Harry Hall Pearson Jr. (January 5, 1937 - November 4, 2014)

[The Computer Audiophile]

From Email:

 

It is with a heavy heart that we must share with you the sad news of the passing of a legendary man.

 

Last night, the evening of November 4th, Harry Hall Pearson Jr. passed away peacefully in his home in Sea Cliff, NY, at the age of 77.

 

Harry will be missed by those of us who loved him as a mentor, a friend, and as the standard-bearer for our mutual pursuits in the world of audio.

 

His legend will live on and echo throughout the audio industry, for Harry’s was the “Gold Standard” of audio journalism. His deep love of music, and the goal of realistic reproduction in the home, became the adopted enthusiasm for hundreds of thousands of audiophiles around the globe. His lexicon of audio vocabulary became the very patois with which audiophiles communicated amongst each other, especially audiophile journalists.

 

Harry’s contributions to the audio world are both measureless and timeless.

 

Thank you, Maestro, for everything.

 

Memorial services are being planned, and we will share that information with you once it becomes available.

[Priaptor]

Well he was "the man" and the barometer, at least as he originally intended, for all reviewers. No one did it better and I have yet to see anyone do it as well.

 

Those old enough to have been lucky enough to have read his original The Absolute Sound will understand what I say.

 

May he RIP. He sure was one of a kind, in many ways!

[Afveep]

Well he was "the man" and the barometer, at least as he originally intended, for all reviewers. No one did it better and I have yet to see anyone do it as well.

 

Those old enough to have been lucky enough to have read his original The Absolute Sound will understand what I say.

 

May he RIP. He sure was one of a kind, in many ways!

 

Very well said Priaptor. A great loss to the Audiophile community.

[DanRubin]

I agree. He was The Man for me and the earlier TAS was a remarkable thing indeed. I'm very sad to hear this news.

[DanRubin]

The THFR announcement that Chris posted is the only news I can find for this story, which seems odd.

[Jud]

Harry was a fine, opinionated writer in the early days at least. He was never great at business (e.g., getting the magazine out on time). He gave a lot of folks the words we still use today to describe how things sound, for better or worse. No one's really been able to step into those shoes.

 

He'll be missed.

[Priaptor]

Harry was a fine, opinionated writer in the early days at least. He was never great at business (e.g., getting the magazine out on time). He gave a lot of folks the words we still use today to describe how things sound, for better or worse. No one's really been able to step into those shoes.

 

He'll be missed.

 

"he was never great at business"

 

An understatement. But he was the best and as you say, in the early days. I valued his opinion more than any.

[Priaptor]

http://www.analogplanet.com/content/audio-legend-harry-pearson-passes-away

 

Excellent obit and pretty much characterized HP's influence

[Panelhead]

He was so influential in High End during the 80's and 90's. Great at building a team.

[hytechrednek]

I just learned from a New York Times obituary that Pearson worked for a local newspaper in the small town where I lived in 1964. The mere proximity must have infected me with the HiFi bug.

 

Makes me wonder if he was related to Ben Pearson and the Archery company in Pine Bluff where my mother worked.