Sidney Harman dead

[JeffW]

Died 4-12-11 in DC at 92.

[HCSGuy]

surprising what an insular segment of the world we hang out in, huh - hardly a mention of this anywhere unless you look for it - I didn't see any releases, just the entry in Wikipedia after I saw your post - nothing outside the trade mags. Here's a few links:

http://www.residentialsystems.com/article/56712.aspx

http://www.cepro.com/article/sidney_harman_dies_at_92/

[JeffW]

Sorry, should have dropped some links. It was just one of the minor headlines on the Google News page.

LA Times (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-sidney-harman-dies-20110414,0,1593631.story)

msnbc (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42570526/ns/business-us_business/)

WSJ (http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2011/04/13/sidney-harman-newsweek-savior-dies-at-92/?mod=google_news_blog)

[hjames]

Died 4-12-11 in DC at 92.
Sheesh! Writeup in the WaPo -
and a picture of him next to a distinctive looking speaker ... (captured for posterity)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/sidney-harman-audio-equipment-mogul-and-owner-of-newsweek-dies-at-92/2011/04/13/AFVlFQWD_story.html

[SEAWOLF97]

Ahh, thats where JBL Bolivars got their name ?

"The moment of clarity came soon after the day a buzzer signaling a regular coffee break to the line workers at the Bolivar plant failed. Managers decided to reschedule the break for later, once the buzzer got fixed. But, he recounted, a worker named Nobi Cross announced, "I don't work for no buzzer. The buzzer works for me." The workers took their regularly scheduled break -- after all, they wore watches -- and "all hell broke loose," Harman wrote.

Harman quickly intervened and wound up establishing a groundbreaking program aimed at improving conditions for employees. Workers could earn idle time by producing their quotas faster and go home earlier. For the mostly African American work force, Harman established an on-site school, daycare and a worker-run newspaper, uncensored by management. The "Bolivar Experiment" proved so successful at what was dubbed "participatory management" that the company had to restrict visitors."

[speakerdave]

Sidney Harman has died, at 92, still working.

[macaroonie]

The man certainly created an empire. Just a shame that the kind of enlightened management described above does not extend to the activities of the Sales and Marketing dept.

[Chas]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hySRH0QMwE1vk5b1VRi72j5jTwhQ?docId=2ee998c87 b8d443da9690586bb27d8b8

I had no idea he was originally a Canadian.

[4313B]

He was just on NPR the other day talking about his new venture with Newsweek/Daily Beast.

[Wornears]

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-04-13/sidney-harman-an-extraordinary-life-by-jonathan-alter/?cid=hp:mainpromo1

[hjames]

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-04-13/sidney-harman-an-extraordinary-life-by-jonathan-alter/?cid=hp:mainpromo1

Umm, the man's name is HarMAN - the brand is HarMAN KarDON ...
no flames, just - we ought to get it right this time ...

[edgewound]

Much of the spirit of Harman Int'l has died with him.

The news of his passing so suddenly is rather surprising considering how spry he was for a man of 92 years old.

[Titanium Dome]

It's a shame, to be sure. His vision was clear, though the execution wasn't always there. For the many things that flourished under his leadership, many also were destroyed.

I do believe he was a humanitarian at heart.

[edgewound]

It's a shame, to be sure. His vision was clear, though the execution wasn't always there. For the many things that flourished under his leadership, many also were destroyed.

I do believe he was a humanitarian at heart.

I think maybe the company didn't really know what to do in the consumer division when he wasn't in charge. He came rushing back in 1992 to improve things and it worked, but it started to slide again in the mid 1990's when when he "retired" from operations.

I met him at a CES Show back in the early 90's. I introduced myself and complimented him when he was on the show floor. He was pretty aloof...and I think maybe surprised that he was recognized.

[Titanium Dome]

I think maybe the company didn't really know what to do in the consumer division when he wasn't in charge. He came rushing back in 1992 to improve things and it worked, but it started to slide again in the mid 1990's when when he "retired" from operations.

I met him at a CES Show back in the early 90's. I introduced myself and complimented him when he was on the show floor. He was pretty aloof...and I think maybe surprised that he was recognized.

"Where there is no vision, the people perish." I know he had a hard time finding a suitable replacement, and I think time finally just ran out and he hoped that his successor would be able to keep the vision alive. Unfortunately, guys with good "business sense" serve the shareholders with an eye to increasing profits and bonuses and don't get the "vision thing" at all. The current guy knows how to squeeze the stone for blood, but he has no clue that he's killing the vision at the same time.

[Titanium Dome]

Sheesh! Writeup in the WaPo -
and a picture of him next to a distinctive looking speaker ... (captured for posterity)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/sidney-harman-audio-equipment-mogul-and-owner-of-newsweek-dies-at-92/2011/04/13/AFVlFQWD_story.html

At least the speaker was the right height to support his elbow. ;) That photo was from a while ago. Of course, the reality of every great company is that the CEO provides the framework for genius to express itself.

While the 250Ti and its variants was a triumph of the time, it was geniuses like Timbers, Moro, Devantier, Toole, Ashcroft, Voecks, et al who made real products, and they made major advancements beyond the fine but dated 250Ti. If Sidney stopped at the 250Ti (of any stripe) then he missed the best and brightest output of JBL and Revel that came in the ensuing decades. Maybe that was the unfortunate reality, that he didn't recognize the huge advances being made every year in Northridge by talented, committed, and smart people that so far superseded anything done before 2000.

That is the legacy that is most in jeopardy. The creators of the L250 and 250Ti have done phenomenal work since then, and it's rational to believe that smart, creative, driven people continue to advance the state of the art. It's unfathomable to me that this work is undervalued, and perhaps Sidney's unfortunate legacy will be to focus on a high point thirty years in the past rather than the amazing achievements of the past ten years (before the current CEO bankrupts the vision of the company for $,$$$,$$$).

[JBL 4645]

I’m prod owner of functioning 20 year old Harman Kardon AVP1a and all I can say is sad to read sad news.:(

R.I.P. Sidney Harman

So who is Kardon?

[Titanium Dome]

http://audiophilereview.com/audiophile-news/thoughts-on-sidney-harman.html

EDIT: Complete with misspelled last name in paragraph 2!

[Titanium Dome]

So who is Kardon?

Your answer is in the article I linked to above.

[JBL 4645]

Your answer is in the article I linked to above.

You see this proves I can read! :p

Bernard Kardon

$10grand to start the business up wow!

[jblsound]

http://audiophilereview.com/audiophile-news/thoughts-on-sidney-harman.html

EDIT: Complete with misspelled last name in paragraph 2!

I saw the same article this morning. How does a writer start out with the right spelling, finish with it right, and get it wrong in the middle? Guess these writers don't proof read anymore.

[4313B]

The current guy knows how to squeeze the stone for blood, but he has no clue that he's killing the vision at the same time.The vision has changed. He's true to the current vision. Profit. You don't pay someone tens of millions of dollars a year to design a loudspeaker or an amplifer, you pay them that kind of money to make you more money.

I do find it weird that while JBL was off-shoring American manufacturing and talent, Sidney was busy buying a business for a dollar in order to, among other things, maintain American jobs...

[JeffW]

He was evidently still big into philanthropy, that anybody in the Harman Atlanta shipping department still draws a check is pure charity.

[1audiohack]

:lol_fit::lol_fit::lol_fit::lol_fit: I know what YOU mean!

[4313B]

I've discovered a way to avoid their gross ineptitude, don't buy any of their crap. :)

Did they ever replace that driver of yours?

[Titanium Dome]

I've discovered a way to avoid their gross ineptitude, don't buy any of their crap. :)

Did they ever replace that driver of yours?

I think I actually benefitted from their skills. Without the "shipping damage discount" the made in USA K2 S9900s probably wouldn't be in the house here.

Bless you boys! and God bless America!

[herki the cat]

surprising what an insular segment of the world we hang out in, huh - hardly a mention of this anywhere unless you look for it - I didn't see any releases, just the entry in Wikipedia after I saw your post - nothing outside the trade mags. Here's a few links:

http://www.residentialsystems.com/article/56712.aspx

http://www.cepro.com/article/sidney_harman_dies_at_92/

HSCGuy's Link:http://www.residentialsystems.com/article/56712.aspx describes sidney_harman

[JeffW]

Did they ever replace that driver of yours?

I've sent the busted one back, they have received it, now I'm back to the endless waiting phase.

[SEAWOLF97]

I saw the same article this morning. How does a writer start out with the right spelling, finish with it right, and get it wrong in the middle? Guess these writers don't proof read anymore.

people have trouble with it...:blink:

Karmen/Hardon Reciever - $100 (Vancouver)

Date: 2011-04-15, 6:23PM PDT
Reply to: [email protected] ([email protected]?subject=Karmen%2FHardon% 20Reciever%20-%20%24100%20%28Vancouver%29&body=%0A%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fportland.craigslist.org%2F clk%2Fele%2F2327910291.html%0A) [Errors when replying to ads? (http://www.craigslist.org/about/help/replying_to_posts)]

Working Karmen/Hardon Reciever, works perfectly, no damage, somewhat dusty from being in garage for a few months. Asking $100 obo

[moparfan]

I was a fan of JBL dating back to the mid-70s. Although I couldn't afford them, a couple of my friends spent a lot of money for teenagers and bought L100s, l20T, and L60Ts. My JBL desire lay dormant for a while as I made the journey through having Proton, Carver, Bose (!), Boston Acoustics, etc. Then one day I remembered that I used to really like and covet JBL and did a search...and ended up here. BTW, my friends still own those JBLs from way back and use them daily. I think those nice wood finishes earns them a home year after year.

My first pair of JBLs were a beat up pair of craigslist 4430s (I was the first response on a friday night...) that some guy had bought new way back. He used them as sound reinforcement so there are two eyebolts stuck in the sides, I have left them in - as I have left the rings on top of one from serving as a flowerpot stand. 2 more pairs of 4430s followed, from members here at audioheritage. Following that are 2 pairs of 4406s, one pair of 4408s, 4 pairs of LSR32s, and 7 JBL LSR28s. Through great restraint I managed to NOT order any of the harmanaudio blowout speakers - although, had the K9800SEs still been around I might have crushed the credit card for them.

So, cheers to Sidney!

[tomt]

Sheesh! Writeup in the WaPo -
and a picture of him next to a distinctive looking speaker ... (captured for posterity)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/sidney-harman-audio-equipment-mogul-and-owner-of-newsweek-dies-at-92/2011/04/13/AFVlFQWD_story.html


the la times, quoted near word for word, the w-post article.

this picture was one of two for the 'times version' -

http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/6240/sidneyharmancirca1955.jpg (http://img826.imageshack.us/i/sidneyharmancirca1955.jpg/)

[DS-21]

A great old article about Dr. Harman:
http://www.economist.com/node/1034231?story_id=E1_TDPQNPT

[4313B]

Thanks for the link! This is great.

"Mr Harman's management ideas seem mainly motivated by nothing more complicated than a gentle, deeply felt regard for his fellow humans."

Yet maybe American business leaders would be wise, in their current mess, to devote more attention to their workers, and less to the investment bankers, analysts and armies of public-relations people who dress them up and put on the show for shareholders. In a knowledge-intensive world, a company's most valuable assets are its workers, and they appear to be seriously disenchanted with their lot at the moment. If what is good for employees is also good for the company, says Mr Harman, “how can anybody quarrel with you?”

[robertbartsch]

I did not know he had a physics degree and that he was credited for putting the first tuner, pre-amp and power amp into the same box....

...a true visionary.

Unfortunately, the Net, PCs and big-screen TVs came along and now great audio is no longer appreciated like in years gone bye.,... In retrospect, things like 4 and then 7 channel audio were bad for the industry.

[robertbartsch]

...my recollection of the older Harman Kardon receivers was that they were never really the a top shelf brand like Marantz, Denon and some others. He acquired a lot of electronics companies over the early years and the success of all that is somewhat mixed.

He seemed to make a lot of dough on the JBL brand and car stereos.

[4313B]

...my recollection of the older Harman Kardon receivers was that they were never really the a top shelf brand like Marantz, Denon and some others.I think you have it backwards...

The other stuff was prettier, it didn't sound as good as the H/K gear. Arguably one of the most enjoyable pairings was B&O front ends with H/K power.

[JeffW]

Unfortunately, the Net, PCs and big-screen TVs came along and now great audio is no longer appreciated like in years gone bye.

I have the 'net, a PC, and a big screen TV and I still appreciate great audio.

[Titanium Dome]

the Net, PCs and big-screen TVs came along and now great audio is no longer appreciated like in years gone bye.,... In retrospect, things like 4 and then 7 channel audio were bad for the industry.


I have the 'net, a PC, and a big screen TV and I still appreciate great audio.

Yes, I definitely cannot appreciate it like in years gone bye, thankfully. :D Harman had a hand in that by hiring/acquiring some great talent that pioneered Logic7, 6-Axis, Synthesis, Harman International White Papers, etc. If Lexicon, BSS, and JBL weren't in the family, I be SOL for a great HT. Thanks, Dr. Sid.

[BMWCCA]

http://www.newsweek.com/2011/04/17/hey-cancer-go-stand-in-the-corner.html

Plus a nice human retrospective on how his involvement with Newsweek began:
http://www.newsweek.com/2011/04/17/big-love.html

[Hey19]

...my recollection of the older Harman Kardon receivers was that they were never really the a top shelf brand like Marantz, Denon and some others. He acquired a lot of electronics companies over the early years and the success of all that is somewhat mixed.

He seemed to make a lot of dough on the JBL brand and car stereos.

Citation II = pure brilliance.;)