Sorry if this is off topic.I want to know more about the famous audio designer Jean Hiraga.Unfortunately even Wikipedia doesn't have much information about him. What I want to know is his year of birth, place of birth, parents, education, career, works, work environment, what is he doing now. Those who know about these please share that information or suggest links.This information is to create a wiki page about him
I was a friend of Mr Hiraga in the ‘80 and 90s and worked on some projects together, but have been out of contact for years.
There are several topics on DIYaudio with links to various sources. Mostly publications of his achievements are in the years mentioned by Pano, and in french (the l'Audiophile magazine). There is little about his private life, maybe for a good reason or choice, and predates the era of the internet.
I don’t know if I’m the only one that does this, but I confess I have to consciously remind myself that the Jean Hiraga and JLH (John Linsley Hood) designs are form different men, not the same guy. I work with acronyms all the time, so I should know better, but I mistakenly flip them around and conflate them. 
Apologies to them and theirs. I know they both are important figures in amplifier design.
Apologies to them and theirs. I know they both are important figures in amplifier design.
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Mr Hiraga is of French a Japanese heritage.
As well as editor and frequent contributor to la Revue de l’Audiophile magazine, he was editor of la Nouvelle Revue du Son, a more popular Hi-Fi revue. They were both published by Editions Fréquence, IIRC. Édouard PASTOR was editor in chief, I think and registered the word “Audiophile” with the Academy Française.
Editions Fréquences was for many years located at 1 Blvd. Ney on the edge of Paris where they reviewed and tested equipment.
Also of importance at EF was Gerard Chrétien, who went on the be president of Focal.
As is well known Jean Hiraga was very in touch with the high end audio scene in 1970s-1980s Japan. Hiraga promoted much of high end DIY work done in Japan back to France, as well as a wider audience.
Much of this included a love for high efficiency speakers, SET amplifiers and large power supplies.
Sorry that I can nut supply personal details, as I either never knew them or have forgotten.
Where do you plan to post this wiki?
As well as editor and frequent contributor to la Revue de l’Audiophile magazine, he was editor of la Nouvelle Revue du Son, a more popular Hi-Fi revue. They were both published by Editions Fréquence, IIRC. Édouard PASTOR was editor in chief, I think and registered the word “Audiophile” with the Academy Française.
Editions Fréquences was for many years located at 1 Blvd. Ney on the edge of Paris where they reviewed and tested equipment.
Also of importance at EF was Gerard Chrétien, who went on the be president of Focal.
As is well known Jean Hiraga was very in touch with the high end audio scene in 1970s-1980s Japan. Hiraga promoted much of high end DIY work done in Japan back to France, as well as a wider audience.
Much of this included a love for high efficiency speakers, SET amplifiers and large power supplies.
Sorry that I can nut supply personal details, as I either never knew them or have forgotten.
Where do you plan to post this wiki?
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No idea about the accuracy, but this page provides some background:
http://www.qrp.gr/page/audio/monstre/monstre.htm
"Born in Paris in 1943 from a French mother and a Japanese father, Jean Hiraga showed early on a considerable interest in complementary fields of audio and electro-acoustic fields.
In 1965, he moved from France to Japan, where he was one of the most influential specialists who promoted, from 1969, sound and musical qualities of tubes, specially directly heated version such as 45, 2A3, WE300B, 4300B, 211, 845, 6C33C.
In 1968, he started to contribute for French Revue du Son and, later, in Nouvelle Revue du Son, as special correspondent in Japan. He published in these magazines several articles that had considerable impact in hi-fi world, such as:
"Amplifiers, harmonic distortion analysis" (dec. 1975);
"Can we hear audio connecting wires" (Oct. 1976, translated in August 1977 in British HiFi News & RR review).
In 1977, Jean Hiraga, one of the pioneers of audiophile philosophy, founded and started to take charge, a chief editor, L'Audiophile, a magazine dedicated to this new high end audio world. He largely contributed in this magazine with the publication a many articles demonstrating, from 1977, importance and influence on sound quality of passive components (capacitors, resistors, volume controls, selector switches, soldering, influence of analog turntable mats on sound quality, while showing strong interest in high quality, high efficiency loudspeakers.
In 1986, he received from the British audio review HiFi News the "1986 HiFi annual Award"
Jean Hiraga invested a considerable time to tune up many audio circuits for private use. Some of them have been designed for the account of La Maison de l'Audiophile and Lectron companies and were on the international market between 1978 and 1982, such as:
Jean Hiraga was the author of several books such as:
In 1982, Jean Hiraga moved back to Paris. In 1983, he was asked him to take charge of Nouvelle Revue du Son as chief editor, this until early 2007, giving to him the opportunity to test, analyze and listen to several thousand of international audio products during more than 25 years."
http://www.qrp.gr/page/audio/monstre/monstre.htm
"Born in Paris in 1943 from a French mother and a Japanese father, Jean Hiraga showed early on a considerable interest in complementary fields of audio and electro-acoustic fields.
In 1965, he moved from France to Japan, where he was one of the most influential specialists who promoted, from 1969, sound and musical qualities of tubes, specially directly heated version such as 45, 2A3, WE300B, 4300B, 211, 845, 6C33C.
In 1968, he started to contribute for French Revue du Son and, later, in Nouvelle Revue du Son, as special correspondent in Japan. He published in these magazines several articles that had considerable impact in hi-fi world, such as:
"Amplifiers, harmonic distortion analysis" (dec. 1975);
"Can we hear audio connecting wires" (Oct. 1976, translated in August 1977 in British HiFi News & RR review).
In 1977, Jean Hiraga, one of the pioneers of audiophile philosophy, founded and started to take charge, a chief editor, L'Audiophile, a magazine dedicated to this new high end audio world. He largely contributed in this magazine with the publication a many articles demonstrating, from 1977, importance and influence on sound quality of passive components (capacitors, resistors, volume controls, selector switches, soldering, influence of analog turntable mats on sound quality, while showing strong interest in high quality, high efficiency loudspeakers.
In 1986, he received from the British audio review HiFi News the "1986 HiFi annual Award"
Jean Hiraga invested a considerable time to tune up many audio circuits for private use. Some of them have been designed for the account of La Maison de l'Audiophile and Lectron companies and were on the international market between 1978 and 1982, such as:
- Le Prépré (head preamplifier for MC phono cartridge);
- Hiraga Class A 20 W, pure class A solid state power amplifier;
- "Minimum", a solid state, battery operated ultra-compact phono preamplifier;
- JH 30, JH 50, JH 60, JH 80, a series of hybrid power amplifiers, added later by PA50 line preamplifier. This last line of products, added by several improvements, is partly on the actual market through Jean Maurer company in Switzerland.
Jean Hiraga was the author of several books such as:
- Les Loudspeakers, (Loudspeakers, 1980, three times re-edited, 5 times reprinted);
- Initiation aux amplis à tubes (1980, Audio tubes amplifiers initiation, four times re-edited + one edition translated in swedis "Rörforstärkare", 1986).
In 1982, Jean Hiraga moved back to Paris. In 1983, he was asked him to take charge of Nouvelle Revue du Son as chief editor, this until early 2007, giving to him the opportunity to test, analyze and listen to several thousand of international audio products during more than 25 years."
Here you can at least see him With his cat 😊
http://www.6moons.com/industryfeatures/hiraga/hiraga_2.html
http://www.6moons.com/industryfeatures/hiraga/hiraga_2.html
