Q&A: An Interview with Eric Strouth of Locomotive Audio

Blending Old-Style Techniques with New Technology ERIC STROUTH - I started Locomotive Audio really just as a hobby. But, after I realized I could blend several of my favorite things (audio recording, product design, and building electronics) to start a new career, I decided to quit my day job as a graphic designer and go all-in!

Dirk Sloos recent projects include a new-old stock (NOS) tubed DAC, a 6SN7 preamplifier with a remote control, and a 211SE amplifier that he is building for a friend.

An interview with Bob Katz, Founder of Revolution Acoustics. "Curious would best describe me. Curious has acted as a passport to exploring a great many things in my professional career as well as all I do after I punch out at the end of the day. Curiosity drives exploration and exploration drives innovation and invention. The platform that I have been using for decades has been industrial design product development."

Jason Aiken is, as always, building speakers.  He is also putting together a system for his daughter that includes a Bluetooth receiver for her iPhone 5s. He read that the Bluetooth sound quality has improved and was excited to hear it.

Alex Vlach prefers two-channel stereos, headphones, and portable DAC/amplifiers. As a Wireless Project Manager, he is reviewing the audio quality of the most recent smartphones on the market.

Alan has been an audioXpress subscriber since the late 1990s. His main interest are full-range and small powered loudspeakers as well as computer audio components.

Rick is the vice president of production and product manager at Audionamix, an audio engineering instructor, music technology book author and owner of Mixed Emotions Productions, his “humble audio cave for creativity and experimentation.”

Luciano owns LPJ Audio, a small business that designs and builds pre- and power vacuum-tube amplifiers. He also teaches analog electronics and digital techniques in a federal technical school in his hometown.

MANUEL PODSZUS: I try to always use cutting-edge technology. For instance, I designed a mounting device for 3-D measurements on car doors, which require extremely low tolerances, for Daimler AG. Later, I was active in the field of micro-robot technology. In everything, I strive to find the perfect solution.

Musician and DJ, Matt Heins started his own company so he could work in the audio electronics field. “I realized that I was more interested in the electronics than I actually was in writing music,” he explains. He got a degree in Electrical Engineering and started Hackme Electronics, building and selling open-source synthesizers, mostly as kits.