Industry Fanfare

[MylesBAstor]

If you could go out to dinner with any living audio designer or personality, who would you choose?

[Rob]

Keith o Johnson

[Johnny Vinyl]

Ken Ishiwata

[cpp]

Nelson Pass

[Bill Hart]

Is Peter Belt still on this mortal coil?

[rockitman]

Nelson Pass or Nishakawa-san from Stella/TechDas (As long as he speaks English)

[Doxycc]

Myles - just to make his day

[Beaur]

Jean Hiraga

[mep]

Probably John Curl.

[Doxycc]

Curl was always very interesting. He used to have a shop here on College Avenue in Berkeley, 12' wide store front. I met him again at Brian Cheney's (VMPS?) but this was all 30 years ago. Had a couple of iterations of his Vendetta which is I regret selling (alas). I don't know if he'd remember me, but he was (at the time) very open to explaining his design approach to a novice. Appreciated his time.

[MylesBAstor]

I always found John more than willing to share his vast knowledge!

[MylesBAstor]

So many good choices! So many interesting people.

Mine was a difficult one since have been to dinner over with so many over the many years. And all of them --including the likes of Alon Wolf, Bill Conrad and Lew Johnson, Karen Sumner, Dan D'Agostino, Jeff Rowland, Rick Fryer, Neil Patel, John Hunter, Franco Serblin and Harry Weisfeld just to name a few--have lead to fascinating dinner conversations. But in the end, the decision came down to two choices and couldn't decide between them. Both are long time industry insiders and each has seen a lot come and go over the years.

Number one is Dave Wilson. Now this isn't exactly the first time we have broken bread, but the previous time was only over lunch back in 1999 in Provo. Dave is fascinating person who lives the life we'd all love to in audio. Most of all, I don't think there's a person around in the industry who I respect more for thinking out of the box. Reviewer, designer and music lover. It would be worth paying for dinner just to hear about his travels to the finest halls in the world.

The other person is John Atkinson. Musician, audiophile, reviewer and publisher of arguably the most important high-end audio in the world. Something that I don't think that John receives enough credit for. (especially when you consider John's work for HFNRR and Larry's coup in attracting John to take over the reins of Stereophile!) Certainly Stereophile is the most well known audio magazine in the world and he along with Larry Archibald and Tom Gillette were instrumental in building the magazine's reputation after Larry's purchase from J. Gordon Holt. Now I have known John for years but for whatever the reason, never really had the opportunity to get to know John.

[Rob]

The other person is John Atkinson. Musician, audiophile, reviewer and publisher of arguably the most important high-end audio in the world. Something that I don't think that John receives enough credit for. (especially when you consider John's work for HFNRR and Larry's coup in attracting John to take over the reins of Stereophile!) Certainly Stereophile is the most well known audio magazine in the world and he along with Larry Archibald and Tom Gillette were instrumental in building the magazine's reputation after Larry's purchase from J. Gordon Holt. Now I have known John for years but for whatever the reason, never really had the opportunity to get to know John.

I've been a follower of JA since his days at HFN&RR and probably read everything he wrote during his first ten years at Stereophile. JA is a bigger objectivist than most people think, he loves corroborating the science and measurements with what his reviewers observe in subject testing. I also think he's more than okay with digital and his apathy towards spinning vinyl (he still uses an LP12) is evident in his current reviews.

[MylesBAstor]

I've been a follower of JA since his days at HFN&RR and probably read everything he wrote during his first ten years at Stereophile. JA is a bigger objectivist than most people think, he loves corroborating the science and measurements with what his reviewers observe in subject testing.

I would argue so was JGH to a certain extent. To wit, JGH's instant acceptance of digital. JGH's biggest argument about measurements was that manufacturers back then lied about them. And as we all know, the currently agreed upon and "accepted" measurements were selected to show the equipment at its best.

I also think he's more than okay with digital and his apathy towards spinning vinyl (he still uses an LP12) is evident in his current reviews.

That's was talked about even a few years ago. Outside of Mikey and Art, the rest of the Stereophile staff is pretty much digital only. I can't remember the last time JA used analog in a review, in part because he's using his own recordings that are digital.

That's pretty much true for the majority of mags out there. In fact, PF is probably one of the few mags where at least 50% (?) of the reviewers use analog or analog and digital in their reviews. I think the mag Tim writes for, The Audiobeat, is one of the others.