STEREONET AWARDS: 2017 INTERNATIONAL HIFI SHOW
The annual International HiFi Show in Melbourne has drawn to a close for another year, but not before impressing thousands of attendees across the three days in early November.
As has been said elsewhere, "there were young, they were eager, and they came in droves," and that's the best way to describe this year's attendance that was made up of a predominantly 38-45 year old demographic.
HiFi is alive and well and arguably thanks in part to the "vinyl revival" with traditional stereo listening is enjoying a resurgence once more.
The International HiFi Show returns to Melbourne once more, October 12th-14th and plans are well underway already for next year's show. A Blues Bar with Live Music, Guest Speakers and Seminars, new format Record Fair, an additional level of exhibitors, and an Industry Gala Dinner on the Saturday night to host the new and expanded StereoNET awards are all just part of the show's ongoing improvements.
Judges for this years StereoNET Awards included our own review team as well as members of the Australian hi-fi and tech press.
You can read the full Show Report here, or view the Gallery here.
Without further ado ...
Best Sound in Show (Overall)
Winner - Hulgich Audio
Highly Commended - SGR Audio
Highly Commended - Pure Music Group
BEST CINEMA / AV
Winner - Krix 'Wall of Sound' MX-30
Highly Commended - BenQ (GS-1 Portable Projector)
OUSTANDING VALUE
Winner - REDGUM Audio / Legend Loudspeakers
Best Newcomer
Winner - Hulgich Audio
Highly Commended - Java HiFi / Holton Audio / SGR Audio
Highly Commended - Purasound (Grandinote)
Best Presented Space (Appearance)
Winner - VAF Research
Highly Commended - Melody
Highly Commended - Sennheiser HE-1 Listening Suite
Best Retailer Exhibition
Winner - Jaben Audio
Best System Demonstration / Presentation
Winner - Mcleans Smarter Home Entertainment (Bill Mclean)
Highly Commended - SGR Audio (Aaron Reynolds)
Highly Commended - Pure Music Group (Warwick Freemantle)
Best Headphones
Winner - Sennheiser HE-1
Best Innovation (HiFI)
Winner - Kii Audio Three
Highly Commended - VAF Research Soundwall
Highly Commended - Triangle LN-01A Active Speakers & Turntable Package
Best Innovation (Lifestyle)
Winner - Studio19 Solo Bluetooth Speaker
Highly Commended - Beyerdynamic Aventho Wireless Headphones
Best Innovation (Tech)
Winner - Devialet Gold Phantom (5.5 Channel Surround Sound)
Highly Commended - BenQ GS-1 Portable Projector
Congratulations to all exhibitors for their efforts at the 2017 Melbourne International HiFi Show. 2018 will bring with it expanded awards, more categories, People's Choice, and much more via an industry Gala Dinner.
And this concludes our show coverage for this year. For more information on any of the exhibitors, please visit this page.
Marc Rushton
StereoNET’s Founder and Publisher was born in England and raised on British Hi-Fi before moving to Australia. He developed an early love of music and playing bass guitar before discovering the studio and the other side of the mixing desk. After writing for print magazines, Marc saw the future in digital publishing and founded the first version of StereoNET in 1999.
Posted in: Hi-Fi | Headphones | Home Theatre | Visual | Lifestyle | Integration | Technology | StereoNET | HiFi Show
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applause awards
Each time StereoNET reviews a product, it is considered for an Applause Award. Winning one marks it out as a design of great quality and distinction – a special product in its class, on the grounds of either performance, value for money, or usually both.
Applause Awards are personally issued by StereoNET’s global Editor-in-Chief, David Price – who has over three decades of experience reviewing hi-fi products at the highest level – after consulting with our senior editorial team. They are not automatically given with all reviews, nor can manufacturers purchase them.
The StereoNET editorial team includes some of the world’s most experienced and respected hi-fi journalists with a vast wealth of knowledge. Some have edited popular English language hi-fi magazines, and others have been senior contributors to famous audio journals stretching back to the late 1970s. And we also employ professional IT and home theatre specialists who work at the cutting edge of today’s technology.
We believe that no other online hi-fi and home cinema resource offers such expert knowledge, so when StereoNET gives an Applause Award, it is a trustworthy hallmark of quality. Receiving such an award is the prerequisite to becoming eligible for our annual Product of the Year awards, awarded only to the finest designs in their respective categories. Buyers of hi-fi, home cinema, and headphones can be sure that a StereoNET Applause Award winner is worthy of your most serious attention.