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Press Release: Tim de Paravicini to Receive Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society’s Highest Honor For Immediate Release January 2, 2012 Date: January 2, 2012 The Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society is pleased to announce that the 2012 Founder’s Award, the highest honor of the society, will be awarded to veteran audio designer Tim de Paravicini, President of E.A.R. of Great Britain. Very few modern audio designers can claim as much as Tim de Paravicini. No aspect of the recording and reproduction chain has been left untouched by him, no aspect of circuit design not further researched and developed. As early as 1965, Tim was involved in customer deign work for rock’n’roll bands, manufacturing his own public address equipment, and modifying existing studio equipment to realize its full potential. A move to South Africa from England saw further development of his unique design genius, and the launch of his own professional amplifier product, sold simply as “de Paravicini.” While working in South Africa, Tim had a chance meeting with representatives of the Lux Corporation, and in 1972 was invited to Japan and offered a job as audio designer. Tim soon put together some very interesting deigns for Lux, including the remarkable C100.M6000 pre-/power amplifier combination. One of this favorite designs form this period (and that of many others) was the Luxman MB3045 tube amp. This was the only mono-block amplifier available at the time, and backed up de Paravicini’s preference for locating the power amplifiers close to the speakers. As with all of his designs, the output transformer was a custom design. In 1976, de Paravicini returned to England, and very quickly made an impact as a design consultant, initially working with the ALBA Radio Corporation and Tangent Loudspeakers. Tim was also responsible for several Michaelson and Austin tube amplifiers, including the TVA10 and the M200 mono-blocks. Within a year, he had set up Esoteric Audio Research Ltd., and was marketing the remarkable EAR 509 100-watt tube mono-block power amplifiers, for which he developed a unique output transformer/tube interface circuit called “balanced bridge mode.” The 509 proved that tubes are capable of performing on a par with transistors in the laboratory, and also that they are capable of something other than the “retro” sound some manufacturers strive for. Although the 509s were aimed at the professional market, several hi-fi magazines picked up on them, comparing them to the state-of-the-art contenders of the time. The fact that the 509s beat all of the competition explains why they are still in production today. In the years since forming his own company, Tim de Paravicini has developed a sizable catalog of hi-fi and studio components. The EAR professional range includes tube microphone preamplifiers, tube equalizers, A-to-D converters, plus custom components and servicing for some of the world’s most famous recording artists. He is most famous in the studio industry for his tube master tape recorders. In 1985, de Paravicini introduced his record cutting system. Now installed at The Exchange in London (originally Island Records’ Sound Clinic facility), the phase-corrected system uses over 1000 watts of power, provided by amplifiers based on the classic 509 design. The cutter head is, again, a custom design, capable of deeper, wider grooves than any other cutting system. The results are as close the sound of the master tape as it is physically possible to get. A similar system, as well the rest of the analog chain, was installed for Mobile Fidelity. Throughout his career, Tim has continued to do design work for other manufacturers, including Musical Fidelity, for whom he designed the hugely successful A1, A100, and B1 integrated amplifiers, and Quad, for whom he designed the II-eighty power amplifiers, the II-Classic Integrated, and the QC-twentyfour P phono preamplifer. Tim de Paravicini is a true original. His sole purpose is taking audio to the furthest possible point of development, and he has proven again and again that he is capable of doing so. The Founder's Award will be presented to Tim de Paravicini at the 19th Annual Society Gala and Awards Banquet on December 2, 2012, in Los Angeles. Tim will give the Keynote speech at the event. He will be introduced by Daniel Meinwald, President of E.A.R.-USA. John Atkinson, Editor in Chief of Stereophile Magazine, will speak on the state of high-end audio in 2012. The Founder's Award is awarded annually by the Society's Board of Directors to those professionals in the high-end who continue to advance fine musical reproduction in the home and distinguish themselves as the best in their profession. The 2011 Founder's Award went to Richard Vandersteen, President of Vandersteen Audio. The 2010 Founder's Award went to Keith Johnson, Executive Producer of Reference Recordings, and the 2009 Founder's Award went to EveAnna Manley, President of Manley Labs. Previous winners include Harry Pearson, Founder Absolute Sound, Dave Clark, Editor Positive Feedback Online, Dennis Had, Founder Cary Audio, David Robinson, Editor in Chief Positive Feedback Online, and Ray Kimber, President Kimber Kable. The Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society now celebrates its 19th year serving top audiophiles in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. The largest audio society in the world with over 1000 members, the non-profit organization provides up to 14 major events per year in Greater Los Angeles and showcases and promotes the very best in great gear and recordings worldwide. Though the majority of members hail from Southern California, the Society boasts members from twelve states and nine countries. The Society, in conjunction with T.H.E. Show Newport Beach and Richard Beers, will again co-produce the largest home entertainment show in North America in Newport Beach, June 1-3, 2012, at the Newport Hilton on MacArthur Blvd.
Contact:
Contact: Please click HERE to view the past recipients of this prestigious award! For any information or questions about the Society, just Email me personally at Bob@BobLevi.com. |
