News: Kiwi concept gets international acclaim

The Audio Art Cafe – first covered locally in Tone’s May/June issue (Tone 76) – is talked up enthusiastically in the Six Moons photo/caption spread.

As the name suggests, the Audio Art Cafe combines hi-fi and home theatre retail space with three dedicated sound/visual environments, as well as a cafe and art gallery.

NZer Terry Humphries came up with the concept, while his wife, Penny, runs the gallery.

The Audio Art Cafe avoids the wife-boredom factor of so many hi-fi stores by providing an environment that’s aesthetically pleasing and pleasant to spend time in, while the gear Humphries chooses is all high quality but presented at different price levels to make auditioning and choosing easier.

Gear includes Cambridge Audio, Exposure, Music Hall, Tri, Paradigm, Usher, Triangle and Bel Canto.

Author of the Six Moons article met Humphries at last month’s High End audio show in Munich, and was intrigued by the concept, which appears to be unique.

The Audio Art Cafe is situated at 1 Greenwood St in Hamilton. Ph. 07-846-0541 www.ar.co.nz