Local audiophile hooks up
with Italian speakers

Terry Hart liked the product
so much he now imports them

Terry Hart, an admitted audiophile from the time he was a teenager, started SAP Audio International in August 2003 after he heard the sound of one of the company's loudspeakers. He was so intrigued he investigated and contacted the owner, who it turned out, was looking for an importer for their products.

Hart had worked the previous five years for a small start-up company that exported safe-water systems around the world, so he decided to put the experience he gained there to work as the official SAP importer for North America.

Hart was one of 2,400 exhibitors as the 2005 International Consumer Electronics Show this month in Las Vegas. As it happens, SAP Audio International was the only Hawaii business represented at the show, known widely for its roll-out of cutting-edge gadgets.

"There are other audio entrepreneurs in Hawaii, and I would hope in the future that we could get together and show off more products made in Hawaii, perhaps at CES," Hart said. "Of course, I also want to expose more audiophiles and music lovers across the United States to this product which I was so impressed with as soon as I heard it."

SAP Audio is still in a rollout mode, but Hart expects that to change shortly. He hopes to find additional retailers for the products during the electronics show as well as have the opportunity to introduce more enthusiasts to SAP.

He is also encouraged by the fact his company didn't lose money in its first year.

The products are manufactured in Italy by Strumenti Acustici di Precisione in Salerno. It started as a speaker manufacturer but is now a full system audio company which also makes amplifiers, turntables and the relaxa, an isolation platform which isolates any type of audio equipment from mechanical vibration. It will soon have a high-end CD player on the market. The speakers Hart is importing are the Mate at $2,195 a pair, the Trio at $4,395 a pair and the Quartet at $8,595 a pair. He also has a very high-end J2001 for $15,595.

Are there buyers in Hawaii for this range of equipment? Hart says yes and is quick to use the example of the many households already having plasma TVs that cost $4,000 or more.

So far, there is one retailer in Hawaii, Audio Lab, selling these products, and about a dozen across the United States. Terry hopes to increase these numbers.

"We need some core dealers in the major metropolitan areas," Hart said.

If all goes well for SAP after this year's electronics show, we may well see a performance or two by Hawaiian groups at next year's show. Stay tuned.