Goodbye Harry! RIP

Harry Pearson of TAS passed away Nov. 4 2014



http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/harry-pearson/

There will be many writings I'm sure about Harry and what he meant to the industry that he and J. Gordon Holt pen-ed almost single handed. Both of these guys I had the chance to listen with and to in person. Both of their views helped shape the High End part of this hobby and in some ways gave birth to the music playback system setups that we as audiophiles enjoy and explore. These were two incredible ego (I mean this in the best of ways) driven visionaries that gave in words meaning to stereo.

Harry Pearson gave a picture to the music through his view point that made us crave the event. He believed in an "absolute sound" and that live music was the reference to be followed. Harry gave birth to many specialty audio products that would have never made it to the shelves of stores or in the audiophile listening room. It was his voice that commanded armies of hobbyist to listen up and take notice.

I remember going to several of Harry's parties and watching him pull people toward him like metal to a magnet. He had one of those personalities that only allowed one way, his to many. I recall a time though that I was tuning one of his systems downstairs at SeaCliff and he quietly came into the room and pulled up a chair beside me. I started to move to the side and he said "no don't move, here is the magic" as he put his hand on my arm "do you hear it?" It was from that moment on that I understood that it wasn't an ego that drove Harry, but a deep rooted passion for the art of listening and the equipment that brought him to that place of magic. True, I think Harry wanted others to agree with him, and true he wanted to pave the absolute course for listening, but there was also the side to Harry that was about learning and aging and yes, even changing his mind in his views.

I didn't mingle a ton with other designers and reviewers but occasionally I do get a call. One of my workers handed me the phone. It was the first time Harry called me "Michael, would you come tune in my system". Honestly it felt like Michael McDonald calling to work on some vocal tracks. There was that much star quality to Harry. When I got to his place he had the floor covered in my huge custom amp clamps and in them the who's who of amps. He had racks to the side with my rack favored in the middle setup for me to tune along with my RoomTune all around. The room was mine, and he let me do whatever I wanted. The few times I was there it was the same way like it was my room, have fun.

On one of my visits it was during the IRS years, that is Infinity IRS, Harry's reference system at the time at least. I don't know if he always kept it there, but there stood the RoomTune ClampRak inbetween the speakers. Once again "here's the keys, take it for a spin" and boy did I.

I don't know how Harry was with others or what he was like behide the scenes, but I do know that when I was at his personal listening space he had as much desire for me to have fun with the audio toys, stacked way too high, as I pictured him having. If Harry really was strickly the author of "the absolute sound" and "that" sound only, I never got it. To me, Harry seemed like he was always in search of that sound as in the quest for it, and saw bits and pieces but looked for the whole to someday be there.

Maybe, for Harry that someday is here. Maybe and I hope so, he is finally hearing "The Absolute Sound".

RIP Harry Pearson, and thank you!

Requiescat in pace, Harry Pearson

We shall not see another like him