Who are the most talented individuals working in the high end audio industry today?

harleyguy · Nov 24, 2016

Michel vanden broech and jim fairhead of TENOR AUDIO

MIKE Malinowski OF AVS

witchdoctor · Nov 24, 2016

stehno said:
Funny how everybody seems to nominate those who have done little (or nothing) to significantly advance the industry's actual performance levels.

Sure those nominated are most/all good-to-excellent designers. But you will not find a name among any of those mentioned in this thread (or any other thread) that has actually stood the industry on its ear from a real performance perspective in the past 40 - 50 years.

IMO, just more evidence that the "high-end" audio industry remains very much in its infancy stages from a performance perspective. And if that is true, is there really any other perspective worth our consideration?

I guess you don't get out much or missed my post or never heard of Bob Carver...

YashN · Nov 25, 2016

YashN said:
Yep. Berning, Jussi Laako, Damien Plisson, Hiroyuki Yokota, the MBL people, Koch, John Swenson, Thorsten Loesch, the Spectral Audio people, Dietmar Brauer, the Merging people, Vincent Brient, Susumu Sakuma, Lukasz Ficus, Gregor @ Veracity Audio, the Aries Cerat people, Kimura, Kunusoki, Kondo, etc...

Forgot to add:

Walt Jung, Oskar Heil, the T+A people,

perhaps several others.

YashN · Nov 25, 2016

witchdoctor said:
I guess you don't get out much or missed my post or never heard of Bob Carver...

Fairly sure he doesn't get much of all the people already mentioned...

JackD201 · Nov 25, 2016

MPS said:
One of the most remarkable engineers still active today: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_de_Paravicini

Good example of his design, almost a bargain in the High-end market: http://www.earyoshino.com/912/

I knew I missed some people. I shouldn't have missed TdP. The 509 might just be the ultimate pocket rocket of tube amps. 30 years and going strong.

stehno · Nov 25, 2016

witchdoctor said:
I guess you don't get out much or missed my post or never heard of Bob Carver...

You're joking, right? You must be cuz I'm laughing at your statement.

I owned Bob Carver's "top of the line" pre-amp and amp (350 wpc at 900 wpc peaks - yeah right) for years thinking perhaps like you that they were the cat's meow. Only to discover in a direct comparison to an 80 wpc Onkyo receiver was significantly more musical, especially in the power category.

Carver may be a marketing genius but that's about it. Although I did get pleasure from his sonic holography technology.

Remember the old story about Carver making an amplifier out of a coffee can that sounded as good as a highly rated Conrad Johnson amp? Everybody thought he was a genius because of that little experiment.

Yet to this day, nobody including Carver understands what he really proved then. That Carver proved that a highly rated CJ amp sounded no better than an amp make from a coffee can.

Again, when I think of names worthy of mentioning in this industry, I only think from a performance perspective, not the bling bling or fancy remote, etc perspective. And in that category, you cannot think of a single name that has greatly impacted the industry from a sheer performance perspective.

witchdoctor · Nov 28, 2016

stehno said:
You're joking, right? You must be cuz I'm laughing at your statement.

I owned Bob Carver's "top of the line" pre-amp and amp (350 wpc at 900 wpc peaks - yeah right) for years thinking perhaps like you that they were the cat's meow. Only to discover in a direct comparison to an 80 wpc Onkyo receiver was significantly more musical, especially in the power category.

Carver may be a marketing genius but that's about it. Although I did get pleasure from his sonic holography technology.

Remember the old story about Carver making an amplifier out of a coffee can that sounded as good as a highly rated Conrad Johnson amp? Everybody thought he was a genius because of that little experiment.

Yet to this day, nobody including Carver understands what he really proved then. That Carver proved that a highly rated CJ amp sounded no better than an amp make from a coffee can.

Again, when I think of names worthy of mentioning in this industry, I only think from a performance perspective, not the bling bling or fancy remote, etc perspective. And in that category, you cannot think of a single name that has greatly impacted the industry from a sheer performance perspective.

OK, your list is YOUR list, what you think is worthy is YOUR opinion. I deal in the world of common sense and facts. Look how many Carver products made these lists of the 10 most significant amps of all time along with WHY they are on the lists. Then look at the company he is in. Bob has amps from Phase linear, Carver, and Sunfire all on these lists.:

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-ten-most-significant-amplifiers-of-all-time/

jeff1225 · Nov 28, 2016

stehno said:
You're joking, right? You must be cuz I'm laughing at your statement.

I owned Bob Carver's "top of the line" pre-amp and amp (350 wpc at 900 wpc peaks - yeah right) for years thinking perhaps like you that they were the cat's meow. Only to discover in a direct comparison to an 80 wpc Onkyo receiver was significantly more musical, especially in the power category.

Carver may be a marketing genius but that's about it. Although I did get pleasure from his sonic holography technology.

Remember the old story about Carver making an amplifier out of a coffee can that sounded as good as a highly rated Conrad Johnson amp? Everybody thought he was a genius because of that little experiment.

Yet to this day, nobody including Carver understands what he really proved then. That Carver proved that a highly rated CJ amp sounded no better than an amp make from a coffee can.

Again, when I think of names worthy of mentioning in this industry, I only think from a performance perspective, not the bling bling or fancy remote, etc perspective. And in that category, you cannot think of a single name that has greatly impacted the industry from a sheer performance perspective.

Have you given us your list yet?

Lee · Nov 28, 2016

witchdoctor said:
OK, your list is YOUR list, what you think is worthy is YOUR opinion. I deal in the world of common sense and facts. Look how many Carver products made these lists of the 10 most significant amps of all time along with WHY they are on the lists. Then look at the company he is in. Bob has amps from Phase linear, Carver, and Sunfire all on these lists.:

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-ten-most-significant-amplifiers-of-all-time/

And Bob Carver is getting the Founder's Award at the LAOC Audio Society gala dinner.

YashN · Nov 28, 2016

witchdoctor said:
OK, your list is YOUR list

There wasn't any list to begin with....

stehno · Dec 6, 2016

jeffrey_t said:
Have you given us your list yet?

No I've not given you my list yet. Not that it matters cuz nobody's heard of him but he's focused on performance only without any flair or bling.

YashN · Dec 6, 2016

stehno said:
No I've not given you my list yet. Not that it matters cuz nobody's heard of him but he's focused on performance only without any flair or bling.

Not because it's easier to make a blanket criticism grossly abasing all those previously mentioned without contributing anything yourself?

stehno · Dec 7, 2016

YashN said:
Not because it's easier to make a blanket criticism grossly abasing all those previously mentioned without contributing anything yourself?

Abased or debased? I suppose it doesn't matter which.

I don't think the "grossly abasing" part can be attributed to me. Perhaps it can be attributed to you or others who've incorrectly given credence to those who've actually contributed little or nothing to real performance gains? You haven't witnessed me do that.

For example. If I think you're a super athlete and say so. Then I have a conversation with your significant other and they clearly convince me you haven't an athletic bone in your body, was I in the wrong or your significant other?

Rob181 · Dec 7, 2016

For example. If I think you're a super athlete and say so. Then I have a conversation with your significant other and they clearly convince me you haven't an athletic bone in your body, was I in the wrong or your significant other?

Beam me up Scotty...

witchdoctor · Dec 7, 2016

stehno said:
No I've not given you my list yet. Not that it matters cuz nobody's heard of him but he's focused on performance only without any flair or bling.

So who is the guy on your list that's better than all the people you have slammed? You mention that no one has ever heard of him, what's the matter, can't he sell one of his "amazing" products? Or does he not like getting paid?

YashN · Dec 7, 2016

stehno said:
Abased or debased? I suppose it doesn't matter which.

I don't think the "grossly abasing" part can be attributed to me. Perhaps it can be attributed to you or others who've incorrectly given credence to those who've actually contributed little or nothing to real performance gains? You haven't witnessed me do that.

We haven't witnessed you doing anything positive at all, just lamely criticise.

YashN · Dec 7, 2016

Menno van der Veen is one for the greats.

Not sure if I forgot Caelin Gabriel who also hangs around in these forums.

Vinnie Rossi, Townshend...

YashN · Dec 7, 2016

stehno said:
Then I have a conversation with your significant other and they clearly convince me you haven't an athletic bone in your body, was I in the wrong or your significant other?

My SO wouldn't even give you a second of attention... and if she did, she'd laugh out loudly to your face.

wisnon · Dec 7, 2016

Don't forget Hartmut from LumenWhite

stehno · Dec 7, 2016

YashN said:
My SO wouldn't even give you a second of attention... and if she did, she'd laugh out loudly to your face.

YashN, you almost sound militant with your insults. They say if you throw a rock into a pack of wolves, the one that barks the loudest is usually the one that got hit.

Lamely criticize? I'd be interested to know why you injected "lame". Especially when I thought I was being kind.

Is that because you can't think of any serious performance-oriented names or is it because my hypothetical about your SO telling me you don't have an athletic bone in your body hit a little too close to home? If it's because of the former, cheer up, you're obviously not alone. If it's the latter, well, that's completely outside my scope. How was I to know? Or is it because you've little clue what real performance means?

But I'll give you a name (not the name I was originally thinking) of one who has contributed significantly to a given playback system's performance. Ed Wilco (sp) owner of the now defunct Foundation Research co. in Ontario, Canada. If you are one of the few who appreciates the universally noisy AC coming in from the street and what superior line conditioners can do for a given system's performance once the noisy AC has been sufficiently cleansed, purified, filtered, and/or conditioned, I've little doubt you would disagree. But since it seems you do not use line conditioners, much less superior line conditioners this aspect is most likely foreign to you as you probably consider line conditioners as "accessories" as much of the industry does. Or do you think because you have "dedicated" lines you have no need for superior line conditioners?

There just may be another superior line conditioning mfg'er or two but Ed's pretty much the top of my list. To the best of my knowledge, every reviewer who reviewed the Foundation Research line conditioners over the past 16 years ended up buying the review samples.

Who are the most talented individuals working in the high end audio industry today?

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