I live in Hong Kong (from Canada) - space is at a premium here. And while I have spent for audio - largely that is because the income tax rate is far lower, the pay for teachers is far higher than in Canada and I have not needed to own a car for the last 13 years. Utilities are cheaper and so are things like internet and phone. Not owning a car and all of the expenses that go with that over a decade sure saves a lot of money. The transportation system in Hong Kong is outstanding to where people who do own cars will take longer to get where they are going and it will cost them far more.
As an aside - while the income tax rate maxes out at 17% (progressive), there is no sales tax, duties, or tipping. But if you buy a new car there is a hefty tax applied so if you buy a $75,000 Mercedes - you pay $75,000 tax on it. Plus you need to buy your own parking space ($50,000) and gas is $3.20 Per litre not per gallon. The government waived that tax on Tesla for a while which is why the sales were so high. The tax does not apply to secondhand cars.
The tax rate on buying a car - HKD to USD is around $7.8 to 1 $150,000=~$19,000US
| TAX |
| (a) on the first $150,000 |
| 46% |
| 86% |
| 115% |
| 132% |
On the flip side - universal healthcare. I had to go to the hospital for an infected finger and I had two operations with anesthesiologists - in the hospital for 11 days - 3 months of physiotherapy and bandage changed - all medications - and three meals a day in the hospital - I paid $350 USD total. It would be free if I was a lower-income earner. I was off work for a month - all paid as we can bank our medical leave so I had over 168 days banked. HK is an interesting place when you consider that it is an ultra-capitalist City under communist control - very low tax rate and unions are frowned upon, very low violent crime rate, and free universal healthcare. It's probably why China leaves it alone for the most part because it works. For how much longer I can't say, but I lived in China too so I will wait and see.
I like a large number of speakers but they are either too expensive or too big or require too much room for my rental in Hong Kong - some would fit in my townhouse on Vancouver Island but I am only home a month per year so I still use my trusty 1991 Wharfedale E-70 (Vanguard Edition) speakers (horn tweeters).
In a large room - I would probably prefer something like the Acapella Audio Arts with their plasma Ion tweeters - but the cost is so high and when I move back to Canada - I will have other priorities. I'd rather retire a few years early than spend big on audio.
I may look at something like the Paradigm Persona series because it can double as a home theatre music set-up. I quite liked my last audition with the Persona 9H (also very expensive but perhaps the lower models will be as good sans deep bass) - And they're also lower-power amp-friendly. 96dB sensitive and they recommend as little as 15 watts per channel - which means 5 will be fine. They're the best Paradigm speakers I have ever heard. And as a side bonus - being designed at the NRC - they probably measure great too.