A JBL sound system showcased at What HiFi Show 2022. (Image credit: Ameya Dalvi)

The What Hi-Fi? Show 2022 was back on the ground this week after a COVID-induced break for a couple of years. As expected, a lot of premium brands showcased their wares, and some of it was truly worth experiencing for those looking for a high-end audio setup. It was even more enjoyable for an audio nerd like me to experience those aspirational audio systems in action; most running into lakhs of Rupees. You had the likes of Dynaudio, Bowers & Wilkins, Klipsch, Jamo, Onkyo, JBL and more; talk about a 'kid in a candy shop' moment.

But audio is a bit like the Matrix – nobody can be told how good it is, you have to experience it for yourself. No matter how enjoyable that was, it wasn't really unexpected. So I went exploring further for something even more interesting, something new, and my quest did yield a few results. Some unique, some quirky, some futuristic and some marking a roadmap to the future; today I will talk about these interesting products and trends I witness at the show.

If you have it, flaunt it – isn't that what they say? But these new range of speakers seem to follow the opposite philosophy. As the name suggests, the in-wall speakers are meant to be concealed inside a wall, or at least most of the product. A lot of brands at the expo seemed high on this new trend. The utility value of these speakers is high and can be used as a simple stereo pair of bookshelf speakers or a part of larger multi-channel setups.

You can use them as front or centre channels or surround speakers in a 5.1 channel audio system. They even pair seamlessly with subwoofers for that extra bass kick. Typically, these in-wall speakers have a 4.5-inch depth that goes inside the wall or even better in a wooden shelf/cabinet. All that's visible is the flat front grille, and even that can be made a lot less conspicuous if one wishes to with some smart interior design. You get a wide variety of in-wall speakers with an even broader price range depending on brand and specifications.

Next on the list is an intriguing surround sound system from Sony, the HT-A9. While it was announced a few months ago, seeing it (or hearing it) function in person was quite cool. The Sony HT-A9 is a unique 7.1.4 speaker system unlike anything I have seen before. On the face of it there are four similar looking speakers about 15-inches tall that need to be placed at the front and back of the room.

There are no rigid rules about their placement because the speakers do 360 Spacial Sound mapping, which basically means gauging where the walls and ceiling are with reference to the position of the speakers and the listener. The system takes less than a minute to do the mapping and then provides an output that simulates one coming from 12 virtual speakers around you. I will reserve my judgement about the quality of the output for a later date as the demo room wasn't the ideal size for this system, yet the speakers displayed a lot of promise.

The concept is very interesting indeed and something I would love to delve deeper into. On the specifications front, the Sony HT-A9 can output 504 Watts of audio and you can choose between the Sony SA-SW3 or SA-SW5 subwoofer to pair with it. You get a HDMI eARC input and the system is compliant with Dolby Atmos and other popular audio formats like Dolby Digital Plus, DTS HD, DTS:X and more. You can also stream high bitrate audio to the speakers over Bluetooth as they support LDAC codec too. The price of this product starts at Rs 1.7 Lakhs.

When one thinks about projectors, the first thing that comes to mind are conference rooms in offices. One can't be blamed for that. Projector brands like ViewSonic are now striving to change that perception and move the product into your living rooms. No, not because we have been working from home lately, but to make it an entertainment device. Among other things, the company has a lineup of 4K projectors that claim to offer true-to-life colours, and going by what I witnessed, the claim doesn't seem too far fetched.

The entertainment bit doesn't end there. Some of the projectors have integrated Harman Kardon speakers with a punchy sound output, and the product design is quite polished and one that won't feel like an eyesore in the living room. To address the issue of space crunch, most of these 4K models either offer a short throw or an ultra short throw option for projection from close quarters. While the former can project a 100-inch screen from five to six feet, the latter can manage that in just a couple of feet.

While these LED projectors can produce close to 2900 lumens of brightness, it is advisable to set them up in a dimly lit room for best results. While a light source behind the screen doesn't impact the viewing experience as much, one that hits the screen directly hampers the contrast in a big way. Lastly and most importantly, the company is striving to go lamp-free in the near future. In simpler terms, the traditional projector lamp will be replaced by LEDs or Laser in their future models.

A switch to a more efficient source would drastically reduce the power consumption, increase the longevity of the light source, and in turn positively impact the cost of ownership. The ViewSonic 4K LED projector range starts upwards of Rs 3.5 Lakhs at the moment.

A square TV by Aero. (Image credit: Ameya Dalvi)

How would you like a square TV? No, wait! How about a waterproof TV that turns into a mirror when switched off? You read that twice, didn't you? An upcoming Indian TV brand Aero has both those products to offer and more. The Aero Sapphire 55 is a 55-inch smart TV that's probably hidden behind a mirror, and you wouldn't even know about its presence till you switch it on. And it happens to be waterproof too. We had a few TVs turning into portraits and artworks, and now we have one that can double up as a huge mirror. Imagination has no limits indeed.

The author is a freelance journalist

The BJP's win in four states has sent a message to the BJP rank and file that what matters most in party's victories is the Modi magic

Chautala's prison term comes at a time when his party, the INLD has largely lost its political significance

Unofficial estimates hold that India could have more than eight lakh sex workers nationwide

The education department held internal tests in NAS format realigning syllabus on NCERT

The victory completed Mourinho's clean sweep of European trophies

Rahul Gandhi accused Indian diplomats of having become arrogant

Yediyurappa's decline signals the rise of the BL Santhosh era in Karnataka politics

A resurrected and revitalised Mourinho is exactly what football needs

The Ukraine issue has exposed many grave weaknesses in the UN where the veto power of P-5 has been a major stumbling block to peace

An impression persist that the system has not changed despite pretensions of a new resolve at Chintan Shivir

Any wrong move will have horrific consequences for economies everywhere and may make China even more unpopular

Unlike the UK and US, India has an inflationary impulse largely driven by consumer demand