John Dawson co-founded Arcam (Amplification & Recording Cambridge) in 1976. Each he and enterprise companion Chris Evans had been college students at Cambridge College, and labored collectively to provide the corporate’s first product, the legendary A60 built-in amplifier.
This slim, understated amp was effectively made, sensibly featured and delivered a musical sound that proved satisfying effectively past its comparatively modest worth. It set a template that the corporate has adopted ever since, and that’s to provide good high quality, well-equipped merchandise that can slot into a variety of methods with out challenge. The corporate’s merchandise, even at their greatest, are usually unassuming and quietly succesful, very like the person himself.
Dawson’s forward-looking nature and skill to sort out enormous technical challenges meant Arcam, regardless of its comparatively modest measurement, had a number one position in bringing DAB to market and was an early entrant into the nascent dwelling cinema market. This was an space the place the corporate went all-in, and developed a robust repute for making musical dwelling cinema amplifiers and disc gamers. The place most rivals pushed specs and options, Arcam selected to prioritise efficiency and high quality.
Astonishingly, nearly half a century after he based the model, Dawson stays arduous at work as a guide at Arcam, evolving the corporate’s intelligent Class G amplification know-how to ever larger efficiency ranges and being instrumental within the growth of the brand new Radia vary of merchandise which have catapulted the Arcam model again into the hi-fi limelight. The road’s A5 and A15 integrateds have dominated the stereo amplifier Awards class this yr, whereas its new CD5 has taken a Greatest Purchase Award in a three-strong CD participant Awards class.
In our view, John Dawson is one thing of an unsung large of the trade that, like his firm’s merchandise, hides enormous technical potential behind a quiet, unassuming exterior. He’s a worthy recipient of this yr’s Excellent Contribution Award. Congratulations, John!
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