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Gone are the days of simple woofers and tweeters, the simple tape
recorder and straightforward TV sets. We're now into the digital
age where acronyms and words like DVD Capability, Videostage 5 Decoding,
Multi-room/Multi-source Expansion Capability and Rare-Earth Neodymium
Iron Boron Jewel Cube Speakers have become the norm.
For most of us in this rather hectic, digitalized world, especially
those of us who have come to relax in a tropical idyll such as Phuket,
a little help in selecting some of today's goodies is more than
welcome, if not utterly necessary.
When it comes to that Hi-Fi or Home Theatre System, help is very
much at hand in the shape of Khun Pornsil Junchuvanichkul, or Lek,
as he prefers to be known. Khun Lek is proprietor of Nam Sang Hi-Fi
on Rasada Road, in Phuket
Town, where he's had Hi-Fi shops for over 20 years, moving to his
present location 11 years ago. There is now no shortage of outlets
in Phuket selling audio, Hi-Fi and TV systems. What makes Nam Sang
different is that they deal only with the high-end market.
Whilst Khun Lek was born in Bangkok,
he considers himself very much a Phuket
person, having moved here with his parents over 40 years ago. His
parents set up two electrical wholesale shops here, and are currently
dealers for Sony and Panasonic equipment.
Khun Lek's education included three years at high school in Penang,
Malaysia,
and he says he's always had an interest in music. "I started
a band with friends in high school, just for fun, " he commented.
"I played saxophone. But then I quit until about five years
ago, when some friends in Phuket asked me to join their band. "
This is The Senator Band, named after one of its performers, Phuket's
Senator, Paiboon Upatising. The eight-piece band comprises other
well-known Phuket figures, and they have recently released their
first CD, called "The Best Songs of Phuket. " Khun Lek
was quick to point out that the band operates on an amateur basis,
and that proceeds from the sale of the CD go to local charities.
It was Khun Lek's interest in music and Hi-Fi that prompted him
to start up his own business. He began by selling small units in
his old shop in Phang Nga Road, but now concentrates purely on top-quality
equipment, catering to those who demand only the best in sound and
video quality. "Until recently, my customers were both Thai
and foreigners, " he stated, "but since the Thai economy
took a downturn my customers are now mainly foreigners setting up
large or expensive homes here. These people have money to spend,
and many of them demand the best-quality equipment, " he continued.
"You must have top-quality equipment if you want top-quality
sound, " Khun Lek stressed. "There's no way round it. There
must be no weak links in your system, or the sound just won't be
right, " he declared. Neither does he necessarily recommend
all system components come from the same manufacturer. "For
instance, " he continued, "Yamaha have been in the sound
business for decades, and their amplifiers are really superb. But
for speakers, I might have to recommend Bose, because that's what
they do best. Then, when it comes to Plasma monitors, Fujitsu is
the best available at present. " He added that whilst his customers
are predominantly quite wealthy, they nevertheless have a budget
for their sound or home entertainment system. "I can help them
match components of similar quality according to their budget, "
he stressed. Quite often, a manufacturer will have a special price
deal on a particular item or system, he noted, and this can help
the customer get more bang for his baht.
Khun Lek also installs systems in bars, clubs, hotels and conference
halls. His experience with his school band has taught him that the
needs of a large hall are not always the same as in a home, and
Khun Lek knows exactly how to cater to this need. He has a team
of six technicians and assistants to help him in his day-to-day
running of the business, but nevertheless makes sure he visits each
installation on completion. His customers' satisfaction is paramount
even though, as he says, "I'm not really in the business of
repeat custom. Not too many of my customers return to buy a second
high-quality system; and the equipment they buy rarely breaks down,
and lasts for many years. Consequently, I'm always looking for new
customers. "
I asked Khun Lek about the difference between a standard speaker
system and the newer satellite systems having one base unit and
four or five tiny speakers dotted around the room. "The satellite
system is great for a smaller room, or where space-saving is a priority, "
he responded, "but there is still some loss in the mid-tones.
If you have the space and the money, then a standard bass-reflex
system will give you a richer sound. " Things get a little more
complicated when you move on to the home theatre scene, because
speaker technology seems to have reached an even newer dimension
where 90 percent of the sound emanates from the rear of the speakers
and is reflected around the walls of the room, supposedly re-creating
lifelike sound quality second only to a live performance.
All this new technology is the result of the digital age we've
moved into. Certainly, things have changed over the years. So, if
you're contemplating spending some serious money on a new Hi-Fi
or home theatre system, why not look in on Khun Lek for some up-to-the-minute
advice?
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