I met Paul maybe 8 years ago. I had interacted with a salesperson at Goodwin's in the prior year, looking at some Devore Fidelity speakers. I was a total audio newbie, loved nothing more than my favorite music, and wanted to have a real system at home. The salesperson I had chatted with no longer worked there, and so I met Paul on a visit.
I knew virtually nothing about high end audio. Paul treated me with so much respect from that first interaction. He had a way of letting me just come into the store, and chill out.... frequent friday afternoon sessions. Always encouraging me to bring the music that I loved, and to just camp out and listen. It was usually just me, but sometimes I'd bring a close friend for a session. I can't tell you how many hours I have spent in the last 8 years, sitting on the sofa at Goodwin's, trying this amp or that one. Rockports or Magicos or Devores or Audio Physics or whatever struck my fancy. Hegel and Nagra and Berkeley and dCS and Constellation. Paul would give me an hour or so, and then check in. "What do you think?" he would say. I'd give him my gut take, and we'd talk about it. He never, ever, ever tried to push me in the direction that most appealed to him. If I asked him, though, he would most certainly give his honest take. He loved Rockports. Didn't love Magicos. I could tell there was a tube lover at heart with some gear... even if tubes weren't really the thing at Goodwin's. He loved Nagra.
He very much had opinions on equipment... but he wanted me to form my own. He learned quickly what I was after: connecting in the most emotional way possible to the music I was most passionate about. I guess that's what we are all after. For me - Grateful Dead. Miles. Phish. Music with groove. Stuff that, frankly, was very imperfectly recorded. Did Paul love this music? Nope. But he complemented it, in a genuine way. He saw what I connected with in it and he got it. He could tell if I was digging the gear I was listening to. Very occasionally I would get up and boogie a little in solitude in that Goodwin's showroom. He'd pop in and love it.
His goal was never to sell me the most expensive gear possible. It was to let me figure out - with his guiding hand - what resonated with me.
Paul has been to my house probably 30-40 times over these last 8 years. Easily. To demo gear, to deliver gear, to buy Devore O/96 speakers and then Rockports. And so on.
He would always be candid with me about other products (that Goodwins didn't sell) if I asked him for an honest take. He loved certain tube gear. More than once he would say, effectively, "this designer is a terrible business person and we can't deal with him on my end, but his audio gear sounds absolutely incredible. Brilliant designer. You should check it out if you can."
The greatest irony, in a sense, in my relationship with Paul was that as the years passed, my audio interests lead me farther away from what his store sold... but I appreciated his honesty, his integrity, his class, his genuine and earnest support more than ever the farther I travelled away from Goodwin's.
And so, I find it perfectly fitting that it just so happens that in the days before Paul passed, my final purchase with him happened: two beautiful Box Furniture wood amp stands for my 300b amps to sit on. He witnessed my changing tastes (or maybe discovering my true tastes), he supported it, he loved that I was finding joy in music, and within 24 hours of his passing I took delivery of these - to let the Japanese amps I love so much sing to their fullest potential. Paul never discouraged for one little moment finding the audio joy that spoke to me. He loved it!
That was Paul. In this crazy audio hobby I think we can all agree that many folks are fast to share why their sound, their approach, their system is best. Paul only wanted me to find what was best for me.
I am absolutely heartbroken at his passing. This hobby I care so much about - the passion we all share so deeply for music here - Paul was my closest connection to that in many ways. I am sad and I really can't believe he's gone. Thank you Paul for all your help through the years. Thank you for your decency, your class, your kind spirit, your approach.
I miss you already. Rest in peace, my friend. My deepest condolences to his family, closest friends, and colleagues at Goodwins. I know his presence is missed greatly.
Justin