It's 9am here at the Novotel London-Hammersmith and the doors to the 2007 What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision Show have just opened.
There's been a growing crowd of eager visitors gathering at the entrance since 8.30am, and now they're heading our way for their first glimpse of the WHFSV stand.
We've been up half the night putting the finishing touches to our £68,000 demo system, so if you want to see and hear what high-definition video can really do, pop over and see us in the Chablis Suite. We've also got £20,000 of Award-winning kit to be won!
All the top manufacturers are here, and there'll be a host of product launches live at the show. We'll be bringing you regular updates on the site throughout the day.
Making its European debut at the show is this smart-looking one-box hi-fi system from Geneva of Switzerland (stand CHB07). There are three models in the range, each incorporating a built-in CD player, FM radio and iPod dock.
They're available in a choice of piano-lacquered colours and use a patented EmbracingSound digital signal processor to create a 3D sweet spot from two closely-aligned speaker arrays within the cabinet.
The system can be positioned on a table top or on its optional aluminium floorstand. The model L (pictured) costs £699, the XL is £1299 and the Model M costs £499.
Two other companies making their debut here are Audio Gallery and Image Audio, both making ultra-flat loudspeakers that look like pictures (stand CHB07).
Audio Gallery places ultra-slim SpeakerCraft loudspeakers within a picture frame, finished in a choice of real-wood veneer or piano-gloss.
The customer can then choose from a range of coloured or custom-printed acoustic cloths to cover the speaker. The range includes 8in three-way, 7in two-way and 4in two-way driver configurations.
Meanwhile, Image Audio has developed a four-strong range of super-slim on-wall speakers, measuring just 9.8cm deep. They combine neodymium driver magnets and new Hexatech voicecoil technology to deliver deep bass and a natural midrange.
Each speaker is fitted with an acoustically-treated print that can be produced from the customer's own photographs or artwork within 14 days.
The show's open 9am-6pm on Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd November, and 9am-5pm on Sunday 4th. See the show website for full details.
Technorati Tags: 2007 Awards, hi-fi, home cinema, What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision Show
