RIP - Heartfelt thanks to Paul Chambers of Goodwin's High End!
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Many of us travel around for business or for pleasure...and find time to pop into various hifi stores around the world. Sometimes we remember them well, and sometimes I imagine while we might remember the equipment, the personalities at the store -- not so much.
I first met Paul almost 30 years ago as a college student. I think it was Audiovision where he was working at that time. They had big Krells, Thiel CS5 and Sonus Faber including the Extrema. We used to pop in to listen...imagine that...talk about the wrong kind of clientele to be spending time with. I could not afford a thing in that store, and while I did not pretend otherwise, that did not seem to change Paul's attitude one bit. He was friendly, expansive in sharing his experience and advice.
We must have visited him weekly or every other week for a whole year after discovering Audiovision. (And one of my friends actually did buy quite a bit from him.) But I did not and in fact, got Celestion SL6si on a great demo sale from another dealer...and I told Paul...and he was complimentary and encouraging. Can you imagine? I went into his store every week/other week for 2 semesters, bought from a different store because they had stuff I could afford...and he was gracious and actually talked to me about my new speakers.
I still remember him playing Enya cranked in the main room on the then legendary Thiel reference speakers and dual mono Krell reference amps...I thought the rain in the track was literally falling around our faces...it was unreal. He played Star Wars for us on the main screen...blew us all away.
He helped stoke a lifetime passion of high end audio that runs strong today. And it is personalities like his that I think are part of that journey of learning, passion and growth.
And unlike all of those other stores I have dropped into on various business trips or family trips across Hong Kong, Tokyo, Istanbul, New York, Boston, New Haven, London, Madrid, The Hague...30 years later during our reunion, I went to go see him...just because...because I remembered him. The equipment had all changed, the store (now Goodwins), and the listening room. But not Paul. He had not changed one bit. That is my story of Paul Chambers. May God bless him and his family.
I first met Paul almost 30 years ago as a college student. I think it was Audiovision where he was working at that time. They had big Krells, Thiel CS5 and Sonus Faber including the Extrema. We used to pop in to listen...imagine that...talk about the wrong kind of clientele to be spending time with. I could not afford a thing in that store, and while I did not pretend otherwise, that did not seem to change Paul's attitude one bit. He was friendly, expansive in sharing his experience and advice.
We must have visited him weekly or every other week for a whole year after discovering Audiovision. (And one of my friends actually did buy quite a bit from him.) But I did not and in fact, got Celestion SL6si on a great demo sale from another dealer...and I told Paul...and he was complimentary and encouraging. Can you imagine? I went into his store every week/other week for 2 semesters, bought from a different store because they had stuff I could afford...and he was gracious and actually talked to me about my new speakers.
I still remember him playing Enya cranked in the main room on the then legendary Thiel reference speakers and dual mono Krell reference amps...I thought the rain in the track was literally falling around our faces...it was unreal. He played Star Wars for us on the main screen...blew us all away.
He helped stoke a lifetime passion of high end audio that runs strong today. And it is personalities like his that I think are part of that journey of learning, passion and growth.
And unlike all of those other stores I have dropped into on various business trips or family trips across Hong Kong, Tokyo, Istanbul, New York, Boston, New Haven, London, Madrid, The Hague...30 years later during our reunion, I went to go see him...just because...because I remembered him. The equipment had all changed, the store (now Goodwins), and the listening room. But not Paul. He had not changed one bit. That is my story of Paul Chambers. May God bless him and his family.
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I also met Paul at Goodwins while traveling on business. I dropped in to Goodwins to check them out. While admiring a shiney phono preamp he offered to ship it to my house for an audition! No questions asked....what a gentleman he was and a tribute to the audio industry.
I have always been and remain a supporter of B&M and Paul was a shining star.
I have always been and remain a supporter of B&M and Paul was a shining star.
It's been some months now, but I was thinking about Paul today and came to see what had been written here. I too have been a customer for a number of years (only 8) and was so saddened to learn of Paul's passing.
My one funny/typical (?) story is from about 2 years ago. I decided to try out vinyl, got a Rega TT and phono stage from my OTHER dealer, but wanted to upgrade the phono stage. I stopped into Goodwins, Paul was behind the counter as usual. I asked him what he liked for phono stages. I swear his response was, "I hate vinyl." Or "I don't like vinyl." Something clearly in that direction. We decided he'd be of no help and I left
We interacted at the store a few times since, including my auditioning Magico M2's there last summer. As usual he was happy to leave me alone in the room for as long as I wanted. We just didn't talk vinyl
Rest in peace, Paul.
My one funny/typical (?) story is from about 2 years ago. I decided to try out vinyl, got a Rega TT and phono stage from my OTHER dealer, but wanted to upgrade the phono stage. I stopped into Goodwins, Paul was behind the counter as usual. I asked him what he liked for phono stages. I swear his response was, "I hate vinyl." Or "I don't like vinyl." Something clearly in that direction. We decided he'd be of no help and I left
We interacted at the store a few times since, including my auditioning Magico M2's there last summer. As usual he was happy to leave me alone in the room for as long as I wanted. We just didn't talk vinyl
Rest in peace, Paul.
Thank you for your post. I think of Paul often - much more than I would have expected. I didn't see him that regularly but I did see him a few times in short succession just before his passing and I enjoyed our brief, but always enjoyable conversations. I miss him and when I think of him, I get sad. It's a reminder of how quickly a situation can change and how precious life is.
Hey MadFloyd,
Hope everyone with you is safe and well. In my post 22, where I tell how I went into Goodwins to see Paul after 25+ years (just because I remembered him from my college days)...you were there. THAT was the day. You and I listened to the Rockport Altair 2s, DCS Vivaldi, Constellation amps...and among other things, Clapton Unplugged, Hans Zimmer (Sherlock Holmes 2 Soundtrack). Paul let us be in true-to-Paul form.
And yes, it does remind us all to be grateful.
Hope everyone with you is safe and well. In my post 22, where I tell how I went into Goodwins to see Paul after 25+ years (just because I remembered him from my college days)...you were there. THAT was the day. You and I listened to the Rockport Altair 2s, DCS Vivaldi, Constellation amps...and among other things, Clapton Unplugged, Hans Zimmer (Sherlock Holmes 2 Soundtrack). Paul let us be in true-to-Paul form.
And yes, it does remind us all to be grateful.
Thanks for your well wishes, Lloyd. I remember that day well. It was not only great to meet you, but it was one of the first 'huge' impressions I had with high end audio. I think prior to that I was always in the smaller rooms (although I could be wrong) but those Altair 2's sounded incredible to me. Do you remember us having to move the listening position because something was noticeably off and Paul being a bit bewildered?
In any case, it's a very positive memory for me.
I do remember that! We said that the seating had been shifted front/back for some reason...likely because the Magico Q7s were at the back of the room taking up space and messing up seating. We also noted that the music had a pretty substantial change about 45 minutes to an hour in, and we had to replay Clapton and Hans Zimmer...and then Paul admitted that someone had accidentally disconnected the equipment from the wall...and he had only just turned it all on before we arrived.
I really liked and still remember well those Altairs. Definitely positive and would love to go back to Boston with the family again. We have only been back since one time, and it was a jampacked 36 hours with both work and extended family before we left for CT. No audio that time!
Next time Goodwins and then Mr. Bartley's Burgers on Mass Ave...
Hurry -- it was reported last year that Mr. Bartley's is for sale.
There is some really great food in Waltham now on Moody St. Anyone coming for a listen at Goodwin's -- feel free to ping me. I now live 3 miles away. We're moving house but I'll still only be ~20 minutes away.
Man! I remember reading about the Tasty disappearing. And I was just looking up Mr. Bartleys and saw the Border Cafe closed permanently after a fire in February! Yikes!
The Hong Kong MUST stay!
My wife and I are big fans of the Italian restaurant across the street from Goodwins called Il Capricios. At some point during the pandemic they said they were closing but then someone bought them out (I think an employee) so I'm hoping to enjoy it again soon.
Interesting. I had never been to Goodwins there before and dont know the area at all...when I was in college, Goodwins High End was in some out of the way place, more like a home than a commercial building.
Boston has some great Italian food!
Was it Brookline? 2nd floor in a big house, room full of boxes and a narrow path leads to the system? Dunlavy speakers, Spectral electronics and MIT cables?
It was close to my Boston College campus, didn't have much disposal income at the time and 1st purchase was MIT T2 speaker cables. Brings back lots of good memories.
Aha!!! YES! That sounds exactly like it. I never did purchase anything there...too expensive for me. I bought a pair of Celestion SL6sis demo pair and Audioquest Emerald IC from Audiolab in Harvard Square, a Denon integrated from Tweeter, etc.
I DID hear a pair of bookshelf speakers at Goodwins High End which (at the time) seemed amazing to me...black, completely piano gloss polished with all the corners of the cabinet very rounded. 2 cones (Tweeter plus one 6 or 7 inch?...cannot quite remember). Pretty big for bookshelves. Do you remember those by any chance? I thought they were something like 10K which was an eye-popping sum for someone who just managed to get $600 Celestion SL6si's.
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La Campagnia is still open. Il Cappricio, another very good Waltham Italian restaurant, is moving to a new location and will open there (on Main St. in Waltham, not far from Goodwin's) in early May 2021.
For a quick lunch there is a FABULOUS sandwich and other prepared foods spot, all takeout, called Dominics just up the street from Goodwins. Really high quality.
As you readers can tell, I like Goodwin's and I like food. Happy to meet anyone for listening and/or lunching
For a quick lunch there is a FABULOUS sandwich and other prepared foods spot, all takeout, called Dominics just up the street from Goodwins. Really high quality.
As you readers can tell, I like Goodwin's and I like food. Happy to meet anyone for listening and/or lunching
I like Greek restaurant Demos for quick meal near Goodwin. Baked lamb is pretty good.For a quick lunch there is a FABULOUS sandwich and other prepared foods spot, all takeout, called Dominics just up the street from Goodwins. Really high quality.
As you readers can tell, I like Goodwin's and I like food. Happy to meet anyone for listening and/or lunching
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