RIP - Richard Brown, BEL
This is sad news, indeed. I spoke with him about a year ago concerning using long runs of his speaker wire and sending my 1001 in for a "tune up" and possible upgrade. He was very gracious, patient, and helpful, and put me on his waiting list (he told me about a years wait) for the amp mods. BTW, my 1001 was manufactured in 1985; I bought it used in 1988, he modified it in 1990, and I am still using it today, 21 years later. It has given me immeasurable hours of pleasurable service.... |
I am also saddened by this loss. I have owned three MkV's, two of which remain the heart of my system and my pride and joy. I've exchanged many emails and had several phone conversations with Richard. His was the kind of mind and level of drive that inspire awe and produce greatness. He was also kind, patient, and respectful in all of our dealings. I will never forget him or his exemplary and hard-won achievements, his excellent amplifiers being but one of many. Paul Pearah |
You might want to contact Sal Zambrano at Audio Summa in SoCal. At RMAF last year he was representing BEL cables (which he later let me demo) and had mentioned he had taken over the assets of the company. He also mentioned he had the schematics for the amps. Perhaps he can assist you in finding a competent repair person. |
Sal Zambrano told me that he intends to carry on with Mr Brown's philosophy - see below in his own words - he seems like an honorable and caring person: I have all BEL amp repairs performed by Tom, the technician at Brooks Berdan, Ltd who knows Mr. Brown's amps well. I am focusing on learning about Mr. Brown's amp design, and how I may bring Mr. Brown's BEL 1001 amplifier back to the market in a couple of years... I plan to continue Mr. Brown's legacy, respect his design philosophy, and remain true to his design ideals. I do own the BEL trademark, and will be exhibiting a BEL 1001 amplifier at THE SHOW, Newport, and at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest. And, I manufacture and sell Mr. Brown's BEL "The Wire" cables (P-1 and D-1 interconnects; S24 and S12 speaker cables). |
Are you saying he has had possession of your amp for months with no communication? I had contacted him several months ago regarding inspection and possible upgrading of my 1001 and he did respond, saying that he was testing an upgrade using some more current quality caps in the original design. He told me he thought he would have some results in a month or two. I emailed him about a month ago and he has not responded to my inquiry. Perhaps there are some extenuating circumstances as he seemed helpful at RMAF 2011 when I spoke to him (and even sold my friend a pair of speakers without a hitch), and did respond to my original (though not recent) emails. |
