What would a true audio/video exhibition be without the participation of the big boys? As a show regular, Wilson Audio displayed this time with their new X-2 Alexandria. Another premier perhaps? An entire Goldmund system was doing the honors driving them. Also making its presence felt was Tag McLaren, with its entire F1 and Avantgarde series on display. It's sad that Tag will refocus its energies towards home theater. Don't expect too many new 2-channel beauties from them.


At the show too was a pair of Avantgarde Acoustic loudspeakers driven by a pair of Audionote Quest 300B monoblocks. Other Audio Note tube-based electronics were pressed into service alongside a Lindemann SACD-capable
D-680 CD player. The entire ensemble was placed on Solidtech spring suspended stands, with a generous scattering of Feet of Silence isolation devices throughout. Another system that was making good sounds was that comprised of a pair of high-dB Living Voice OBX-R2 loudspeakers with a Lavardin IT Reference Integrated amplifier driving them to perfection.

Rare in Singapore this year were turntables - less than a handful could be found. A Nottingham Analog Hyperspace equipped with a Heavy Duty kit was being used together with Zanden's Model 1000 phonostage. Partnered with Graham Slee Project electronics was a Thomas Scheu Premier Turntable mounted with a TS Classic unipivot arm. And after being out in the wilderness for a couple of years, Thorens was back. However, they only showed the TD-170 and TD-295 on static display, not the yummier 800 series.

Naturally, there were countless other companies trying to hawk their super-duper cables, CD trimmers, DVD players by the baker's dozens, as well as speaker designs in all shape and sizes, and endless teases to satisfy the ever-growing popularity of home theater.

There were too many LCD and DLP projectors to count, from industry stalwart like Sony, Marantz and Philips, and new boys like Epson and InFocus. But the cake goes to JVC's proprietary DILA-based projectors; these must count as the Ferarris of the projector world. There were rumors that Jerry Bruckheimer, famous producer of explosive action flicks, uses them for his private screening previews before his epics hit the big screen. Taking pictures of the results would have never done justice to JVC's capabilities. All I can say? Holy cow, Batman - where's my Kryptonite!

And that's it for my photo reportage of this year's ISSA, which ended with me and my buds hand-selecting a large nice fish from the street-facing aquarium to have an expert Sushi chef slice it up for us into morsel-sized bits.
This snake-head is the one we selected [left]. What do you think? Better than pan-fried jellyfish? Lol.