Music Shopping In Hong Kong

It's just firming up, but it looks like I'm going to be spending a the week of 1/16-20 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan and the weekend of January 21 & 22 in Hong Kong and Shenzen, China. My first trip to Hong Kong... business, not pleasure.

However, since I have this work-free weekend, I'm going to do some shopping. Maybe there's some store full of cheap Japanese SACDs? A pile of oop DCC golds?

Help me out, fellow board members! Where should I go?

BTW, my subordinate is traveling with me and he's Chinese so I'll have a translator. It'll be a big help.

Feel free to pm or e-mail me with recommendations (or just post them here). If you E-mail me and prefer using Chinese, that'll work for me too.

Thanks,
Kevin

 

You can check out Hong Kong Records, a brick-and-mortar store that also sells on ebay. Several members here, including myself, have had positive transactions with HK Records. You should definitely check out Win Win Shop at 49 Tung Choi St, Mong Kok (on Kowloon side of the city) if you are interested in SACD. I would also recommend Janfield Records Co. on Kowloon's Nathan Road, at the bottom of the Prudential Centre, across from the burned out former headquarter of Hong Kong Universal Music. HMV is too expensive to consider.

Print out this list and give it to your subordinate. Decode it using Big 5 Traditional Chinese coding. If you don't have it, you can download it free from Microsoft. He should know where to take you.

BTW, I don't think I've ever come across DCC or Mobile Fidelity CDs while in HK. However, you will come across hybrid Sony titles that aren't available in the US, such as Dave Brubeck's "Time Out"....



or the B&W Demo SACD....



These were available for about US$17.00 when I was in HK last year. SACDs available in HK are generally pressed in either Europe or Japan. Even the local titles are pressed in in either Europe or Japan. For example, Hong Kong EMI's Sarah Brightman SACDs were all pressed in Europe. You may even come across 24K gold CDs not available in the US from artists like Phil Collins (usually pressed in Japan). Skip the "Sound of Music" soundtrack SACD, it's nothing special even though you can pick it up for about US$13.00-$15.00



Words of caution....never ever buy anything with a round hologram. Those are issued for the mainland Chinese market and it's extremely hard to tell whether they are legit or not.

Shenzen? Are you ready to buy Shanling direct? That's where the company is located.

Are you sure you're not interested in vinyl? HK has a whole street dedicated to used vinyl. But hauling vinyl back to the States is a pain to the back.

 

Thank you! This list is a great help. I'm sure Huizhuang will be able to read this list and find us some spots.

My buddy in Taiwan tried telling me about Janfield Records in Kowloon, but he couldn't remember the name, just that it was on Nathan Road. He says Shenzen is the place to find cheap DVDs, but I'm not really into that. He says he got the entire 7 seasons of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" on DVD for $30. That's cheap!

I am definitely interested in Jazz vinyl! I never thought of HK as a vinyl haven. I have no problem hauling back a few choice titles. Let me know the name of that street.

Kevin

 

Warning, Kevin, Warning!! Don't buy into the ultra-inexpensive DVDs or CDs....they're most likely counterfeit stuff. I don't know how you will go from Shenzen to HK, or vice versa, but if you're taking the bus (about an hour's drive), you will need to go through 2 sets of custom counters to go in and out of both cities (Watch out for the HAL-like scanner for abnormal body temperature scans as you stand behind the yellow line!). You absolutely don't want to be caught with any counterfeit DVD/CD/software/etc. You will be severly punished (monetarily speaking) piece by piece.

I will have to go home to look that up. Actually, HK and China are hotspots for vinyl fanatics. Considering HK population size, Hong Kong Universal Music has released an abnormally high number of vinyl reissues.

If your coworker can read Chinese, tell him to visit vinylparadise.com. The site is run by a Hong Kong doctor who just happened to be a vinyl fanatic. He sold all his CDs and now only collect vinyl records. His site contain shopping guides to HK vinyl dealers, his record collection, a forum, etc.... Oh, here's the link to the street in Kowloon where used vinyl dealers are concentrated. Here's another link. Again, you will need Big 5 Traditional Chinese to decode his site.

 

Does HMV still allow people to listen to the non-Japanese CDs before buying?