The West Australian Thursday 11 January 1990 Article:
AUSTRALIAN HI-FI SPREADS ITS WINGS
Australian made hi-fi has become a force to reckon with in recent years.
Companies such as ME Sound, Richter Acoustics, Orpheus Loudspeakers and Audio Sound Laboratones have made a strong impact in the east for their high quality equipment and considerable price advantages.
However, until now freight costs have limited our home grown choice mainly to speakers made by specialist hi-fl stores.
A new audio Store in Churchlands, however, aims to remedy the scarcity of Australian products in WA.
Audio Synergy is headed by Clifford de Souza, a one-time R&B musician contracted to RCA and now with 16 years experience in hi-fl retailing.
Along with esoterica from Europe and America and more affordable components from Marantz and Sherwood, Mr. de Souza is selling the highly accurate Richter loudspeakers and solid, powerful ME amplifiers from NSW in Perth for the first time.
He is impressed with the sound design principles of both the Australian brands and says they cost about half as much as their imported components of comparable quality.
Three-year-old loudspeaker specialist Richter Acoustics claims to be one of Sydney 's most popular brands. Audio Synergy is stocking the original $499 Merlin bookshelf speakers, the slim $599 Oracles and the recently-launched Wizards for $899. The flagship Excaliburs are due to arrive later this month. They cost $2595.
ME Sound recently won the Consumer Electronics Supplier Association's 1989 Best New Amplifier award for its 220 Watt ME 1400 power.amplifier. There is also the ME 25 pre amplifier, the 550 and the latest 850 power amplifiers. Their prices range from $1295 to $6595.
Mr. de Souza believes there is a market in Perth for a highly specialised audio store and says he hopes to draw the real enthusiasts "out of the woodwork."
"They're there, but they're dormant because of the lack of service and the exorbitant costs," he says.
"I intend to draw them back slowly with equipment that never becomes obsolete."
Part of Mr. de Souza's plan is to provide special services such as equipment modifications and "fine tuning" hi-fl systems in customer's homes.
He says that most people are unaware that correct positioning or simple modifications may be all that is necessary to vastly improve the sound quality of existing equipment - and for far less than the cost of replacements.
"What is lacking here is service. Everybody wants to sell, but nobody wants to help you upgrade," he says.
Audio Synergy's services include correct polarisation of equipment, cartridge demagnetising, proper turntable alignment and tuning, equipment positioning and modifications such as capacitor replacements in amplifiers.
The store is also carrying underground US hi-fl magazines such as Sterophile and The Absolute Sound, as well as limited edition audiophile recordings of classical and jazz albums and compact discs for $30 each.
