Designer Hall of Fame

As long as this has become a list of practically everyone associated with the development and maturation of high-end audio, I've got to add Michael Kelly of Aerial Acoustics. He combines true design talent with marketing savy.

And IMO he played a big part in directing high-end speaker companies into multichannel. I know some of you think that was a giant step backwards, but it surely helped establish that audiophile quality sound was an essential part of good home theater.

Hall of Fame or simply a Who's Who?

Anybody who takes that precarious plunge into the business that is Audio deserves recognition. The majority of designers and manufactures mentioned have some degree of notoriety and business success which makes them more recognizable from those who actually provided us with a substantial advancement yet were only able to market a few products before becoming victims of trends and economics.

At my advanced age these advancements are mostly small tweaks to a conventional technology within the audio chain while the few truly giant step advancements are the very few who've developed new or improved media.
Recording an LP onto an 8 track and being able to play it in your car was huge. He's not mentioned here. Or the corporations who developed the Compact Cassette, Compact Disk, and for now, the iPod. For us these medias were mostly giant steps backwards in fidelity but, along with Playboy Magazine, they helped to bring the average schmuck into the hobby.

For me the de Vinci of audio, and many other things electric, is NIKOLA TESLA who's many idea's and innovations have yet to come to fruition. Designers who actually helped me with their products and ideas are: SAUL MARANTZ who's 7C/8B were my first upgrade from my Fisher receiver which powered EDGAR VILLCHUR'S / H. Kloss AR-1's. CHARLES HANSEN and NEIL PATEL for taking the idea of an acoustic suspension speaker and making a speaker, and one of the few, that can actually play music with their Avalon Eclipse.

Aside from an Italian violin maker who died over 170 years ago ANDREW SCHNITZER's Contra (Double) Bass craftsmanship is becoming Masterful very quickly. On the musician side of audio JAMES BUNGIORNO and GENE CZERWINSKI's work in developing and producing high powered solid state amplification at an affordable price and an 18" driver that actually went bellow 30Hz changed the audio quality of the live performance as we know it today. I used the 18" Cerwin-Vega driver in a modified JBL 4530 Scoop enclosure. The first loud deep bass rig I'd ever used. This rig was quickly over shadowed by the now legendary, and as yet never surpassed, 200 watt folded horn "acoustic Control 360 Bass Amplifier" designed by RUSS ALLEE. Of all the electronic equipment I've bought and sold the 360 is my most regrettable loss.

Dennis Had

Lincoln Walsh, who lived from 1903 to 1971, and whose Brook Amplifier Company produced legendary high quality 300B and 2A3 amplifiers in the early 1950's. Brook amplifiers are now highly collectible, btw, and command extremely high prices on the rare occasions when they appear for sale.

He also developed the Walsh driver, which was further developed and marketed by Ohm Acoustics.

Regards,
-- Al

Brian Cheney - VMPS Audio

While well known for their low end response, VMPS speakers have the most natural (neutral) sounding midrange of any product my ears have laid eyes on. They shine with demanding material (female voices / piano).