Back in the prehistoric days of PS Audio's history, the 1980s, my friend and mentor, Arnie Nudell of Infinity Loudspeakers introduced me to a new designer by the name of Bob Odell.
Bob was an internal medicine doc, but his true passion was the designing of audio amplifiers. I remember that at one meeting with Bob I asked him about being a doctor and he said, "I hate medicine. Everyone that comes to see me is sick or dying."
At the time we had been actively producing and selling a power amplifier called the 2C and the 2C Plus. These were great, simple amplifiers with a clear and open sound. They certainly weren't any match for the darlings of the day—the big vacuum tube jobs from Audio Research, Conrad Johnson, Jadis, and Sonic Frontiers, but for an affordable solid state amplifier they brought great music into thousands of people's homes.
Arnie was convinced that despite the fact our products were solid state (he was always a dedicated tube guy) it would be possible to compete (sort of) with those big brands and their glowing vacuum tubes.*
*Arnie and engineer John Ulrich had, in the 1970s, produced the world's first commercial Class D switching amp affectionately known as the SWAMP. It was pretty much an economic failure for the company. In years later, he and Bascom H. King tried their hand at amplifiers again with the launch of the Infinity Hybrid Class A, a complicated hybrid of vacuum tubes and MOSFETS that also hadn't faired too well in the marketplace but happened to be an outstanding engineering accomplishment. Still, Arnie believed it might be possible to get close to his high standards in amplifiers and thus, his third attempt would be through PS Audio and his friend, Bob Odell).
Over dinner at a restaurant and later drinks at Arnie's house one night, Bob and I got to know each other and the roots for what would become a many year's long relationship was about to blossom.
More tomorrow.
