Probably want to mention Theremin, Moog, Fender, Paul as evolutionary, if "audio" is about what we hear and find joy listening to. Put Brian Wilson with Theremin and Fender, out comes Good Vibrations. I spose they could have done it using classical guitars and a slide whistle...
I though good vibrations used a ribbon controller not a theremin? <google> Ah no it was a one off special https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electro-Theremin
(I have the Aho theremin concerto on my server and do listen to it)
(I have the Aho theremin concerto on my server and do listen to it)
More than a contribution this is my tribute to Bebo Moroni (R.I.P.) an Italian audio critic of the Italian AudioReview magazine https://www.audioreview.it/copertine/editoriali/editoriale-audioreview-448.html that has taught me a lot since the beginning and helped me choose some of my best audio components of all (my) times with his great reviews.
Without wanting to, he taught me to understand how to read a review of an audio component.
At least what I have taken about it is that at the end of the day if your audio system has bass low, solid and articulate, mid coherent, present, persuasive, high extended, silky and finished and a good image of the stage what could you ever want more? 🙄
In other words, since each audio equipment has its own character then if you can identify it thanks to the essence of the feedback of those who have already used and listened to it, you can also make them pair with the other components of your system.
This was and is my own experience about the choice of any audio component thanks to him.
Without wanting to, he taught me to understand how to read a review of an audio component.
At least what I have taken about it is that at the end of the day if your audio system has bass low, solid and articulate, mid coherent, present, persuasive, high extended, silky and finished and a good image of the stage what could you ever want more? 🙄
In other words, since each audio equipment has its own character then if you can identify it thanks to the essence of the feedback of those who have already used and listened to it, you can also make them pair with the other components of your system.
This was and is my own experience about the choice of any audio component thanks to him.
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Walt Jung is very instrumental in my understanding of audio electronics. I've been reading his work and emulating his circuits since probably 1974.
Let's not overlook James B. Lansing, who brought us Altec Lansing and JBL loudspeakers. Back in the day, JBL was top of the line.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Bullough_Lansing
Who remembers the L100s?
Here I'm!
Ages ago I had the L150A for years listening to them with a power amp NAD something as 300W per channel in a not very large room...
The drums of some rock pieces sounded from the first CDs from a Philips CD104 was absolutely true!!!
Thanks for your reminder! 👍
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Me too! I am not sure about the front grille foam, though. I considered JBL as good for dance music only until I heard the L100.
One of my high school buddies saved his pennies from his after school job and bought a pair of L100s. He set them up in his parent's basement. They sounded incredible.
I did not like them. At least the originals.
Julian Vereker should be on the list. Besides building one of the best ams of the day (the olny one we found that could drive a pair (or a stacked pr) of Dsyton Wrighy XG8, he gave me this piece of wisdom which changed my overview of hifi.
dave
That's an interesting one. I am not sure JV contributed to audio evolution. He certainly contributed to the company owner becoming as big a name as the company in the UK. But is anything he did embedded into the work of designers to this day? Personally I think any amplifier that is unstable without the companies own $$$ speaker cable cannot be considered for 'best status' but that's my personal metrics.
and the JBL SA600 designed by Bart Locanthi that I see in the photograph, designed in 1966. You can read about it here https://hifisonix.com/technical/the-sa-600-amplifier/. Bart Locanthi definitely belongs on the list since he was years ahead of anybody in the mid 1960's wrt solid state amps.
My all time great contributors to audio are Black, Bode and Nyquist (for feedback theory), Self for clearing away the bs around audio in 1996, Cordell for the best book on audio power amp design that really helped me up my game, James Solomon for his paper on opamps from 1971/2, Scott Wurcer for the AD797 that ushered in the era of the super op-amp and Malcom Hawksford. I'll add Otala, despite the fact that he was wrong about feedback, because he triggered the industry into working out what was wrong with early solid state amplifiers and as it turned out, the fact that designers in that era (incl. Otala homself) did not understand feedback and how to use it (unfortunately many still don't so we still get nonsense written about it), finally, Bruno Putzeys even though I know nothing about class D, I admire the guys capability and sheer brilliance.
🙂
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Another for comment. I'm not good on first half of 20th century American technology developments but would it be safe to say the mighty AT&T/Bell labs/western electric did all the basic ground work for modern audio? You could glibly say they'd worked it all out by 1930!
And I'd be interested in the views over the contribtion of Walt Disney who, with RCA produced a surround sound system for fantasia in 1940 including the most labour intensive multichannel recording system possibly ever seen!
And I'd be interested in the views over the contribtion of Walt Disney who, with RCA produced a surround sound system for fantasia in 1940 including the most labour intensive multichannel recording system possibly ever seen!
Almost everything i have done has been ruled by that one insite. It has certainly been key to my audio evolution.
And that the NAIM 250 could outperform every 2-300 W/channel NA amplifiers that fell over driving an ugly ESL load was certainly a milestone. The improtance of exectuion and power supply.
dave
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