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o My passion is to

make people discover

III I 'II, I

Interview with

Raffi Garibian

Expert in acoustics, high fidelity,

and owner of Video-Hifitec, Geneva

Q: How did
it all start?
In today's world, driven by
consumerism, where you
I started stu-
can easily be disoriented by
dying mecha-
a flood of advertising for so
nical enginee-
many different products, it's
ring, then I went on to specializing However, there are people with a
nice to meet somebody who
in the physics of waves, and from big budget but to whom I would
is there to sell you quality,
there I also specialized in acous- not sell equipment that they do
who can give you advice and
tics, and I have always been wor- not need. In other cases, there may
help you to find the right
king with acoustics. Since 1976 I be people with a very limited bud-
thing for you, your style and
concentrated on re-creating music get and to whom I say, to acquire
your budget.
emotion through the products that your music equipment we can do
I propose to my clients. it step by step. I think that for each
We are surrounded by sound
extra franc you spend, you should
and, according to Raffi Gari-
Q: Can you explain what wave obtain something in return, other-
bian, we can only hear a frac-
physics is all about? wise it is not worth it.
tion of the sound around us.
He was trained as a mechanical
In the field of acoustics, there are Q: What is most important:
engineer and has become one
sounds that we cannot hear but the player, the amplifier or
of Geneva's most well-known
that our body can intercept, and the loudspeakers?
sound and acoustics experts.
this is part of the emotions that the
Just on the corner of rue de
music transmits to us. It is in the loudspeakers that will
Lyon and rue de la Servette
provide the biggest difference.
you can find his business --
What is important about perfect When I start to work with a client,
Video Hifitec. Most of us listen
sound is that every detail counts. during the first listening session, I
to the radio, have a hifi stereo
This is the reason why I spend so know if I can go in one direction or
chain and do not think any
much time with each client. I pre- another. The first thing that I will
more about it, but after a visit
fer that he/she comes to see me try to choose is the loudspeakers,
to Mr Garibian we quickly learn
with his/her own music because if as that's the area where there is
that there is sound and sound
you want to create emotions, you the most to be gained in terms of
-- there is more to this subject
need to listen to something that difference. But it's not the sole fac-
than most of us could dream
you like and know well. The aim tor. After we have chosen the loud-
of. The experience was a terrific
is thus to listen to what the client speakers, we go into depth about
eye opener, and if you are look-
wants and to identify the equip- the electronics that are best suited
ing for emotions when you
ment according to the music he/ for the equipment, the music that
listen to music, that's the place
she likes, or a combination of the the client likes, etc. It goes without
to go. Now we leave the floor
equipment that is best suited to saying that the cables also play a
to Mr Garibian
fulfil their needs and, of course, very important role.
also to fit their budget.
Portrait
I