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Jim Theil , HP and quite a few others .
As an Importer , Retailer and Manufacturer I knew HP since the early 1980s .
Classical Music stuff might gain his Blessings , everything else was B at best .
He was KING but the larger World of iPod and iTunes made him less than revenant to the realities existing and dominating the marketplace . We now wear our IRS system over our ears , for better or worse .
I last saw him hosting a Seminar at one of the Audio Shows , he looked to be in good spirits & health , taking hits from John Curl , I'm probably older than he was so anyone kinda-fresh can impress me .
I didn't expect his passing , I'm a bit surprised , he was a constant , a given , a part of something , hmm , now he's gone . Another constant is gone ! , a tap on all our shoulders that this sort of thing is just around the corner for all of us .
The new replacements for HP are way hipper , a guy in Montana does a wonderful job of reviewing and keeping all things in perspective using fresh media tools never before available , a little guy in LA does internet reviews of In Ear Monitors that better most of the reviewing of the last 4 Decades , Audiophile Clubs are cropping up all over the World with reporting done by rank amateurs - the Internet Blogs connect them , product advancements are happening at an accelerated pace , product quality is becoming universally outstanding , new designers are breaking ground on performance levels ( such as Bit perfect Digital conversions ) . Phew , where is all this going ?
Not long ago I heard Old Ivor at Linn Products giving a speech ; he's gone digital ! , Ivor of all people . Of course he's kinda retired , it's his young lads running Linn nowadays .
Well , HP had a very good run , he was Powerful , perhaps too powerful and perhaps his power was bigger than what he could safely handle , Old Henry Ford was a bit like that but WE gave HP that power because he could write about what we wanted to hear , we created HP with our votes by our subscriptions and we wanted what he was trying to describe , he was Our Man !! , our Voice , he spoke our desires .
Tony in Michigan