“When I think back to my first visit to Elephant, it happened over thirty years ago…. I met their manager Mr. Yu, and the host of the showroom Eddy Chung at my first interview, and their earnest, down-to-earth, and reliable personalities have remained the same to this day. In addition, we share similar views of the analog world, which brings us closer together. In the realm analogue gadgets, our interests are not limited to LP turntables and vinyl records; everyone is just as die hard with the mechanical aspects of, and film in photography…. When I visited Elephant’s temporary showroom on the 21st floor last time,… a pair of Rogers LS-3/5a were on display that day. The 3/5a Piano Black bookshelf speakers, paired with Audio Note’s Cobra integrated tube amp that comes with Class A 28W “gold wattage” output, the elegant and pleasant sound left a deep impression on me like it was yesterday…”

“In front of the original hi-fi showroom, a small display area of film projection equipment throughout the ages has been added to illustrate the history of Elelphant through various cinema audio-visual systems.”

“As soon as the door of the big hi-fi showroom opened, although it was said to be extensively refurbished, the furnishings look exactly the same as before. The main setup prominently featured in front is the German brand Einstein. It appears that the equipment has not been shifted by the slightest. According to Mr. Yu’s explanation, this illusion of a pause in time and space, it turns out, is mainly to Eddy’s credit. He is responsible for the entire equipment setup, from taking it apart for relocation and then setting it up again. It just shows you how thoughtful Eddy is!”

“For fans of Audio Note like me, of course, what I care most about is the small hi-fi “fever” showroom, because it is almost exclusively Audio Note. Just like the large showroom, everything basically looks the same as before: the setups are of course 100% Audio Note, the other records, books, fine wines, and trinkets make one’s eyes marvel. However after a while, I feel a sense of relaxed openness that I did not have before. After careful observation, I noticed that a row of glass windows opened up the wall against the back of sofa, and even with the thick wooden venetian blinds down, the bright summer sun outside that day was streaming in softly… It is good that the room has windows, but audiophiles are naturally more concerned about the effect this change has on the sound? After getting seated, and asking Eddy to play some familiar tunes, the result I heard in my ears is exactly the same visceral sensation as what I saw and felt!”

– Charlie Ma

Tube World Monthly – June 2021