By Roberto Coloma
The Philippines' largest music and audio gear festival takes place this weekend in Makati, with thousands of enthusiasts expected to attend.
The annual November Hi-Fi Show will occupy four floors of the Makati Diamond Residences at 118 Legazpi Street on Saturday and Sunday, November 15-16.
Vinyl records and compact discs, along with music gear ranging from turntables to digital equipment and megabucks loudspeakers, will be up for sale by the country's most reputable dealers.
Digital streamers that can play high-resolution music wirelessly from your phone will be of particular interest to the increasingly younger crowd.
"We get between 2,000 and 4,000 attendees. We have been more aggressive in boosting our social media presence because of our new home, so I'm curious too about the turnout this year," said show organizer Tonyboy de Leon.
"There are a lot more digital options. Digital streaming is still tops, but there is a new wave of people getting back into CD players too."
"I have also noticed that the stuff coming out from China, in my opinion, can compete with digital products from the West in performance, design & pricing."
The age of show attendees ranges from 20 to veteran audiophiles in their 70s and 80s.
"What I have noticed is that a younger demographic is taking over the attendance, unlike 20 years ago, when the attendees were basically men in their 40s-70s.
"I think it started a decade ago, but the bulk of attendees now are in their 20s to late 30s — and a lot of them are women."
He said social media had a lot to do with the shift in demographics.
De Leon urged show visitors to check out Chinese streamer brands like Wiim and Eversolo.
On the high end, speaker brands like Devialet and Wilson Audio will again occupy large function rooms.