Love at First Sound with Shawn Teoh of Nextrend Systems Sdn Bhd

Long besotted with the mesmerising world of architectural sound, Shawn Teoh—the mastermind behind Nextrend Systems Sdn Bhd—remains deeply committed to sharing his sense-sational passion with those that understand that great sound is more than just euphonic.

TEXT Monisha Sivanesan
IMAGES COURTESY OF Nextrend Systems Sdn Bhd

The right sound of music can be an absolute game-changer to the ears, but what about the sight of it, or more accurately the lack thereof? In the realm of architectural and interior design, this sensorial fusion has gradually become a question to ponder about in the search for the best sound systems, nay the best architectural sound solutions, as those in the know would generally refer to it as. Sleek, compact and invisible speakers with the crispest clarity in sound are no longer a thing of the distant future but of the reachable now, and who better than a field expert like Nextrend Systems Sdn Bhd to not only guide us through them, but offer such solutions on a silver platter too?

Long before it was officially known as an expert in architectural sound solutions, Nextrend Systems planted its seeds from a golden opportunity in NXT Technology, a ground-breaking product in hidden audio solutions. The official distributor for K-array Malaysia, Amina Sound and Frog-is has since amassed almost 20 years of diverse experience in working with unique architectural requirements such as speaker placement, room acoustics and interior design for both private residences and commercial spaces. From showrooms and offices to restaurants and cinemas, some of its most notable projects are linked to major names like BMW, SP Setia, Van Cleef and Arpels, Golden Screen Cinemas, MyTOWN Shopping Centre and Berjaya Corporation Berhad.

K-array Python-KP52 I

K-array Python-KP52 I

K-array Python-KP52 I

Thorough and considerate, Nextrend leaves no stone unturned as it holds your hand through every stage of your journey. It all begins with consultations, which includes a free demo at the showroom or location of choice based on your requirements; immersive and experiential as one can imagine, the showroom features a plethora of terrific set-ups — from karaoke rooms to open mic stages, get ready to be transported at first sound, and sight. Next comes the design stage where the company works closely with interior designers and architects to ensure that its architectural sound solutions are well integrated with and for your room, with zero visual impact. Last of all is installation, of course, which sees its highly experienced technical team working diligently on site from start to finish to ensure only the finest possible outcome is delivered for your dream space.

In supplying quality solutions with value added to each and every one, Nextrend has assisted plenty of homes and businesses to retain their stylish design and allow for eargasmic sounds to reverberate through them, without having to compromise on either — now that’s what we call having your cake, and eating it too. Here to share more about the company and its future plans, along with a personal insight and journey into the magical world of architectural sound, is architectural sound solution specialist Shawn Teoh.

What made you so keen to pursue a career in the world of sound?

I have always been drawn to anything that creates sound. In this case, I was impressed and intrigued by how a pair of speakers generates beautiful staging imagery from stereo recording. From then on, my fate was decided.

Preferring to be known as an architectural sound solution specialist, tell us about the experiences which best earned you this title?

I have more than ten years of experience in providing design solutions to various projects across the country, and beyond its borders too. This includes overseeing extra challenging spaces that possess high reverberations, meaning rooms with double volumes, solid surfaces and curtain walls as seen in showrooms, shopping malls, ballrooms and more. Throughout this time, I also received ample training from the brands we’ve partnered with.

Based on your experience, how different is it to set up an audio system for a private vs public space?

Private spaces are more personalised, therefore it is necessary to understand customer preference, both aesthetically and acoustically. On the other hand, for public spaces, audio coverage at the desired volume is generally the most important aspect of it all.

What has been the toughest lesson you’ve had to learn in all these years in the audio business?

The toughest lesson I had to learn was how to deal with end user expectations, meaning how to really understand every customer’s preferences. Nowadays, customers know exactly what they want; the more advanced the technology, the higher the expectations. They want something that’s quick, easy and efficient but without all the hassle.

However, the latest technologies involve the most complex of handling which is where we come in. We have to anticipate their needs and constantly improve, or better yet, simplify our solutions to make it user-friendly for their ultimate satisfaction. Therefore, learning to deal with this sort of issue was challenging but eye-opening as well, to say the least.

What is one thing you’ve discovered about the audio world that would shock or surprise people?

Stereo sound is always best for Hifi listening; one sweet spot in a room is all you need to serve a very limited audience. However, through proper speaker selection and placement, multiple listening sweet spots can derive an immersive stereo experience for public spaces and common areas; this could maximise the outcome of how music is recorded.

Tell us briefly about the background and vision/mission of Nextrend Systems for our audience.

We always make the effort to continue learning about the latest offerings from the industry, whether it’s the newest technology, technique or concept, to always provide quality products and services to our customers. At Nextrend Systems, it is our mission, nay it is in our DNA, to provide future-proof solutions and create a trend for them. One of the areas we are currently exploring is how to utilise AI to enhance the quality of sound, reproduced from the systems we provide, in the most natural way possible. For example, AI can help us with voice recognition by autotuning to best match the original source.

Among all the audio solutions carried by Nextrend, which is your most favourite and why?

That’s a tough question as the primary products offered by Nextrend are ideal solutions of what the audio industry needs; from very compact speakers to invisible speakers, we offer high-quality invisible background music to next-level concert sound. However, If I had to pick just one, or maybe two, it’d be the Amina invisible speakers and the K-array KV speaker series which are compact yet versatile in audio application for both commercial and residential spaces.

Can you hint at any new releases or projects in the coming year?

Our product enhancement process is on-going, but we’re looking to emphasise more on user experience, especially in how easy it is to operate these complicated sound system backend setups. We will introduce a self-developed Graphical User Interface (GUI) customised for the end user. The same device will allow engineers to remote access the system for maintenance and troubleshooting.

Another new endeavour we’re pursuing is to provide a quality music source for client’s installation. Most of the time, clients own a good sound system, but with a limited music selection or an incompatible song file quality. In order to overcome this issue, we’re introducing Soundscaping and Soundstyling to complete our offer of the perfect architectural sound solution.

What would you like to see Nextrend Systems achieve in the next 5 years?

In the near future, I would like to see our company be able to achieve optimum user appreciation towards sound technology, bringing adequate awareness of the quality of the esteemed brands we carry.

“We always make the effort to continue learning about the latest offerings from the industry, whether it's the newest technology, technique or concept, to always provide quality products and services to our customers… At Nextrend Systems, it is our mission, nay it is in our DNA, to provide future-proof solutions and create a trend for them.”

Shawn Teoh, Architectural Sound Solution Specialist of Nextrend Systems Sdn Bhd

The Experiential Hub

Immersive as one can imagine, the Nextrend experiential hub features a plethora of terrific set-ups that will have you transported at first sound. Following the concept of a gentleman’s lounge or a modern speakeasy, the interiors take a spacious yet cosy and laid-back approach that will make you feel right at home. In order to achieve maximum eargasmic pleasure, polyester fibre and raw wool are the two types of sound absorbing materials employed along the room’s walls and ceiling.

A single, complex and highly customisable sound system conveniently controls the multiple forms of entertainment available here: cinema, karaoke, live band and DJ performances. These set-ups collectively share the same set of 20 speakers, then separated into 9 different segments that can be demoed individually. Customers can even download this very same demo app created by Nextrend, then have it customised by the team itself for their own personal ease of use.

As one can tell, no one can deny that using, or experiencing, a product first-hand is the most optimal way to understand it; matter of fact, the decision-making process to purchase it then becomes a whole lot easier. So, when it comes to the demos at the experiential hub, Shawn succinctly believes that, “Hearing is believing,” … and honestly, we couldn’t agree more.

Efficiently controlling the various types of entertainment present in the experiential hub is Nextrend’s greatest pride and joy: one singular, complex and highly customisable sound system.

Taking on the well-fed shape of its namesake, the Python is a subtle, passive speaker composed of closely-spaced 3.15” drivers, housed in a resistant stainless steel frame and features the powerful Pure Array Technology that’s perfect for covering long distances uniformly. Two sizes are made available: KP52 I, the half metre-long model, and KP102 I, the metre-long model, both of which can reproduce the whole vocal frequency range with a high level of intelligibility.

↱ Python Speakers

Standing proudly as the brand’s flattest speakers, the Vyper features closely-spaced transducers with the Pure Array Technology housed in an elegant aluminium frame that’s less than 2” deep in order to successfully, but discreetly, produce a loud sound. While its high impedance and top-to-bottom pass-through connector system allows more than one Vyper to be seamlessly connected to each other, its integration is made even more invisible as the three additional models are designed exclusively to be embedded into surfaces too.

Ultra-futuristic and youthfully playful in design, the sculptural Duomondi Spero 24 is where concert grade audio and psychedelic lights collide for maximum entertainment. As the visuals are a significant part of the allure here, feel free to explore the speaker’s three built-in lighting preset modes: the soundreactive ‘Party’, the artistic ‘Ambient’ and the colourful ‘Paint’. Additional customisations are also available to ensure your surroundings can perfectly suit your mood.

For more information, please visit:

NEXTREND SYSTEMS SDN BHD | www.nextrendy.com