Stirling made a huge impact for us here in Singapore and his process of tuning the 2 systems was fascinating to watch. He was ever so willing to educate and teach and show us his method and approach. T He is also a great person to have a conversation with and we had many interesting discussions over Chicken rice, Chilli Crab, Satay and more! I hope to have him back soon!
With the invitation from the head honcho of Audio Exotics Singapore - Mohan Veloo - a couple of us made the trek to a light industrial park/building to listen to what was later, determined - a magical night of high quality music from a carefully curated set of hifi components.
I - in particular - was eager to listen to the DaVinci Audio Gabriel Reference Turntable, with Virtu Tonearm & Grandenzza MC Cartridge. It was also the first time, I would be listening to the Zanden 1200 Signature phono stage, Robert Koda K15EX & K160 monoblock and finally, the gigantic horns - the Cessaro Carmen with its matching Xiang Xu subwoofers.
The track - Caruso (Naim - Meet Me In London - Antonio Forcione) was rendered in a very intimate & subliminal manner by Italian vocalist Sabine Sciubba. The very large & "black" soundstage was clearly delineated through by the accompanying acoustic guitar and "silence". This was truly one of the best rendition of this track that I have ever heard.
Trying or rather - "auditioning" - the Japanese Acoustic Groove Systems (AGS) wooden diffuser (on the ground in front of the Cessaros, and in front of the Hifi Rack) - produce a more focused, more organic, and ultimately, a more intimate presentation - they added that "something" to the overall soundstage that is very pleasing to me.
To change the tempo, we decided to play Stimela - (QRP - Hope - Hugh Masekela) from the late but still legendary South African trumpeter - his voice was rendered with just the right amount of rawness (you literally can feel the "pain" in his voice) and when the shrill/sheen of the trumpet comes through; you know you are listening to a part of jazz history from the African continent.
There are just too many other pieces of music that we listened to, to name them all here; but it suffice to note that I (am sure the other boys would do so as well) will certainly be coming back here more often.
Perhaps, next time, there would be more Tubes in the system, than just the solo Zanden phono stage.
hey Mohan - when are you gonna invite me (us) again ?
Following a visit of AE HK team to Singapore last October, Mohan arrived at HK yesterday after a 4 year break. The joy of reunion is priceless. He immediately went to AE central to listen and exchange perspective. Of course, he shall attend the Metaverse Symphony No.1 Premier by HKPO tomorrow evening as AE is one of the two sponsors for this gala concert.
We had a fruitful intensive listening/discussion sessions for straight 6 hours at AE central and Divin Lab until 930pm.
In addition to the latest product demonstration such as Subbase Vividus and Thales Exquisite Voro cartridge, there were in-depth demonstrations of pairing cartridges to phono stages amongst various analog turntables. The conclusion is no single combo could play all vinyl in the most “musically correct” manner. That means some music is rendered better from Analog Setup A than Setup B and vice versa, regardless of price of cartridge/arm/turntable/phono cable. Such observations entail system integration must anchor to music comprehension. That was a great session facilitating strong team bonding between HK and Singapore.
I am delighted to be part of the group and is very happy to meet Mohan after years since last time I was in Singapore!
It was indeed a special moment, as the last time I was in Hong Kong was 4 years ago! Much has changed with this great city but what has not changed is the strong bonds with the AE crew, and especially how we keep pushing the boundaries of audio reproduction. Everytime I visited the AE showrooms in the past, I was shocked by the performance of the systems. The sound blew me away. I learnt so much everytime. This time I was shocked too. Shocked by how amazingly quiet, natural and balance the sound was across the whole spectrum. This was a different listening experience for me. As KK mentioned, Guru Chris gave a great demonstration of how the same LP sounds on a high output vs low output through step up transformers on different sets of tonearms and cartridges. Definitely a big learning experience for all of us. This dispels a lot of preconceived notions many audiophiles have.
Such a learning experience that I will bring back to AE Singapore!
Posting a track on Facebok that always brings back good memories as a kid glued to the TV watching this show every week! Hope you enjoy it! - Mohan Veloo
Dylan Ryche’s Playtime is already a masterclass in precision fingerstyle guitar—but through horn speakers, the experience becomes visceral.
The track opens with percussive clarity and tonal nuance that horn-loaded drivers elevate to another level. Each pluck, tap, and harmonic snaps into the room with lightning-fast transients, yet there's no harshness—just unfiltered immediacy. The Cessaro Horns capture the crisp articulation of Ryche’s right-hand attack with pinpoint dynamics, while the warmth and wood of the guitar body resonate with astonishing presence.
The midrange—where much of the guitar’s expressive character lives—is rendered with holographic realism. You don’t just hear Playtime; you feel the strings bend, the wood vibrate, the air move. The low-end body thumps subtly but with authority, adding grounding without ever muddying the mix.
What’s most striking is the scale and energy: horn speakers don’t just reproduce sound—they project it. The listening (and recording) position is about 5m away from the speakers. Playtime becomes a live performance, playful and intricate, unfolding just a few feet in front of you. The room disappears, and it’s just you, the guitar, and the air between.
When streamed through a true reference-level system, Peter Muller’s ''Eastbound transforms from a well-produced jazz-funk track into an immersive live performance. In this session, AE has curated a playback chain that doesn’t merely reproduce music — it reanimates it.
The AE Singapore reference system — comprising
1) Wadax Reference Server
2) Wadax Reference DAC
3) Robert Koda K15EX pre-amp
4) Robert Koda K160 amps
5) Cessaro Horn Acoustics Liszt
6) Cessaro Horn Acoustics Opus-1 Subwoofers
exemplifies what happens when world-class components are not just assembled, but harmonized. It’s not about individual specs or technical bragging rights. It’s about the convergence of philosophies: digital purity, analog integrity, the silence between the notes and acoustic truth, all meticulously voiced to serve the music.
What stands out most is the organic flow of energy — the system breathes as a unified whole. Muller’s bass lines pulses with lifelike elasticity, each note articulated with microdynamic precision, yet never detached or clinical. The horns convey nuance with lightning-fast transient response, while the subwoofers ground the performance with deep, controlled weight — but without drawing attention to themselves. There is no sonic ego among the components — only cohesion.
The result is a soundstage that doesn’t just exist between the speakers but extends through the room. Eastbound unfolded in layers: rhythmic interplay, spatial separation, harmonic texture — all rendered with effortless clarity. The listener is no longer decoding a mix; they’re inside the music.
This is where Audio Exotics excels. The true artistry lies not in selling the world’s finest gear, but in integrating them with such sensitivity that the equipment disappears. What remains is pure musical intent, delivered with unfiltered emotional impact. Eastbound is not played — it is experienced.
Comments
Enjoying Chicken Rice with the AE Singapore team!
Stirling made a huge impact for us here in Singapore and his process of tuning the 2 systems was fascinating to watch. He was ever so willing to educate and teach and show us his method and approach. T He is also a great person to have a conversation with and we had many interesting discussions over Chicken rice, Chilli Crab, Satay and more! I hope to have him back soon!
With the invitation from the head honcho of Audio Exotics Singapore - Mohan Veloo - a couple of us made the trek to a light industrial park/building to listen to what was later, determined - a magical night of high quality music from a carefully curated set of hifi components.
I - in particular - was eager to listen to the DaVinci Audio Gabriel Reference Turntable, with Virtu Tonearm & Grandenzza MC Cartridge. It was also the first time, I would be listening to the Zanden 1200 Signature phono stage, Robert Koda K15EX & K160 monoblock and finally, the gigantic horns - the Cessaro Carmen with its matching Xiang Xu subwoofers.
The track - Caruso (Naim - Meet Me In London - Antonio Forcione) was rendered in a very intimate & subliminal manner by Italian vocalist Sabine Sciubba. The very large & "black" soundstage was clearly delineated through by the accompanying acoustic guitar and "silence". This was truly one of the best rendition of this track that I have ever heard.
Trying or rather - "auditioning" - the Japanese Acoustic Groove Systems (AGS) wooden diffuser (on the ground in front of the Cessaros, and in front of the Hifi Rack) - produce a more focused, more organic, and ultimately, a more intimate presentation - they added that "something" to the overall soundstage that is very pleasing to me.
To change the tempo, we decided to play Stimela - (QRP - Hope - Hugh Masekela) from the late but still legendary South African trumpeter - his voice was rendered with just the right amount of rawness (you literally can feel the "pain" in his voice) and when the shrill/sheen of the trumpet comes through; you know you are listening to a part of jazz history from the African continent.
There are just too many other pieces of music that we listened to, to name them all here; but it suffice to note that I (am sure the other boys would do so as well) will certainly be coming back here more often.
Perhaps, next time, there would be more Tubes in the system, than just the solo Zanden phono stage.
hey Mohan - when are you gonna invite me (us) again ?
In addition to the latest product demonstration such as Subbase Vividus and Thales Exquisite Voro cartridge, there were in-depth demonstrations of pairing cartridges to phono stages amongst various analog turntables. The conclusion is no single combo could play all vinyl in the most
“musically correct” manner. That means some music is rendered better from Analog Setup A than Setup B and vice versa, regardless of price of cartridge/arm/turntable/phono cable. Such observations entail system integration must anchor to music comprehension. That was a great session facilitating strong team bonding between HK and Singapore.
Such a learning experience that I will bring back to AE Singapore!
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The AE Singapore reference system — comprising
What stands out most is the organic flow of energy — the system breathes as a unified whole. Muller’s bass lines pulses with lifelike elasticity, each note articulated with microdynamic precision, yet never detached or clinical. The horns convey nuance with lightning-fast transient response, while the subwoofers ground the performance with deep, controlled weight — but without drawing attention to themselves. There is no sonic ego among the components — only cohesion.
This is where Audio Exotics excels. The true artistry lies not in selling the world’s finest gear, but in integrating them with such sensitivity that the equipment disappears. What remains is pure musical intent, delivered with unfiltered emotional impact. Eastbound is not played — it is experienced.
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