On Fri, 05 Sep 2003 04:16:10 GMT, TonyP wrote:

Stewart Pinkerton wrote:
On 1 Sep 2003 15:59:39 GMT, "Steve Behman"
wrote:

Pardon my ignorance but who is Mr. Pierce? Is he someone I should know?

Unlike Albert 'von' Schweikert, Dick Pierce is a highly skilled
speaker designer, who knows the subject inside out.

The original VR-4 is a classic example of a 'one-hit wonder',
genuinely excellent speaker designed by happy chance, and never
repeated, because the designer didn't really understand his subject.
This much was obvious from his long-running debate with John Dunlavy
in this forum.

Not being one of technical background, and having read the "discussion"
between John Dunlavy (whose Duntech Sovereign's I drooled over way back
when), I am sort of "stuck". According to some information I have read,
it would lead one to believe the von Schweikert does know something
about speaker design. Working under Richard C. Heyser in the physics lab
at California Institute of Technology, I'm sure something would have
rubbed off on him. He also designed the first linear phase crossovers
for Dr. Oscar Heil's AMT speakers (1982). In the late '80's, he had a
job as driver designer and QA engineer with KSC Industries and worked on
projects for companies as Apogee, Bose, Cerwin Vega, JBL, Jensen, NHT,
Paramount Pictures.... 1991 consultant to Counterpoint Electronics and
designed the Clearfield Continental and Metropolitan systems along with
a Home Theater speaker system. Lucasfilm's equipment design division,
THX, hired him for theater sound system evaluation in 1994, and was
recommended as a qualified THX designer to other manufacturers.
Unless all these "credentials" are false, it would lead one to believe
that he does know "something" about speakers.

If you did indeed follow the Dunlavy/Shweikert thread, you should also
have come across the deconstruction of all those 'credentials' that
Albert posted on his website. The man is simply *not* a trained
engineer, despite having worked *in* many well-respected
organisations. He talked himself into several good places - but look
how long he lasted!

Compare and contrast with Dave Wilson, who is also a self-taught
speaker designer with little formal training, but whose speakers have
a recognisable family sound and are the product of steady development
over many years of consistent progress.

With the complexity of speaker design, how someone could come up with a
'one-hit wonder', 'designed by happy chance' seems to be a stretch.

Not really, since he never repeated that first success, and there's no
consistency in his designs.

I own the original VR4's, and they are a very good sounding speaker
system. Sure, there is the mix of hi-fi "speak" with all it's catch
phrasing that is rampant in hi-end audio as a whole.

Quite so, in sharp contrast with Dunlavy or Wilson products.

But the finished
product is what really matters. How it sounds (or... doesn't sound). I
respect Mr. Dunlavy because I have heard the fruits of his labor and
wish I could afford them. Mr. Pierce is someone that has forgotten more
than I could ever know. And Mr. Von Schweikert built a speaker system
that just plain sounds great.
And in end, isn't that what it is all about?

Indeed yes, but beware of anyone attempting to cash in on the
reputation of a single serendipitous product, when he clearly has no
idea how to do the same trick again!
--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering