Harry Pearson on the Reviewing Process

[MylesBAstor]

Some interesting insights. Like the comments from Carl Marchisotto and HP's comments about TAS's development of the multi-reviewer system.

[Rob]

the man, the legend...I've watched this a few times. Back in the day finding the latest issue of TAS in the mail box assured at least a few hours of bliss that weekend (reading it cover to cover) even the letters to the editor were classic. such a fan I was of his writing and of TAS in general, it was hard to fathom HP was for real! I recall talking to a dealer-friend that met him at a party in those days, it was the first and maybe only time I really wanted to know what an author was like in person.

[jfrech]

the man, the legend...I've watched this a few times. Back in the day finding the latest issue of TAS in the mail box assured at least a few hours of bliss that weekend (reading it cover to cover) even the letters to the editor were classic. such a fan I was of his writing and of TAS in general, it was hard to fathom HP was for real! I recall talking to a dealer-friend that met him at a party in those days, it was the first and maybe only time I really wanted to know what an author was like in person.

I remember those days too. I couldn't wait to read it...all of it. Now days I glance at the table of contents...and I might read a article or two. Not sure it's me that changed or them...

[mkuller]

Them.

[MylesBAstor]

Yeah, Harry once said about Linn, "the revolution they started passed them by." It's always hard to stay on top. Like a musician, Harry's best work might have been when he was hungry.

[MylesBAstor]

I remember those days too. I couldn't wait to read it...all of it. Now days I glance at the table of contents...and I might read a article or two. Not sure it's me that changed or them...

Yes, I remember the days that couldn't wait for the next issue of TAS. That was often irregularly published too. Remember the occasional double issue to make up for the lateness? The first thing though I used to turn too wasn't the equipment but Sid Marks' record reviews.

I loved the triplicate reviewing (like Harry/PHDand JC) but that's just not a reality in today's business. There are way too many mags requesting equipment. And only one review sample to go around. For me, the most interesting thing about TAS is how they evolved from issues 1-20 or so from just talking about equipment to including musical examples. Wonder how that all came about?

[Garth]

Tas was a good read and the only look you might ever get of some gear in those days.

I met Harry Pearson at a show talked a couple of times thru out the show Nice guy well spoken.

He had more he wanted to do after TAS I am not sure his health let him do it the way he wanted to.

TAS is not as good with out him IMO

[MylesBAstor]

Tas was a good read and the only look you might ever get of some gear in those days.

I met Harry Pearson at a show talked a couple of times thru out the show Nice guy well spoken.

He had more he wanted to do after TAS I am not sure his health let him do it the way he wanted to.

TAS is not as good with out him IMO

I think the one thing that HP brought to the mag was vision and energy. Those qualities got lost over time. Maybe part of it was that many of the original cast (Sabella, Cooledge, Nork, Henderson, Donleycott, etc) that he started the magazine with dropped out along the way and he felt isolated.

[JennMartin]

I loved finding the old Absolute Sound in audio stores. The first time was at Absolute Audio in Santa Ana, CA. I wandered in quite by accident and a whole new world was opened to me. I heard a system featuring DCM Time Windows (remember those?) and a Linn LP12. Rocked my world and set me on a path. The owner sent me home with a free copy of Absolute Sound #2. I was hooked.
As an aside, I never realized how much HP reminded me of Leo Kottke! ;-)

[Rob]

I recall the Absolute Audio in Orange off Tustin Ave. Neil Sinclair of Theta Digital fame and his then wife Evelyn ran it back then.

[JennMartin]

Rob, yes in Orange, but that first visit was earlier yet, on 17th in Santa Ana. I was very fond of Evelyn and Neil.

[Joe Pittman]

Yes, I loved the old issues starting with number 1. Harry really opened my eyes (ears). Excellent video. I particularly like his thoughts on "Best".

[MylesBAstor]

Yes Issue 1 came in two versions. IIRC mine was white.

[MylesBAstor]

I loved finding the old Absolute Sound in audio stores. The first time was at Absolute Audio in Santa Ana, CA. I wandered in quite by accident and a whole new world was opened to me. I heard a system featuring DCM Time Windows (remember those?) and a Linn LP12. Rocked my world and set me on a path. The owner sent me home with a free copy of Absolute Sound #2. I was hooked.
As an aside, I never realized how much HP reminded me of Leo Kottke! ;-)

Nice to see you back Jenn! You really go waaaayyyy back. The early TAS's rocked a whole lot of people's world. Who had ever heard of this equipment before? Of course, much came then from Mike Kay of Lyric HiFi. Hell, I even bought subs to TAS for audiobuddies too.

I found my first copy of TAS, #17, at a now long defunct high-end audio store called Audio Exchange, on 8th. St. in the Village. (coincidentally where Dave Wasserman who now owns Stereo Exchange first worked; and yes, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz is his cousin.) Down the street from another defunct and that time very good but snotty store called Electronics Workshop. EW had many of those then wonderful Japanese arms such as SAEC and Technics. And Audio Exchange was flanked by what was then the best record store called Discophile. The owner was a real patron of the arts and say when Rafael Puyana came to NYC to play, he would use the owners harpsichord. Records were full price but he had imports like no one else did and knew his music.

Back then, I hooked a buddy of mine up with DCM Time Windows from Andy Singer's old store on Lex and 34th St. Think he still has them. The Time Windows were also a fave of Peter Aczel then before he saw the light and high-end audio was evil. Or after that Fourier fiasco...

I know the Golden Age of TAS sometimes takes a bad rap but people also seem to forget one big thing that HP brought to the table. One of the reason that HP started using specific music examples in equipment reviews was so readers could compare their results with his or the other writers. I thought that was brilliant. As a publisher, it's not whether you agree or disagree. It's about creating dialogue. Like top 10 or 100 lists. Always controversial and they always create feedback.

[MylesBAstor]

Tas was a good read and the only look you might ever get of some gear in those days.

I met Harry Pearson at a show talked a couple of times thru out the show Nice guy well spoken.

He had more he wanted to do after TAS I am not sure his health let him do it the way he wanted to.

TAS is not as good with out him IMO

Very valid comments. And the industry has changed too from cottage to real world businesses too.

How do people feel about advertising in magazines? Is it a good or bad thing?

[cpp]

How do people feel about advertising in magazines? Is it a good or bad thing?

Myles that itself could be a nice subject for its on thread. Why mess up an excellent HP thread with advertising chaos.

[fcrowder]

Like many others, I anxiously awaited the latest issue of TAS, many times wondering whether there would be a next issue. For me the test of any literature (whether audio magazine or novel) is whether I later return to it. With the early TAS issues, I quite often found myself returning to particular articles time-after-time trying to better understand what was being said and sometimes what was not being said. Today, I seldom spend much time with the magazine, often reading one or two articles then depositing the magazine on the refuse pile. Harry's background was as an investigative reporter. For me Harry's legacy was twofold, 1) the creation over a period of years of a taxonomy to describe what he was hearing which later became the vocabulary of the high end and 2) popularizing the idea that there was an "absolute sound" and that the standard for comparison was live, unamplified music. I greatly regret that he lost creative control of the magazine.

awaited ... past tense pretty much says it.

[MylesBAstor]

Like many others, I anxiously awaited the latest issue of TAS, many times wondering whether there would be a next issue. For me the test of any literature (whether audio magazine or novel) is whether I later return to it. With the early TAS issues, I quite often found myself returning to particular articles time-after-time trying to better understand what was being said and sometimes what was not being said. Today, I seldom spend much time with the magazine, often reading one or two articles then depositing the magazine on the refuse pile. Harry's background was as an investigative reporter. For me Harry's legacy was twofold, 1) the creation over a period of years of a taxonomy to describe what he was hearing which later became the vocabulary of the high end and 2) popularizing the idea that there was an "absolute sound" and that the standard for comparison was live, unamplified music. I greatly regret that he lost creative control of the magazine.

Funny that the story of TAS is a little bit of a microcosm of the high-end audio world. One thing that seems to demarcate many successful from unsuccessful high-end companies and the mark of a good boss is the ability to delegate authority. Something Harry wasn't able to do. Or let someone else run the business while Harry handled the creative end (or design end when it comes to audio companies). Harry simply wasn't a good businessman. Nor did he listen to his business staff who knew what they were doing. He was in a business sense too shortsighted wanting to take the spoils right away rather than waiting for the larger return down the road.

[Rob]

from the obits I read about HP's life he had a joie de vivre for the best of the best that was boundless, from high-end restaurants to expensive wine and who know what else.

[MylesBAstor]

And rarely did HP pay. And expensive wine. Don't forget HP's Vette!

[mkuller]

I loved finding the old Absolute Sound in audio stores. The first time was at Absolute Audio in Santa Ana, CA. I wandered in quite by accident and a whole new world was opened to me. I heard a system featuring DCM Time Windows (remember those?) and a Linn LP12. Rocked my world and set me on a path. The owner sent me home with a free copy of Absolute Sound #2. I was hooked.
As an aside, I never realized how much HP reminded me of Leo Kottke! ;-)

Not far from there in Huntington Beach, I heard the Dahlquist DQ-10s at Federated, loved them and bought a pair. Then I found a high end store, Havens and Hardesty, a few blocks down the street. Richard Hardesty (who later wrote a journal as the Audio Perfectionist) showed me TAS, maybe issue #4, and I was never the same. I remember Absolute Audio and recall hearing the Acoustat-Xs there.

[mkuller]

I think they split up earlier with Chris opening a store called Stereo Haven.

[JennMartin]

Yes, I remember and loved Havens and Hardesty. Wonderful place.

[Steve Lefkowicz]

Havens and Hardesty was the first dealer in SoCal to host a meeting of our old Inland Empire Audio society. I believe we had 25 to 30 members show up for it. Demo of big Soundlabs electrostatics in one room, and Vandersteen 2 in another room.this was probably around 1984 or 85.

[Rob]

Frank Doris Recalling the glory days of The Absolute Sound magazine