Gone, but not forgotten, their legacy remains 

The following personalities in high-end audio have contributed immensely towards the creation, development, and shaping of the audiophile industry and its community. We pay tribute to them and their inspiring contributions. The greats are listed according to the year they have sadly departed for a better place.

Saul Marantz was born on 7th, July 1911, in Queens, New York. He founded the Marantz Company in 1953 and opened a factory in Woodside after designing a mono preamplifier he called the “Audio Consolette”. In 1952, he was said to have Hand-Assembled 100 units on a kitchen table in the basement of his home in Kew Gardens, New York. In 1954, the Model 1 preamplifier succeeded the “Audio Consolette,” resembling its predecessor.  It was the first preamplifier to offer a new RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) phono equalization curve, in addition to a large number of older and non-standard curves including the Columbia and 78 curves. The Model 1 preamplifier also had a tape monitor switch and a “TV” input. Sidney Smith whose military training in electrical engineering subsequently came on board to help Marantz modify the Consolette’s circuitry to solve the inherent noise problems evident in early units and eventually became its chief engineer. Together they formed a 14-year partnership and produced some of the most iconic products in the history of audio.

In 1956, the Model 2 power amplifier was introduced using EL34s in an “ultra-linear” (push-pull) configuration followed by the Model 3 electronic crossover and the Model 5 power amplifier. They also revised the Model 2. In 1958, Marantz introduced the Model 6 stereo adaptor during the industry transitioned to stereo. Saul’s ascension to fame may have happened In December of 1958 with the release of the Model 7 stereo preamplifier. The circuitry used a unique three-stage phono preamp/equalizer that later became famously known as the “Marantz circuit.” In 1959, Marantz released the Model 8 which was the only tube stereo amplifier the company produced. In 1960, the Model 9 monaural power amplifier was released using EL34 tubes, in an ultra-linear parallel push-pull design that produced 70 watts of power, a significant accomplishment for its time. In 1962 the Model 8B amplifier was released as an improvement of the Model 8 utilizing Sidney Smith’s specially designed transformer which featured a negative feedback circuit originally developed for the Model 9 amplifier.

Richard Sequerra, a trained engineer with experience in radio frequency design, joined Marantz in 1961 to design an FM stereo tuner. Sidney Smith collaborated with Richard to produce the Model 10 Tuner in 1964. Among the innovative features was the front-panel oscilloscope that provided precise information on the amount of stereo separation provided by the broadcaster. An improved version, the Model 10B, appeared later that same year. In addition to a minor change in the dial mechanism, they used different inductors resistant to magnetization. The advent of transistor technology prompted the company to introduce the Model 7T preamplifier and Model 15 power amplifier. During this “transition period” the Model 18 Receiver, a collaborative effort featuring Saul Marantz’s cosmetic design, Sid Smith’s audio circuitry, and Dick Sequerra’s tuner expertise was introduced as the last product involving Saul Marantz. 

In late 1964, the Marantz company was acquired by Superscope Inc. the importer of Sony tape machines in the U.S., for $3 million. Joseph Tushinsky, the president of Superscope moved the company from New York to Sun Valley, California. In 1966, Superscope partnered with Standard Radio Corporation in Japan to produce affordable Marantz products. In the fall of 1967, Saul was appointed “President Emeritus”, Saul Marantz resigned in December 1968. In 1980, Superscope decided to sell the Marantz brand to Philips, in the Netherlands. However, Superscope retained the name for the North American market. Saul B. Marantz's last residence was in Bridgewater, N.J. He was an avid photographer, amateur classical guitarist, was career graphics designer, and a collector of Chinese and Japanese art. He was also a fellow of the Audio Engineering Society (AES) and received an achievement award for outstanding contribution to consumer audio equipment. In January 1977, Saul Marantz passed away peacefully in Somerville, N.J. at age 85.

Frank McIntosh, Mr “Mac” as he is affectionately known by his employees was born on 12 July 1906, in Omaha, Nebraska. He was an accomplished cellist, performing over the radio airwaves with his brothers in the McIntosh String Trio. Frank studied mathematics and radio engineering, wrote columns on radio engineering for various newspapers, and became an editor for Popular Mechanics magazine. In 1929, Frank worked for eight years at Bell Labs in Murray Hill, New Jersey, where he installed and worked on the equipment for 235 radio stations. In 1942, he was head of the Radio and Radar Division of the War Production Board. In 1945, Frank started his consulting business (McIntosh and Ingles Consulting Firm) in Washington, DC designing radio stations and sound systems. 

In 1946, Frank recruited engineer Gordon Gow to help him develop a concept amplifier which was named the McIntosh 50W-1 Unity Coupled Amplifier. It could deliver 50 watts of power with less than 0.3% distortion from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. In 1947, they changed the company’s name to McIntosh Scientific Laboratory. By 1948, the parts of the Unity Coupled circuit were assembled into a symmetrically driven balanced output stage. Applications were filed for five basic patents with one granted in 1949. The McIntosh Engineering Laboratory was incorporated and relocated the factory from Washington, D.C. to Silver Spring, Maryland.

In 1950 Gordon Gow became Executive Vice President and the McIntosh company released its first preamplifier, the McIntosh AE-1, the A116 power amplifier, and the C108 preamplifier. In April 1951, the company removed "engineering" from its name. In 1952 McIntosh’s first loudspeaker system, the F100 was designed with drivers made by Rudy Bozak, however, only five units were said to have been sold. The F100 contained four special long-excursion woofers, an 8" mid-range, and four tweeters. In 1953 the power amplifier MC30 and the preamplifier C4 followed. In 1954, Frank produced many recordings in the Washinton DC area under the “McIntosh Music” label. The term "Unity Coupling" was coined in the middle of 1954, even though the concept existed before that time. Their Unity Coupled Circuit, patented at the brand's inception, is still used today in products like their MC275 amplifier. In 1956, McIntosh Laboratory relocated the factory and headquarters to downtown Binghamton, New York. In 1957 McIntosh's first tuner, the McIntosh MR55 FM/MW tuner, was released. 

In 1965, McIntosh amps were used to power President Lyndon Johnson’s inauguration speech. Perhaps one of the company’s greatest achievements was the introduction of the MC 2505 in 1967. It was the first separate solid-state power amplifier that ushered in the “autoformer”, a new transformer design, which is also hand-wound in the factory. The loudspeaker production Division was created in 1967, initiated by Roger Russel had released the ML series in 1970. In 1969, twenty McIntosh MC3500 tube amplifiers were used to power JBL loudspeakers at Woodstock for more than 400,000 fans, and was a spectacular event in music history. The first pure transistor product is the McIntosh C24 preamplifier. The McIntosh MR78 tuner was introduced in 1972 and became a classic, receiving a patent for the circuit design in the same year. McIntosh received further patents for loudspeaker and equalizer systems as well as for the Power Guard® circuit in their amplifiers. 

In 1973 Frank formed a new Stereo Technology Division producing a line of electronics and loudspeakers that had a Conklin, NY address under the brand “Stereotech”. The first product was a receiver and four loudspeakers that were made by the Foster Electric Company in Japan but were subsequently discontinued in 1976 due to poor demand. In 1974, the infamous Grateful Dead's "Wall of Sound" debuted at the Cow Palace in Daly City, CA. It used forty-eight 600-watt per channel (bridged monoblock) McIntosh model MC2300 solid-state amplifiers for a total of 28,800 watts of continuous power. In 1976, a soft cover book titled ‘Hi-Fi Components Series-2 MCINTOSH’ was published in Japanese. It contained 216 pages with pictures describing all of McIntosh's products produced up to 1976.

Frank McIntosh retired in October 1977 and moved from his home in Endicott, NY to Scottsdale, Arizona retaining a salary on a consulting basis. Gordon Gow became president and CEO until Gordon’s passing in 1989. Daniel Pidgeon has been the CEO of the McIntosh Group since June 2022 succeeding Charlie Randall. On November 7, 2017, Frank McIntosh and Gordon Gow were inducted into the Consumer Technology (CT) Hall of Fame in a ceremony held at the Rainbow Room in New York City for creating the first high-powered and low-distortion audio amplifier. Frank had immensely contributed to the growth of the audio industry during the 50s up to the 70s. Today, we readily recognize McIntosh's audio products by their black glass fascia, iconic blue VU meters, and gothic logo. Frank McIntosh passed away peacefully in January 1990, at age 83.

Avery Fisher was born on March 4, 1906, in Brooklyn, New York. He was an amateur violinist from a musical family. One of Fisher's most prized possessions was a genuine 1692 Stradivarius violin which he would occasionally loan to promising artists for special performances. He was a philanthropist who donated millions of dollars to arts organizations and universities. Avery graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Science (Engineering degree) in 1929. He subsequently worked for six years in book publishing and book design - Dodd, Mead, and Company.

His journey into audio began when he experimented with audio design and acoustics as he wanted to make a radio set to sound like he was listening to a live orchestra. Hence, Avery founded the Philharmonic Radio Company in 1937 with Victor Brociner, producing the company's first high-fidelity radio receiver which was a 14-tube - Philharmonic Linear Standard. This product was followed by the Philharmonic Futura Carillon and the Philharmonic Futura K-1 the latter is a tuner assembly that was credited to be the nation's first high-fidelity (audio) receiver. When the production of radios for civilian use was suspended in April 1942 by the US government during World War II, the company was reformed as the Philharmonic Radio Corporation producing military radio equipment for the US and Allied forces including airport instrument landing systems for use in control tower communication with commercial and military airplanes.

Fisher subsequently sold Philharmonic Radio and founded Fisher Radio Company, which developed, manufactured, and marketed high-performance audio products under the trade name "The Fisher". By the 1950s, the term ‘receiver’ was used instead of ‘radio’ for a unit that combined a tuner and an amplifier. In 1957, the Fisher Radio Company produced its first high-fidelity FM/AM receiver, the monophonic 14-tube Fisher 500 (TA500). In 1959, a 22-tube, stereophonic 600 (TA600) receiver was introduced followed by the Fisher MPX-200, which required four additional tubes. Between 1964 and 1968, Fisher produced a series of tube stereo receivers (500C and 400 models) that were highly regarded by many. Between 1963 and 1964, Fisher introduced their first all-transistor stereophonic receiver, the Fisher 400T which was said to be the forerunner for the compact integrated component stereo system.

In 1960, Fisher's circa 1937 "Philharmonic Futura" high-fidelity tuner with power supply and his "Philharmonic Futura" high-fidelity automatic turntable were acquired by the Smithsonian and displayed in the Electrical division of the National Museum of American History. Fisher served on the board of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the New York Philharmonic, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and the Marlboro Festival. He also established the Avery Fisher Artist Program which includes the Avery Fisher Prize and Career Grants in 1974.  The Lincoln Center was renamed the “Avery Fisher Hall” in 1973 and in 2015 renamed again to the “David Geffen Hall”. In 1969 Fisher sold his company to the Emerson Electric Company and in 1977 they sold it to Sanyo. Avery sadly passed away on February 26, 1994, at age 87 in New Milford, Connecticut, U.S. 

Julian Vereker was born in Oxford, England in 1945. He attended technical college in Liverpool, followed by the College of Aero and Automobile Engineering in London. His interest as a young man was working on cars, boats, computers, and lighting systems. In his early 20s, his interest centered around the world of motorsports specializing in Minis, where he co-founded ‘Coburn Improvements’, a company that customized sports and racing cars. He even raced his own modified Mini 850 S, winning 16 out of 23 races in 1967. He was also an enthusiast for bicycle design and assisted ‘Brompton Bicycles’ by becoming a director, in a start-up company manufacturing folding bicycles.

Julian also designed boats when working with ‘British Hunter’, a boat manufacturer. Julian’s dive into audio began through a personal passion while recording his friend's band performance was dissatisfied with the recordings he made. Julian’s interest in sound reproduction led him to experiment with 8 mm film audio, forming ‘Naim Audio Visual’ in 1969 with his first product, a ‘Sound to Lightbox’ that he rented to film production companies to synchronize lighting with music.

A self-taught designer of audio equipment, Julian believed that existing amplifying equipment lacked quality and started designing amplifiers focusing on eliminating distortion through better design. In 1971, Julian founded Naim Audio in the center of Salisbury, Wiltshire, in the UK. He sold the first Naim power amplifiers to several friends and acquaintances. In 1972, he designed the NAM 502, combining a compact version of his amplifier design with loudspeaker drivers in a single cabinet. On June 4th, 1973 Naim Audio Ltd. was formally incorporated after winning a contract to supply monitor loudspeakers built to IBA specifications for Capital Radio (Britain's first commercial radio station.

His first foray into the market was the NAP160 power amplifier; followed by the NAC12 pre-amplifier and the NAP 200 amplifier. The two-channel NAP 250 power amplifier, launched in 1975, had become Naim's DNA, for all amplifier's basic circuit layout. The Naim NAIT, its first integrated amplifier, has become an iconic product in the audio industry even revamped as the NAIT 2, which was said to offer real value for the money.

Naim’s design philosophy includes over-engineered power supplies, with heavy toroidal transformers, and attention to earthing, screening, and isolation from electronic and mechanical interference. Julian prefers the XLR connector, DIN connector, and the BNC connector the latter for phono as opposed to the standard RCA connector.

In 1980 the company moved to Southampton Road, Salisbury, and launched new products, the NAC42 preamp, NAP110 power amp, HI-CAP and SNAPS low-noise power supplies, plus a revised NAC32.5 preamp, NAP250, and NAXO active crossovers. Naim launched its NA SBL loudspeaker in 1985, with a three-box design. 1989 also saw the arrival of the ARO Uni-pivot tonearm, with the entire 'bearing' comprising a spike sitting in a cup atop the pillar. It uses an extremely rigid arm-tube and remains in the Naim catalog.

Julian was late to the game with things digital because he felt the sound of digital was inferior to analog and it wasn't until 1990 that the CDS player was introduced. Julian also formed Naim Records, a small independent record label to improve techniques for CD mastering. Its first CD was Electric Glide by Gary Boyle. Naim Records was shortlisted for the Best Small Label award at the inaugural AIM Independent Music Awards 2011. The new NAC52 preamplifier and the subsequent DBL loudspeakers remained the flagships in the Naim systems. The NAP 500 power amplifier is a new reference series, with a new circuit design and cosmetics which was launched in 2000.

In 1985, Naim Audio was awarded a Queen's Award for Export. Julian was also Chairman of the ‘Federation of British Audio’ for several years and received an ‘MBE’ (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1995 Birthday Honours for his contributions to British export. Julian Vereker sadly passed away on 14 January 2000, at the young age of 54. After his passing, Paul Stephenson who joined in 1981, as Sales Director, became Managing Director until 2015. At the time of his death, Julian Vereker held half of the share capital with the other half owned by employees, including Paul Stephenson who held the lion’s share. Naim Audio Limited continues to operate as a British company and as a subsidiary of the Vervent Audio Group.

Paul Klipsch was born on March 9, 1904, in Elkhart, Indiana, US. Paul was an Engineer, inventor, entrepreneur, lieutenant colonel in the US Army, geophysicist, and pilot. He received a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from New Mexico State University (NMSU) in 1926 where he also played cornet in the university band. He also had an EE (Engineer's degree) in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 1934.

Paul founded Klipsch & Associates in 1946, subsequently, Klipsch Audio Technologies was headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Paul is convinced that a horn driver is more efficient, which equates to lower distortion. Paul discovered the benefits of “corner placement” for loudspeakers with the combination of a high-efficiency folded horn for the successful reproduction of audio. Paul received a patent on his loudspeaker design in 1945.

The Klipschorn loudspeaker, introduced in 1947 was made by himself until his first employee in 1948.  This design has stood the test of time and is still in production as the only loudspeaker in the world to be in production for 70 years. The Klipschorn has generally remained relatively unchanged since its inception except for some refinements. The Klipschorn was meant to sit in the corner of two adjoining walls, using the walls and floor boundaries to extend the loudspeaker's low-frequency response down into the 35 Hz range.

However, several other models were designed to address the playback of “center” audio deviating from Klipsch’s corner-centric design principles. One of Klipsch’s distributors remarked that it was sheer heresy of his initial philosophy. Paul doubled down by naming the new loudspeaker “Heresy” defending that his design change would attenuate the crossover circuit creating a usable center feed without causing the overall stage width to collapse. Among Klipsch's legacy models, the La Scala and the Klipsch Belle are fully horn-loaded with high sensitivity, but their W-shaped folded bass horns do not require corner placement in the listening room. The La Scala II uses the same drivers as the Klipschorn but has a smaller bass chamber and less bass extension. Other models, including the Cornwall and Heresy, use horn tweeters and midranges in conjunction with direct-radiating woofers with unusually high sensitivity.

Paul was known to be candid in his response to remarks he strongly disagrees with often responding “Bullshit!” This catchphrase was infamously printed on bright yellow T-shirts worn by his company’s employees, and it later took the form of a small yellow button on which the pronouncement “Bullshit” was inscribed in Germanic Gothic script.

In 1978, Paul was awarded a medal from the Audio Engineering Society (AES) for his contributions to loudspeaker design and distortion measurement. Paul received an honorary LL.D. from New Mexico State University (NMSU) 1981. A Fellow of the AES, he was inducted into the Audio Hall of Fame in 1984. The College of Electrical and Computer Engineering was renamed the Klipsch School of Electrical and Computer Engineering in his honor in 1995. The Paul W. and Valerie S. Klipsch Museum was established and dedicated in October 1997 and in the same year was inducted into the Engineering and Science Hall of Fame sharing honors with other notable industry pioneers. He was also a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), a Fellow of the ASA, and a recipient of that society’s Gold Certificate signifying 50 years of membership. In 2004, at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Paul was inducted into the Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame. Paul W. Klipsch died peacefully on May 5, 2002, at age 98 in Hope, Arkansas, US.

David Hafler, an American audio engineer was born on February 7, 1919, in West Philadelphia, US. He received his degree in mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1940. David Hafler served as a communications specialist Officer in the Coast Guard during the Second World War. He was also an avid collector of rare chess sets having 240 historic chess sets he had acquired worldwide. His journey into audio began in 1950 when he founded Acrosound in Roxborough with his colleague Herbert Keroes designing and manufacturing output transformers for tube amplifiers. Hafler and Keroes popularized the ultra-linear output stage for audio amplifiers having improved on the Williamson amplifier using the ultra-linear circuit of Alan Blumlein.

In 1954 Hafler founded Dynaco in West Philadelphia with Ed Laurent bringing affordable, high-quality audio kits for the benefit of audiophiles back in the day. In the 1970s Hafler introduced his "passive pseudo-quadraphonics", which attempted to reconstruct a surround sound field from a two-channel recording. David used two additional but similar rear loudspeakers, connected to the front loudspeakers, via the Dynaco QD-1 Quadapter to control the volume of the rear speakers. In 1972, Hafler founded the David Hafler Co., in Blackwood, Camden County continuing the tradition of inexpensive kits (Dynakits), but also offering pre-assembled products. His first two products were the DH-101 preamplifier and then a few months later the DH-200 companion power amplifier. The company also produced the DH-110 preamp, and a line of MOSFET power amps, including the DH-220, DH-500, and XL-280.  The amplifiers were notable for their early use of MOSFETs to enable lower distortion at higher power. David’s products were also chosen as a foundation for improvements through component upgrades and modifications, installed by DIY hobbyists and small specialist audio companies such as Musical Concepts.

Several Dynaco vintage products are well regarded, especially the ST-70, a 35-watt-per-channel stereo tube amplifier with a push-pull output circuit. The ST-70 circuits were imitated by other companies and continue to be upgraded and rebuilt to over 350,000 units which is a legendary phenomenon. The Dynaco Mark II 50W amplifier was later introduced followed by the Mark III in 1957 which the latter offered multiple impedance taps for loudspeakers and the more powerful KT88 tubes. David was inducted into the Audio Hall of Fame in 1984. A sample of his Dynaco Mark II tube amplifier was displayed in the Smithsonian's Museum of American History in Washington in the 1990s with a detailed history of Dynaco. A private equity firm, “Regimen Partners”, acquired David Hafler's brands in 2014. Today, the Hafler brand is made primarily for professional audio. David Halfer was also inducted into The Absolute Sound’s High-End Audio Hall of Fame in 2022. David sadly passed away on May 25, 2003, at age 84, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Peter Walker was born in 1916 in England. He founded Acoustical Manufacturing Company Limited in 1936 (formerly known as S.P. Fidelity Sound Systems) which produced PA systems. The company moved from London to Huntingdon in 1941 to produce home audio. The name "QUAD" (Quality Unit Amplifier Domestic) was used to distinguish his hi-fi gear. His first offering was the QA12/Preamplifier in 1949, followed by the Quad tube power amplifier in 1951 and his classic 15W Quad II in 1953. The company made the transition to transistor-powered models in 1967, with Quad 33 preamplifier and 303 stereo power amplifiers. Perhaps his best offering was the Quad Electrostatic Loudspeaker (ESL), in 1957. This earned him fame and remained in production for 25 years until it was replaced by the successor the ESL-63 launched in 1981 which won many accolades. The design featured larger panels and a stator design, made up of eight concentric rings fed from the center and delayed so that the audio signal radiated out from a single point. 

Subsequent electrostatic models featured increased power handling and output levels, more sophisticated overload protection, and greater structural rigidity. "The Closest Approach to the Original Sound" has evolved to be Quad's motto for many years. Peter retired in the late 1980s, turning management over to his son Ross Walker. In 1995, QUAD Electroacoustics Ltd was bought by Verity Group which shifted production to Shenzhen, China. In September 1997 the company sold off its business to the International Audio Group (IAG), Ltd. In 2002, a book was commissioned by the prolific audio journalist Ken Kessler celebrating Quad's history and Peter’s achievements in audio. The book, Quad: The Closest Approach, is available from online dealers. Peter James Walker passed away peacefully on 10th December 2003 at the age of 87. 

Justin Holt aka "JGH" was born on 19th April 1930 in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was an audio engineer and started his journalistic career as an editor and critic for Audiocraft and High-Fidelity magazines in the mid-1950s up to the early 1960s. In 1962 he founded Stereophile magazine in Great Barrington, Massachusetts which promoted the philosophy of judging sound quality by subjective means. JGH was one of the first audio critics to provide details on his listening environment including the reference system used. He is also said to have expanded the high-end audio vocabulary that described sound. Stereophile was perhaps the first magazine to be outside the mainstream. He is rightly said to be the founder of the high-end audio movement. He ironically espouses the theory that the better the recording, the worse the musical performance, and vice versa aka "Holt's Law," J G Holt has passed away peacefully at home on the 20th of July 2009.

William Johnson born in 1926 was the founder and designer of the Audio Research Corporation. Bill was a pioneer in high-end audio amplifier design and manufacture. His journey began In 1949, after serving as a communications engineer in the US Army in WWII. Bill was working for a music company in Minneapolis where he built an all-triode, transformer-coupled, monophonic power amplifier for a friend.  Encouraged, Bill opened Electronic Industries in 1951, a specialty audio retail store in Minneapolis that serviced a variety of radio and TV-related products and built custom audio components until the mid-1960s. In 1970, Bill founded Audio Research Corporation to focus on audio components in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He hired Wendell Diller (who later left for Magnepan), to be his sales manager. As one of the true innovators of high-end audio equipment as it exists today, Bill advanced ‘High Definition’ audio reproduction, a term that eventually became his intellectual property. He was among the first to advocate subjective listening tests as the performance standard for every unit out of the factory, even serviced ones. He was also instrumental in re-introducing the vacuum tube as the primary active amplification device at a time when solid-state devices had replaced the vacuum tubes for audio reproduction. Bill was among the first during the resurgence of vacuum tubes that began in the 1980s to produce a series of both solid-state and vacuum-tube products. They include an extensive use of semiconductors and IC chips in their power supplies. valves for the amplification circuits and custom-design transformers in their reference products that evolve into his renowned hybrid designs. 

In 2008, he became Chairman Emeritus for Audio Research and sold his company to Fine Sounds Group, which owned Sonus Faber, including Sumiko, Wadia, and McIntosh Laboratories. Bill remained as Chairman Emeritus until his passing. In 2014, Fine Sounds Group was purchased by a group headed by Charles Randall and Mauro Grange and was renamed the McIntosh Group in 2016. Audio Research moved from Plymouth to Maple Grove, MN, USA in August 2018. In late August 2020, Audio Research was acquired by TWS Enterprises, LLC, a privately held company owned wholly by Trent Suggs, a former North American Sales Manager. In 2023 Audio Research Corp was purchased by Valerio Cora, a founder of Acora Acoustics Corporation, a manufacturer of high-end loudspeakers based in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. Bill Johnson passed away peacefully on December 10, 2011, in Rancho Mirage, California, at the age of 85. However, his legacy in Audio Research Corporation lives on.

David Manley was born in Capetown, South Africa on 26th August 1939. David Manley is the founder of VTL, and later Manley Laboratories famous for their array of pure tube amplifiers handmade in the USA. He had also written several tube manuals with schematics of the circuits that he used. David produced and recorded music under the ViTaL recording label. VTL was first established in the UK and in 1986 he went to Southern California where he started a factory in Montclair. His son Luke subsequently took over the VTL brand. In 1993, Manley Laboratories moved into a building in Chino with a home studio for the ViTaL record label. ViTaL at the time of this writing survives in Italy under the label “Fone”, and continues with Giulio Cesare Ricci, who took over ViTaL's masters and Cutting lathe. Years later, David left for France, where he retired and passed away peacefully at 73 years of age in Varrennes-Jarcy on the 26th of December 2012.

Franco Serblin an Italian, was born in 1939. He was a Navy soldier and an avid audiophile.  In 1980, he built his first loudspeaker: the "Snail Project", of which only ten were made. He also produced furniture for some Cizek loudspeaker models, where production was subsequently moved from the US to Italy. On March 14, 1983, Franco founded Sonus Faber and earned a reputation for producing esoteric designs imitated by many loudspeaker designers today. Besides the elegant veneer and unusual cabinet shape, perhaps what distinguishes his designs most is the string grill that doubles as being acoustically functional. In 2006, after 33 years in the business, he left Sonus Faber to pursue more boutique-styled loudspeaker designs. He devoted himself to the ‘Ktêma’, a loudspeaker released five years after he left Sonus Faber and is being marketed in 18 countries worldwide. He died in Vicenza, Italy on March 31, 2013, at age 73. 

Harry Pearson, aka “HP” was born on 5th January 1937 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. It has been said that Pearson was inspired by JGH to become an audio reviewer. HP started “The Absolute Sound” (TAS) in the spring of 1973 as editor-in-chief and publisher in his mansion in Sea Cliff, New York. HP has since been the most influential person in audio and music until he quit the magazine on the 31st of August, 2012. During his tenure as a prolific audio journalist, he developed a lexicon of terms to characterize what was heard during his review of music and audio components. Most of these terms are still being used today to describe the characteristics of music reproduction. Like JGH his magazine offers music and audio component review for the most parts by subjective listening. His list of recommended music (the HP list) became his founding glory and influenced audiophiles around the world to seek out those recommendations whose prices have appreciated, some at exorbitant prices because of the overwhelming demand. He passed away peacefully on the 4th of November 2014 at age 77 in Sea Cliff, New York.

Douglas Sax was born on April 26, 1936, Doug was an accomplished American Mastering engineer from Los Angeles, California. He played the trumpet in High School and the Seventh Army Symphony Orchestra from 1959 to 1961. On December 27, 1967, Doug Sax and Lincoln Mayorga, a music arranger and pianist for Capitol Records, and Sax's older brother Sherwood (Bert), an engineer started The Mastering Lab in Hollywood Boulevard. This lab in 1967 was acclaimed to be the first independent mastering studio in the world. He was also the oldest mastering engineer ever recorded. The Mastering Lab uses equipment that is custom designed by Sherwood, an all-tube signal path designed with custom-build electronics, from the front-end console to the amplification stage and everything else in between that is said to have earned The Mastering Lab more Grammy nominations for engineering than any other mastering facility.

In 1970, Doug and Lincoln Mayorga started an audiophile record company Sheffield Lab Recordings an audiophile label that produced direct-to-disc classical, jazz, and Live to 2-track recordings. Doug resurrected the lost art of Direct-To-Disc which essentially bypasses the tape, recording the performance in real-time directly into the cutting lathe, which he believed would sound better. They recorded artists like Dave Grusin, Thelma Houston, Harry James, James Newton Howard, Michael Ruff, Pat Coil, and Clair Marlo. One of the first big albums Doug mastered was The Doors' debut album. During his career, he cut thousands of LP masters including Pink Floyd's The Wall (and all subsequent Pink Floyd releases up to 2014, and Bob Dylan's 36th studio album Shadows in the Night in 2015. Albums mastered and released in 1971 included such titles as The Who's Who's Next, Harry Nilsson's Nilsson Schmilsson, The Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers and the Eagles' debut album, James Taylor, Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Barbra Streisand and dozens among many others.

Doug has received the AES Lifetime Honorary Membership Award and received a Technical Achievement Grammy Award. Douglas sadly passed away peacefully on April 2, 2015, at age 78 in Los Angeles, California, U.S. Acoustic Sounds’ CEO Chad Kassem has purchased The Mastering Lab from the estate of Doug Sax relocating it from Ojai, California to Acoustic Sounds’ headquarters in Salina, Kansas where Doug’s legacy remains.

Stan Ricker was born on the 14th December 1935 as ‘Stanley Dunbar Forbes III’ in Marblehead, MA, United States. He was a band and orchestra conductor and played string bass and tuba. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Kansas University. Stan worked at Location Recorders in early 1973, then for Keysor-Century/AFRTS, and was subsequently the chief mastering engineer at JVC Cutting Center in Los Angeles where he developed the half-speed mastering process. He converted the CD-4 mastering machinery (Quadraphonic) to a half-speed mastering process.

He has worked with Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, Crystal Clear, Telarc, Delos, Reference Recordings, Windham Hill, Wilson's Recordings, Analogue Productions, and AcousTech Mastering. Among his many accomplishments, he was instrumental in cutting one of the three known cuts of the famous cannon blast from the Telarc 1812 Overture. He also played a leading role in the development of the 200g UHQR lacquer to mitigate record surface noise. The AudioNautes Recordings (Chesky Records) - Sara K. "Play on Words" which is a half-speed record mastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios is dedicated to him. Stan F. Ricker passed away peacefully on the 14th of July 2015 in Bakersfield, CA, United States.

Dieter Burmester was born in 1946 in Austria. He founded Burmester Audiosysteme GmbH in 1978 in Berlin-Schöneberg. Dieter played bass guitar for two years as a professional musician, during which he toured various clubs in Germany with a beat band – “The Echos”, then renamed “Some Folks”. Between 1999 and 2007, he performed occasionally with “Past Perfect”, a band he co-founded. He studied electrical engineering in Berlin after 18 months of military service. He earned an electrical engineering degree and later established an engineering consultancy in Berlin specializing in computer interfaces and circuit technology for medical measuring instruments. In 1977, he decided to build a solid-state preamplifier when his Quad tube preamplifier malfunctioned. He hand-built twenty units in his workshop incorporating op-amp technology, modeled on modern measuring instruments. Most of the components are sourced from Germany, and they are exclusively assembled by hand in Berlin. In July 1977, the Burmester 777 (composed of the year 77 and the month number 7) was produced made from parts of medical machines, which he produced in his own engineering office. Today, Burmester offers products in three product lines and price points: Classic Line, Top Line, and Reference Line.

In 1980, Burmester developed the Burmester 808 credited to be the world's first modular preamplifier. In 1983, Dieter launched the first balanced signal-routing power amplifier with symmetrical switching technology. In 1987, the first amplifier was introduced with DC coupling from the phono stage through to the loudspeaker terminals, and the first remote-controlled loudspeaker adjustment with relay circuit resistors. A CD player with an upsampling function also followed in 1987, and its D7A converter. In 1991, Dieter Burmester design-engineered the first belt-drive CD player, separating the bearing from the motor to prevent phase jitter. In 1994/1995, Burmester introduced loudspeakers with the first loudspeaker system incorporating a dual active-passive crossover network. In some models, they use an air motion transformer as a tweeter.

In 2002, Dieter received an offer from Volks Wagon to design an in-car music system for the new Bugatti Veyron 16.4. In 2005, Burmester Automotive was founded followed by cooperations with Porsche in 2009 and Mercedes-Benz in 2013, for Burmester-designed surround sound systems. In 2012, Burmester exploited the potential for digital music playback and introduced their “Music Centers”. They include slot-in drives, that may be used to rip CDs to hard disks, serving as music storage devices. At the same time, they function as servers to play files in Wav, Flac, Mp3, and other formats up to 196 kHz and 24 bits from various sources, play Internet radio and, if required, load album covers and title information from the network.

Dieter believes that the evolution of high-end audio would be in phases where Phase 1 which is already in the past was focused purely on sound quality as captured on physical media. Phase 2, the present would continue to pay attention to sonics but with computer-based systems to allow instant access to a library of media, without the need for physical discs. Phase 3, is the future, where the industry should add lifestyle compatibility such as an all-in-one home music system if it is to survive and grow. Dieter was a charismatic figure who was also an avid collector of guitars. He was named ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ in 2003 by the Berlin Association of Independent Business Owners. Dieter Burmester sadly passed away in August 2015 at the age of 69 leaving the company to his wife Marianne.  Burmester Audiosysteme products are best identified by their bright chrome-plated faceplates and high-quality build and thus remain one of Germany's iconic audio brands.

Norman Pickering was born July 9, 1916, on Long Island in Brooklyn, NY. He was an electrical engineer, attended Juilliard School, studied violin acoustics, and in 1937 joined the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra as a French horn player until 1940. In 1945, Norman invented a jewel-tipped phonographic magnetic cartridge. He was frustrated with the acoustical limitations of sound reproduction from the phonograph and developed a pickup for 78 records to improve sound reproduction and reduce record wear. Existing pickups were heavier and bulky; styluses were made of steel and were replaced frequently because the weight of the mechanism wore out records after several plays.

Norman tweaked the pickup, by introducing resonance damping, making the stylus a fraction of the size, and replacing the steel with a significantly lighter and harder material such as sapphire or diamond. This material lasted much longer, tracking a lighter path along the record grooves. Hence, music was reproduced with less distortion and achieved better high-frequency response while reducing record wear. In November 1945, Norman formally launched "Pickering & Company," initially, marketed its products for professional broadcast and recording industries, and in 1947, he saw the potential in the consumer market. In 1948, Pickering & Co. expanded, so Norman hired Walter O. Stanton as vice president in charge of sales. Stanton helped the company develop the first cartridge for the new microgroove standard for vinyl records.

Norman co-founded the Audio Engineering Society in 1948 and was appointed the first secretary of the AES. Norman was awarded a Fellowship by the AES in 1952 for his contributions to the field of audio engineering and an AES Award in 1955 in acknowledgment of his role in the formation and advancement of the Society. In the 1950s he made further development resulting in the Pickering cartridge being introduced just as records were shifting from shellac to vinyl. Norman also worked on further improving sound reproduction through tone-arm and variable equalizer modifications and developed one of the earliest tower loudspeakers.

Stanton Magnetics accquired Pickering in 1950 through a hostile takeover keeping the Pickering brand and forcing Norman out of his company and the audio industry. Consequently, Norman turned to aviation, developing ultrasound diagnostic techniques, and constructed 37 violins. It is claimed that Pickering & Co. holds more patents and more industry firsts than any other manufacturer in the world. He died peacefully on Wednesday, November 18, 2015, at age 99 at his East Hampton home in New York. 

Arnie Nudell was born in 1937, he was a laser physicist, working on guidance systems for fighter jets at Litton Industries. His loudspeaker design journey began because of his passion for music and his goal to recreate the orchestral experience at home. Together with his associates, John Ulrick, and Cary Christie in Litton Industries, they started Infinity Systems in 1968. Their first loudspeaker was the Servo-Statik 1, based on a servo-controlled woofer, electrostatic midrange drivers, and tweeters. The Infinity line of loudspeakers later evolved culminating in their flagship the IRS V . This consisted of four towers of 12 x woofers, 24 x EMIM (Electro-Magnetic Induction Midrange) planar magnetic drivers, 72 x EMIT (EMI Tweeters), the IRS V released in 1987 maintained an impressive shelf-life until 1996. 

Arnie subsequently sold the company to Harman International. Partnering with Paul McGowan from PS Audio in 1990 they formed Genesis in Vail, Colorado. Arnie introduced the Genesis 1 loudspeakers updating the technology and performance of the IRS V while maintaining its form. Eventually, McGowan bought back PS Audio in 1998, and Arnie sold Genesis in 2002 and after a few years, he retired. Arnie passed away peacefully at age 80 on November 20, 2017.

David Wilson was born on 8th September 1944, in Los Angeles. At a young age, he was interested in audio and music reproduction, especially in loudspeaker design. In 1974, Wilson Audio Specialties Inc., (Wilson Audio) was founded by David A. Wilson and Sherry Lee Wilson in Novato, California, and introduced their first product - the SMART Turntable. Wilson used an Acoustic Research turntable where the AR tonearm was replaced by an SME 3009 and the table's suspension was modified to accommodate the change.

Dave experimented with various loudspeaker designs and construction technology. He had built several loudspeakers not only for function but also for form and performance, that would look appealing. His acclaimed offering the Wilson Watt Puppy has perhaps defined his brand. He also produced audiophile-quality recordings of EMI re-issues under the brand “Wilson Audiophile Recordings”. He has also published his memoirs which are an interesting read that can be found online. At age 73, David passed away peacefully at home on the 26th of May, 2018, in Provo, Utah.

Max Townshend born in Australia, was a transmission line engineer. He founded Townshend Audio in 1975 in Sydney to market long-contact parabolic diamond styli for record players. Max moved Townshend Audio to the UK in 1978, where, in the years since, he introduced a wide range of products, including loudspeakers, analog and digital electronics, cables, Autotransformer Preamps, and super tweeters. In 1989, Townshend introduced the Seismic Sink, the first product to acknowledge the importance of vibration isolation for all audio components, including loudspeakers. He became famous for making the Townshend Rock turntable which featured a trough of damping fluid invented by Professor Jack Dinsdale in which a paddle was attached to the headshell of the tonearm. He since then designed the much-acclaimed multi-award-winning Townshend Seismic Sink Stand introduced in 1997 which was an air isolator platform. He passed away peacefully at age 78 on 31st December 2021.

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