A passion for music, an appreciation for good sound and a dedication to ensuring that customers get maximum satisfaction and value from their hi-fi or home theatre systems – these factors that have driven Centre Circle Audio’s mantra, from our quiet beginnings in a small town to becoming one of the premier high-end / lifestyle audio companies in Malaysia.
Centre Circle Audio is the authorised distributor of multiple award-winning and globally recognised brands. We select only prestigious, innovative and top-quality products, the best available, for our Malaysian audio enthusiasts.
In the span of 25 years, Centre Circle Audio has evolved from representing products “crafted to fit your lifestyle” to “the art of bespoke audio”. Some reference projects by the company include Ikea Damansara, Topglove Setia Eco and Everlink Medical Fertility Centre Subang. The company has also achieved professional ISF certification and won the new product award for its Clef Audio brand at the 2018 Archidex event.
“Music has been a passion since I was a child, and along the way, I realised that to enjoy recorded music best, I needed a good audio system… and I wanted a reference hi-fi setup,” says Nelson Chia, who founded Centre Circle Audio in the mid-1990s with his wife Carinne. Back then, the couple was among the youngest in the Klang Valley’s burgeoning hi-fi retail business.
The first Centre Circle Audio showroom was opened in 1995, in our founders’ hometown in Klang, but in 2000, we moved to Taman Tun Dr Ismail in Kuala Lumpur to be closer to the heart of the action.
“Our first showroom was opened on July 9, 1995, in a small area (around 90 square metres) on the first floor of a shop lot… it was more a place for music-lovers to gather, rather than a business showroom, very comfortable to hang out in… but it was slow growth for the business,” Nelson recalls.
“We moved to the ground floor after two years as we needed a proper venue to present our products and brands. We managed to start as an importer rather than a dealer.” Being a distributor ensured that Centre Circle Audio had exclusivity in the hi-fi brands it carried.
“In the year 2000, we decided to move to Kuala Lumpur, which we believe had a better market and higher potential for the hi-fi business. The year 2000 was a big turning point for Centre Circle Audio – a small hobbyist shop moving up from a small town to big city to compete with established hi-fi outlets in Kuala Lumpur. It was a big challenge for us, where we needed more powerful tools (products) to compete.”
In the two decades that Centre Circle Audio has been in KL, we have built a small but expert team to cater to customer needs and expectations. Employees are trained on building customer support and relationships, product knowledge and presentation, and technical skills. They are also updated on the latest from manufacturers and technology, and sent to participate in certification programmes.
We are already at the first step of bringing in the “lifestyle audiophile” concept to the latest generation of audiophiles and music lovers, where technology makes audiophile quality accessible, where components are space- and user-friendly.
We don’t just sell products – we help our customers plan and design their hi-fi or AV systems, and recommend what is suited to their needs. This includes installation, sound calibration and tuning, along with innovative solutions. We also provide consultation and solutions for acoustic treatment of the h-fi and home theatre rooms, along with support for system care and maintenance.
We carry high-value and reliable brands to serve our discerning customers – these brands are either established or have great potential, and provide us with excellent support. Their management team must be honest and friendly, and see us as a long-term business partner. This has ensured that we represent some of the best-known and premium hi-fi brands in the world of audio.
If you love playing music and movies at home, you’re our customer! Our aim is ultimately to be the most valued and customer-oriented audio outlet in the region.
