Pioneers In The Industry-Who Has Made A Difference

[cjfrbw]

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[Steve Williams]

Having returned from RMAF and seeing countless rooms of very good and some not so good I got to wondering about all the pioneers of years gone by and how they have changed the industry,all for the better.

Debbie Wilson escorted me up to Dave's suite in the Hyatt before taking me downstairs for the XLF/Thor demo. I have talked to Dave several times over the years and I even have a photo of me and him from last year's show as he introduced the XLF and the new soft dome tweeter but I have never had the privilege of a one on one with him and listen as he explained to me the very foundation upon which Wilson Audio is based as well as many other life's personal experiences. It is a remarkable story.

Needless to say I am a biased Wilson owner for the past 20 years owning Watt Puppy 5.1, WP 6, Maxx l, X1 series lll, X2 series l and now the X2 series ll along with the huge XS sub and the entire WATCH system (center, surrounds and rears). I can't imagine myself owning any other make of speaker.

I had the privilege of visiting Wilson Audio several years ago when the X2 series l was released and I still had the X1 series lll. I had never heard the X2 and it was not yet in show rooms. I contacted Trent and John at Wilson audio and they extended an invitation to Provo to visit the factory and see how speakers are made. We then went to Dave's home for an A/B test of the two speakers which were in his living room. There was a switch which when pressed changed speakers instantly so there would be no trouble in retaining what I just heard.

I recall John saying to me that he was going to play 15-20 minutes of music on the X1 and handed me the switch and told me to activate it after listening first to the X1. He smiled and said that it wouldn't take long to figure out the differences between the two. He also said not to push the switch unless I was truly prepared as there would be no turning back. Suffice it to say it was a jaw dropping experience and when I returned home that day I sold my X1's and bought the X2.

Dave has done the same side by side demos of new speakers against the previous model and each has had the same effect

To me Dave Wilson exemplifies the very best in speaker manufacturers and IMO has been instrumental in how other manufacturers have modeled their speakers in appearance. Listening to him recount the history of Wilson Audio from the very early years until present was quite an experience and one I won't soon forget. He is a very humble man who is so knowledgeable in the field that as he opened up to me it was refreshing to see and learn about the man beneath. His admission that he made some mistakes along the way but learned from them shows true character.

At the Wilson Owners get together Peter McGrath stated that there have been 600 pair of X2/XLF speakers sold since inception. This shows it to be a serious contender world wide.

As I said I am the first to admit that I have bias to the company but that's because I can't see myself owning another make of speaker.

Wilson speakers aren't for everyone just as every other components aren't liked by all. So rather than everyone arguing against a person's choice of Pioneer in th field I am just asking for everyone to list who they feel are Pioneers in the field with a brief explanation why.

Carl (cjfrbw) took the pictures seen above.

 

[mauidan]

Judging from the who's who that was at the Wilson Owners get together, I wish I could have been there.

Unfortunately, my current family responsibilities don't allow me to travel.

What is very clear to me, WA went all out to put on a world class demo at a consumer audio event.

IMO, pioneers other than DW: John Curl, James Bongiorno,William"Bill" Zane Johnson, Saul B. Marantz, Dick Sequerra,Yoshiaki Sugano,and Peter Walker. All these guys tried to push the level of audio performance.

 

[dingus]

Ken Kantor of AR, NAD, Tymphany, NHT, many others and currently ZT Amplifiers has been developing not just speakers, but audio technologies for about 40 years now. some of his many contributions are listed here; http://www.kenkantor.com/products/@_overview.html

 

[DaveyF]

To the above list, I would add: Ivor Sigmund Tiefenbrun, David Hafler, David Berning, Steve McCormack, Ken Stevens, Franco Serblin, Noel Lee and Jim Winey.

 

[Nightlord]

Stig Carlsson

 

[JonFo]

I'd add Bob Stuart of Meridian, who has done more to push the envelope of digital audio than anyone, both in research and in delivered functional products. He also spearheaded the ARA group that laid down the foundations for DVD-Audio, which is also core to Dolby TrueHD on BluRay.

 

[mep]

Henry Kloss, Edgar Villchur, Sid Smith, Avery Fisher, Herman Scott, and Sid Corderman.

 

[Steve Williams]

I'm sure Gary Koh would agree about Arnie Nudell

 

[audioguy]

John Dunlavy, james bongiorno

 

[MylesBAstor]

Henry Kloss, Edgar Villchur, Sid Smith, Avery Fisher, Herman Scott, and Sid Corderman.

I think Mark is getting to the root of them!

Names that came to me included the above and

Joe Grado
James Lansing
Harold Luther
Stanley Kelley
Robert Fulton
Stu Hegeman
Mitch Cotter
Mark Levinson/Tom Colangelo/Dick Burwen
Jim Winey
Ed Meitner (I'd argue he made as much contribution to digital, esp. based on his work with Sony, as anyone)
David Fletcher
Osama Ikeda
Dan D'Agostino
Alan Sliski/Frank Dennessen

 

[amirm]

I'd add Bob Stuart of Meridian, who has done more to push the envelope of digital audio than anyone, both in research and in delivered functional products. He also spearheaded the ARA group that laid down the foundations for DVD-Audio, which is also core to Dolby TrueHD on BluRay.

Good one...

 

[Steve Williams]

If you mention Ed Meitner I feel you must include Andreas Koch

 

[valkyrie]

For my two cents;

I have heard Wilson speakers exactly ONE time - Sasha/ARC rig at RMAF. I was floored - the only comment I had to make was "I have never heard a speaker sound like that" - it was truly ear opening. Stunning - anybody who can design/develop such an outstanding product is truly an amazing artist. Bravo David Wilson!!!!!

Not to take anything away from David Wilson but we should place Edgar Villchur very high on any list of profound contributors to the art and glory of stereo. Invented Air suspension, the dome tweeter (and mid-range), first to use ferro-fluid cooling, created an exceptional turntable (that is still being copied), brought great sound to millions of satisfied customers and treated his employees (similar to David Wilson) as valuable assets in his art (profit sharing, high value benefits and good salaries).

Where Villchur really shone as a truly outstanding person is in his invention of modern hearing aids (something about polyphase gain as I recall - used by ALL modern hearing aids) - and he GAVE the rights to that invention away so that people with hearing problems could have a better life.

Now there is the measure of a great man. A contributor to not just our artistic culture but our society as a whole.

 

[MylesBAstor]

For my two cents;

I have heard Wilson speakers exactly ONE time - Sasha/ARC rig at RMAF. I was floored - the only comment I had to make was "I have never heard a speaker sound like that" - it was truly ear opening. Stunning - anybody who can design/develop such an outstanding product is truly an amazing artist. Bravo David Wilson!!!!!

Not to take anything away from David Wilson but we should place Edgar Villchur very high on any list of profound contributors to the art and glory of stereo. Invented Air suspension, the dome tweeter (and mid-range), first to use ferro-fluid cooling, created an exceptional turntable (that is still being copied), brought great sound to millions of satisfied customers and treated his employees (similar to David Wilson) as valuable assets in his art (profit sharing, high value benefits and good salaries).

Where Villchur really shone as a truly outstanding person is in his invention of modern hearing aids (something about polyphase gain as I recall - used by ALL modern hearing aids) - and he GAVE the rights to that invention away so that people with hearing problems could have a better life.

Now there is the measure of a great man. A contributor to not just our artistic culture but our society as a whole.

+1

 

[mauidan]

Some additions:
Ed Laurent
Alan Blumlein
D.T.N. Williamson

 

[JackD201]

i'm going back in time AND in the chain......

Georg Neumann

 

[microstrip]

Since Peter Walker was already referred I will pick other great electrostatic designers : Arthur Janszen and Roger West.

 

[DonH50]

There are sooo many others, some more controversial... Paul Klipsch (what a neat guy he was, like his speakers or not), Bob Johnson, John Curl, Lansing, Tomlinson Holman, Bob Carver, Richard Sanders, Dahlquist, B&W, etc.

 

[c1ferrari]

Dr. h.c. Willi Studer

FYI

http://museumofmagneticsoundrecording.org/ManufacturersStuderReVox.html