strive ahead till we reach the next one, and the one after next. I am happy to be part of the team with high spirit and relentless courage to challenge the status quo. Hopefully, this shall elevate industry standard going forward over time.
Look forward to the next opportunity to collaborate with Mohan and his team!
Last weekend marked the end of a significant chapter in my journey. Back in December 2018, I embarked on a quest to find the perfect space. Alongside Chris and Jlam, we explored various locations, guided by Simon, our Feng Shui master. After much deliberation, we settled on one spot and began our mission.
From the very beginning, I was determined to ensure that my showroom would deliver impeccable acoustics. My quest for acoustic engineering expertise led me to Adrian Lo from Soundzipper, and over countless drinks and cocktails, we crafted the blueprint for the AESG showroom. What was initially intended as one room with some storage space evolved into two distinct areas. One was a sound enthusiast's dream, boasting top-notch acoustics, while the other was designed to resemble a typical Singaporean living room, with minimal acoustic adjustments.
Beauty was also a top priority for me, so I painstakingly selected colors and furnishings, ensuring every detail was just right. My passion for art, especially street art, is evident throughout AE Singapore, with original works from street artists in New York, London, Seoul, Brazil, Mexico, and Singapore gracing the space.
We were on the brink of launching by late 2019, but I couldn't bring myself to open the doors because I wasn't satisfied with the sound. And then, the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
I could have opened anyway, as I had 75% of the equipment ready, but I refused to offer a subpar product. Most visitors might not have noticed the imperfections, but I would have, and that was something I couldn't accept. So, we dove into fine-tuning and tweaking, and this process continued for quite some time.
We eventually had a soft launch a year ago but remained dedicated to improving the sound. We introduced innovations not seen before in Hong Kong. The entire time, I knew I had to open the showroom, but I kept resisting because I wanted the sound to be nothing short of perfect. With some gentle nudging, I finally picked an auspicious date.
Just last Thursday, Chris listened to the system after nearly nine months, and I could see from his expression that he was blown away. He was in shock because the AE Singapore system had surpassed his wildest expectations. The bass exceeded even that of Divin Lab, and he had never encountered such a transparent system before. All the effort and investment I had poured into the system had paid off, and I managed to astonish the AE Hong Kong team. This was no small feat, considering that Hong Kong is the epicenter of high-end audio in Asia. It was a testament to the dedication of the Singapore crew—Harprit, Adrian, and myself spent countless hours, and it was all worth it.
I want to express my gratitude to Chris, Jlam, and KK for guiding me through these past couple of years. On the Singapore side, Harprit was a constant source of support, and Adrian not only contributed to the showroom's acoustics but also played a pivotal role in fine-tuning the main system.
So, what's on the horizon? My next adventure is about to begin. The AE group never stands still, and you can expect some exciting and innovative experiences in the near future. Stay tuned!
The question that determines the philosophy of AESG showroom is,
"What should an expert know about measurement theories, testing procedures, and application of the right audio electronic in order to properly build up an audio system that transpires any music playback into soulful musical experience?"
AESG is a revision for future development. As in the Hong Kong showrooms, the selection and treatment of our products were guided by two purposeful considerations for our clients:
1. To provide knowledge of noises management and system integration related skills that are necessary for objective evaluations.
2. To enforce competency required for proper interpretations of musical performance of a singer, a band or an orchestra etc.
Therefore, the design of AESG showroom is sequentially based on the following:
1. Basic Infrastructure:
Room acoustics, noises management and integration of all electronics in the chain to make a disappearing act of speakers
2. Guidance by scientific measurements of the room, channel balance of speakers and subwoofer alongside phasing integration of two pairs of active subwoofers
3. Evaluation of music performance: Final examination of all sorts of music performance for the purpose of fine tuning all controllable parameters.
Musicality assessment approaches have been given more emphasis than before. We have continued to add new evaluation criteria such as diction precision, richness of content within the soundstage, and communications amongst instrumental groups within a symphony configuration on top of traditional concepts such as focus, imaging and size of images.
The confluence of computational approach and human ear judgments translates into immense musicality that is kaleidoscopically vibrant and lively touching the souls of many listeners.
Clients of the AE group worldwide are serviced by knowledge and passion.
Jlam, Thanks for the input. It is true that the AESG journey leaned a lot on room measurements. It was necessary as we were integrating the subs in the Cessaro Carmen and the Cessaro external subs. Any missing frequencies and unnecessary dips and peaks in the room measurements were addressed. What you will hear at AESG is the full complete range of frequencies generated by the Cessaros.
Are measurements enough? No. We still had to rely on listening.
The result is magical and transformational!
At Audio Exotics we push boundaries. Each of our showrooms in Hong Kong and Singapore are experiences unto themselves.
We do not rinse and repeat. I invite you all to come to listen to our showrooms!
Comments
Grand Opening of AE Singapore
Mohan and his crew had been conquering challenges one after another in the past 12 months. First, a channel imbalance of 6db was identified in the mid range between left/right channel. Second, the measured output between the 2 x active 項羽 subwoofer despite the same volume reading was different. Third, the integration of Arya Air Blade (located at the back of the main speakers) was obstructed by impedance mismatch with the main speakers stressing the amplifier.
Numerous late nights were spared with respect to a demanding daytime job in the past twelve months. It was not until these anomalies were resolved before they could seriously move on to the next stage. These are structural problems no expensive cables and accessories could resolve. Given the titanic scale of the Cessaro Carmen Horn system, the challenges are tremendously physical involving change of new compression drivers alongside physical relocation of subwoofers many times.
What I admired Mohan the most is that he did not put the cart in front of the horse. He had chosen to rectify structural ills before meticulous selection of cables at the right place alongside instruments to annihilate various kinds of noises. They even resorted to the use of an external analog crossover to replace the digital crossover of the subwoofer due to circumstances repeatedly called for such a solution.
At AE, we don’t use Uber items for the sake of exemplifying the price tag. We focus on harnessing intrinsic value from the system as immensely as possible. Value in the form of musicality must far exceed price. That requires skills, knowledge, patience, education and communications. Think of us as a chef preparing an artisanal dish. We need good ingredients but not all have to be pricey. It is the integration that matters.
This system consists of two pairs of active subwoofers and a pair of 180 degree augmentation tweeter. Blending them together as if they don’t physically exist is next to impossible, notwithstanding numerous acoustic issues consequentially resolved by Acoustic Grove System. Mohan did it with flying colour. Even the analog part is fabulously presented with conviction.
Due to the intelligent application of external analog crossover bypassing digital crossover in the subwoofer, this is probably the most transparent system I have ever experienced confirmed (bass is particularly phenomenal) by acoustic measurements and listening.
I am proud of Mohan carrying the AE badge in South East Asia.
Chris Leung
The Cessaro Carmen 4-way horn system has a build-in active woofer. It is augmented further by a pair of external subwoofer (項羽) alongside Arya Air Blade radiating treble energy at 180 degree. This is a mega speaker system demanding advance skills in integration and speaker positioning. The outcome is very reassuring. Efforts made are well paid off.
Look forward to the next opportunity to collaborate with Mohan and his team!
This team needs no introduction
AE Group
Precision and Progress
Precision and Progress
Last weekend marked the end of a significant chapter in my journey. Back in December 2018, I embarked on a quest to find the perfect space. Alongside Chris and Jlam, we explored various locations, guided by Simon, our Feng Shui master. After much deliberation, we settled on one spot and began our mission.
From the very beginning, I was determined to ensure that my showroom would deliver impeccable acoustics. My quest for acoustic engineering expertise led me to Adrian Lo from Soundzipper, and over countless drinks and cocktails, we crafted the blueprint for the AESG showroom. What was initially intended as one room with some storage space evolved into two distinct areas. One was a sound enthusiast's dream, boasting top-notch acoustics, while the other was designed to resemble a typical Singaporean living room, with minimal acoustic adjustments.
Beauty was also a top priority for me, so I painstakingly selected colors and furnishings, ensuring every detail was just right. My passion for art, especially street art, is evident throughout AE Singapore, with original works from street artists in New York, London, Seoul, Brazil, Mexico, and Singapore gracing the space.
We were on the brink of launching by late 2019, but I couldn't bring myself to open the doors because I wasn't satisfied with the sound. And then, the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
I could have opened anyway, as I had 75% of the equipment ready, but I refused to offer a subpar product. Most visitors might not have noticed the imperfections, but I would have, and that was something I couldn't accept. So, we dove into fine-tuning and tweaking, and this process continued for quite some time.
We eventually had a soft launch a year ago but remained dedicated to improving the sound. We introduced innovations not seen before in Hong Kong. The entire time, I knew I had to open the showroom, but I kept resisting because I wanted the sound to be nothing short of perfect. With some gentle nudging, I finally picked an auspicious date.
Just last Thursday, Chris listened to the system after nearly nine months, and I could see from his expression that he was blown away. He was in shock because the AE Singapore system had surpassed his wildest expectations. The bass exceeded even that of Divin Lab, and he had never encountered such a transparent system before. All the effort and investment I had poured into the system had paid off, and I managed to astonish the AE Hong Kong team. This was no small feat, considering that Hong Kong is the epicenter of high-end audio in Asia. It was a testament to the dedication of the Singapore crew—Harprit, Adrian, and myself spent countless hours, and it was all worth it.
I want to express my gratitude to Chris, Jlam, and KK for guiding me through these past couple of years. On the Singapore side, Harprit was a constant source of support, and Adrian not only contributed to the showroom's acoustics but also played a pivotal role in fine-tuning the main system.
So, what's on the horizon? My next adventure is about to begin. The AE group never stands still, and you can expect some exciting and innovative experiences in the near future. Stay tuned!
Mohan
Audio Exotics Singapore
Thanks for the input. It is true that the AESG journey leaned a lot on room measurements. It was necessary as we were integrating the subs in the Cessaro Carmen and the Cessaro external subs. Any missing frequencies and unnecessary dips and peaks in the room measurements were addressed. What you will hear at AESG is the full complete range of frequencies generated by the Cessaros.
The result is magical and transformational!
At Audio Exotics we push boundaries. Each of our showrooms in Hong Kong and Singapore are experiences unto themselves.
We do not rinse and repeat. I invite you all to come to listen to our showrooms!