Changes in the AV industry but value is constant

Keeping the spirit of the company intact, HK Sound Concepts tracks technology for good value.

"The iPhone and iPad are game changers that can integrate music products, along with new server systems that can sync multimedia with new technologies”, said Managing Director Sherry Chung of HK Sound Concepts Ltd. “We can upgrade the MP3 to the WAVE format so the sound is much better. The audiophile can always discern the difference, if you compare two systems side by side, which one is compressed, as the sound has less body”.

The company has been providing customers with the very highest quality sound and video equipment since 1990, when Chung founded the company. Her business has grown from 10 to 14 employees to provide custom home entertainment systems and solutions for private dwellings, hotel suites, recording studios and commercial properties. Her customers demand the best and are willing to pay for it, such as the luxury Mark Levinson amplifier that can cost onehalf million HKD. A luxury home theatre can cost up to $3 million. The JBL synthesis system, also top end, is used at the film award ceremonies at Cannes, France. A high-end ATC flagship speaker system can set the customer back more than a half a million dollars, or a THX certified home theatre system from Atlantic Technology can do the job for a bit less. 

One of Chung’s “secret weapons” is Sunny Lee who is on the road handling high-tech products and their integration into a home or commercial system. Sunny has been trained by all the high-end manufacturers to install the latest equipment not just for one room but for an entire household.  

“I love music so I am pleased to show others how to fully enjoy it”, Sunny said. When we install integrated systems, we can put speakers everywhere with the NetStreams DigiLinX IP audio, Video and Control to create a seamless web where audio, video, gaming, HVAC, security and lighting all reside on one system, making for a truly interactive experience. We can play the music everywhere in the home and we can add intercom and security functions. We can also control the lighting in the home, using the Rako dimmer controls, which allow parents to monitor their kids to see if their lights are out at night”.

In the living room or home theatre room, the universal remote control (URC) handles everything. Even a 7-year old child can turn the system on to play games, sing along to Karaoke or play musical instruments without waiting for Mom or Dad to come home. 

In multi-room installations, each room can have its own music and video combination simultaneously serving the different tastes of Mom, Dad, and all the children. Although playing more than one channel on the broadband television requires more than one broadband TV decoder. For commercial properties, such as spas in hotels or clubhouses in luxury property developments, each room can play the music the customer prefers by offering a large menu of choice to each client.

These systems can also function as intercoms for hotel staff or family members, and a camera can be added to the network for baby or elder monitoring as well as for security. They work especially well in large, multi-level buildings. “One large house that was built on three levels needed audio on demand in 14 rooms and video on demand in 9 rooms with a surround-sound system in the home theatre room and the living room,” Chung said. This system cost almost $2 million.

“One of our greatest challenges recently was a 4000 sq. ft. apartment that covered an entire floor of a large building. We integrated the security controls with the games and surprises in the guest bathroom through the AV and automation system.” 

Chung’s other competitive advantage is Jacky Woo, her showroom manager, who is an audio expert for serious audiophiles. “When you buy an expensive sound system, you must consider the room acoustics. I can tune the speakers to balance the sound in the room to an optimum level. Even if the customer does not buy all the equipment from Sound Concepts, I can still optimize the system. In essence, I am the sound doctor”, Jacky said. Chung added that Jacky’s skills and service provided pay off over the long run for HK Sound Concepts because the customer will return to us when they upgrade or move and change their system”.

Chung works with interior designers when a home is being built or renovated so that the entire system can be concealed, and soundproofed to not disturb neighbours. “Some customers have told us, on completion of the installation, that the sound experience is better than sitting in a movie theatre, because it has a better balance being in a smaller room that is designed and configured to the specific requirements of the room” Chung explained. “Many of my customers are the newly minted billionaires of China, who are rapidly becoming audiophiles, and we are also receiving referrals from, and being recommended by, the Hong Kong Indian community due to our high standards of service”.

Sound Concepts also distributes the UK-based ATC loudspeakers, which are famous around the world in the professional market for their ability to accurately reproduce sound. Through ATC’s commitment to multi-channelmastering and its direct involvement with leading players in the professional audio industry, ATC’s products are installed at some of the world’s most prestigious multi-channel studios and auditoria. Wherever the best is required you will find ATC.

Chung prefers to use Netstreams for the whole house solution as the network system. She said Netstreams is the fastest growing company in the industry, with its advanced technology for IP-based designs and the distribution of uncompressed audio and video throughout a house or business premises. Sound Concepts, as the name implies, is the sound specialist, so the company works with various suppliers for the video components and screens. Chung does not sell TV screens but recommends plasma or LED over LCD formats and is monitoring product launches in the new 3D format.

Chung believes in the best training for her staff, sending them overseas to be taught by the experts in the manufacturers’ factories. “It’s money well spent,” she said, “because I still employ the same people I hired when I started. As the equipment develops, so do my staff’s skills. I am a big believer in good aftersales- service. I know that many customers are too busy to learn how to operate the systems, so I have trained technicians standing by 24 hours a day to help them. Many sporting events are broadcast late in the evening or early in the morning in Hong Kong, so it’s important for clients to have access to a technician to fix technical problems, or just show them how to turn the system on,” she said smiling broadly. 

Most of the products have guarantees or warranties between three and six years, and Chung also offers a one-year onsite warranty for any equipment her company installs.