THINK of the sounds of Hong Kong, and traffic, mobile phones and building works come quickly to mind.
Giving a stereo at Christmas can result in a great party atmosphere, or in a heated discussion over the choice of music being played.
The stereo systems on the market fall roughly into three categories, micro, mini and midi, although the divisions are easily blurred.
The amount of space available in many Hong Kong apartments means the micro and mini stereo is a popular market. Producing a sound belying their size, in both quality and volume, micro systems, at between $3,000 and $5,000, offer a wide range of features.
JVC's UXA4 offers a CD player with auto selection, AM/FM tuner, cassette deck, full remote control and hyper bass, producing a grown up sound for $2,996 at Fortress.
The UXT1, at $2,596, is smaller still, fitting discreetly into a bookshelf along with the paperbacks.