KINGREX: Howard Popeck speaks at length to people with interesting things to say: Audiophile maker and design-house KingRex makers of the T20, DDC, UC 384 USB DDC and the JB3

Regarding the inventor. How did their interest in music reproduction start? During my high school days, pop music industry was rapidly booming and I was, like other teenagers, very obsessed with it. Yes, it was eighties. The first thing I did when I returned from school was to turn on the radio and listen to […]

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Howard Popeck speaks at length to people with interesting things to say: Mr Phillipe Bernard, the driving force behind French audio maker Atelier de Synergie Acoustique

Hello Philippe. How did your interest in music reproduction start? It started when I was very young! First, listening to my father’s big valve radio and then to his mono record player (I lightened the phono cartridge…) In 1970, I bought a turntable, the Braun PS500 – the best in Europe! It cost me four […]

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ARGENTUN: Howard Popeck speaks at length to people with interesting things to say: Mr. Richard Szafraniec of newly emergent Polish audiophile company Argentum

Preliminary note: We’ve been both amazed and delighted by our readership’s positive response to our series of interviews with innovative small, intellectually agile makers from outside of the traditional countries associated with state-of-the-art audio / stereo. In particular our series on newly emergent French makers. Today we turn our attention to Polish organisations you might […]

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NOLA SPEAKERS: Howard Popeck speaks at length to people with interesting things to say: Carl Marchisotto at Nola Speakers

  So Carl … how did your interest in music reproduction start? My involvement with music started at an early age. I studied piano for 12 yrs while growing up. My Mom would take me to the Metropolitan Opera. My parents had a deep love for music and I got to hear a lot of […]

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TOWNSHEND ENGINEERING: Howard Popeck speaks at length to people with interesting things to say: Max Townshend

From our archives : Howard Popeck: Not many people know you’re a qualified engineer. What engineering discipline was your first degree? Max: Bachelor of Engineering, Electrical, specialising in communications. Where did you study? University of Western Australia So what happened after that? I accepted a commission in the Royal Australian Air Force where I was […]

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MANA ACOUSTICS / JOHN WATSON: Howard Popeck speaks at length to people with interesting things to say: Mana Acoustics’ John Watson – the complete interview

How did your interest in music reproduction start John? I guess I was always into music from a very early age. My Father was an electrical and mechanical engineer and used to build his own Hi-Fi back in the Fifties, so music played a big part in my formative years. You’re probably best known, even […]

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Quill

ALBARRY: Howard Popeck speaks at length to people with interesting things to say: Albarry Music’s main man Mr. Neil Burnett. An Albarry valve amp perhaps?

From the archives Preliminary notes. Neil’s a busy guy and has kindly agreed to us sending him clusters of three questions on a regular basis while bearing in mind that he’ll squeeze his responses in as and when his schedule permits. There are many things we’d like to ask this designer of fine amplification and […]

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Howard Popeck speaks at length to people with interesting things to say: Metaxas & Sons SOLITAIRE 2016 amplifier – Redefining what an amplifier can look like in Hi-End Audio

First published in early 2016 Howard Popeck: Hi Kostas. Unusual design, to say the least. What’s led to this? Kostas Metaxas: Hi Howard. After 40 years of creating audio equipment, the last thing that I wanted to produce was “another box with transistors on a heatsink”. I was dreaming of the most spectacular architecture, design […]

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SOLEDGE: Howard Popeck speaks at length to people with interesting things to say: Mr. Raphaël Bini, the driving force behind French audio maker Soledge High End Wireless Audio System.

Hello Raphaël. How did your interest in music reproduction start? Well, I suppose everything starts with music listening during as a youth, with a father playing music, either on a piano or guitar, or on his HiFi system. Then, my father being an electrician and repairing TV sets, meant that I grew up with electronic […]

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Howard Popeck speaks at length to people with interesting things to say: Mr. Dominique Mafrand, the driving force behind French audio maker l’enceintebleue

Hello Dominique. How did your interest in music reproduction start? It began when I was very young. One of my four brothers studied electronics at school and found a job in a French company called Ferisol manufacturing professional electronics equipment for the industry. It was back in 1960/1965. It was the beginning of pop music […]

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Howard Popeck listens to people with interesting things to say: Bob Rapoport – the public face (and a lot more besides) of Essence Electrostatic Speaker Systems

  HP’s introduction: More often that not, I go straight into posting the interview without too much, if any history. However in order to avoid confusion and to minimise misunderstand, I’ve lifted this maker’s history from their site. Here it is – and please take time to read because it is relevant. Thanks. Company history: […]

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Howard Popeck speaks at length to people with interesting things to say: Kea Audio a high-end New Zealand speaker manufacturer: Designer Jo Lang in conversation. Part #1

      Howard Popeck: Hello Jo. At short notice, thank you for taking the time … Jo Lang: I have a bit of time right now so I thought I would respond to your kind invitation. You are as I understand it, that rare individual who is an audiophile maker blogger; am I correct? […]

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PAUL BURTON: Howard Popeck speaks at length to people with interesting things to say: Burton Somervell – marginalised magnificence

Howard Popeck writes: This is, as far as I know, the final interview with the late Colin Howard, former production director of BS Meridian, founder of London HiFi Services, innovator, designer and the co-founder of Burton Somervell speakers. I conducted this interview some years ago and only discovered it yesterday. It has never previously been […]

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Howard Popeck speaks at length to people with interesting things to say: Scott Berry of CAD / Computer Audio Design (part #1 of 3)

Introduction: “The engineer responsible for the design of the 1543 DAC is Scott Berry. Scott is an electrical engineer who worked for many years in R&D and manufacturing for Tektronix and Xerox on the West Coast of the USA. Scott’s experience was in electrical engineering R&D work in high technology industries, but not in the […]

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EMMINENT TECHNOLOGY: Howard Popeck speaks at length to people with interesting things to say: Bruce Thigpen – Eminent Technology

Hello Bruce. You are I believe not only the conceptualiser but the senior engineer, team leader and public face of the company. Have I got that right? Yes that’s right, I wear a lot of hats and frequently have reservations about my qualifications. Are you by training and/or an electronic expert, mechanical engineer, acoustician or […]

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