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Roger Alan Modjeski (RAM) 1951 - 2019

It is with great sadness that I announce Roger A. Modjeski passed away peacefully in his home in San Pablo, CA after an 12 month battle with cancer. Roger started Music Reference in 1981 and later RAM Tubes, The Tube Audio Store, and The Berkeley HiFi School. For more than 38 years he tirelessly ran his business and designed some of the most unique and well received audio components in the industry. Right until the near end Roger was working, designing, and teaching until he physically was unable to continue.

The link below will take you my playground where I have posted my tribute to Roger (click ENTER after the page loads):

http://www.electrafidelity.com/

Fare thee well my friend.
clio09
augwest's avatar
augwest
45 posts
 
Roger was an excellent teacher, researcher, inventor, and designer.  I'm using an RM-10 MkII Class A in a system where few sane people would consider a little 25 Watt stereo amp that weighs 14 pounds.  It has won my heart and a spot in my primary stereo system, beating out 100 Watt solid state and tube monoblocks to power floor standing speakers.  I sure hope Roger got the message I sent to him to that effect on Thanksgiving, about six years after buying the amp.

I guess we all have to let go of Roger, and that's very sad.  The best tribute I can think of to give him is to praise his amp, and not let go of that!
clio09 OP
3,413 posts
 
@augwest Roger stopped reading emails a couple months ago. I actually monitor the same email inbox and saw your message and read it to him. He was quite pleased and asked me to share it with all his visitors that day. Thanks for such kind words about the little amp that could. It has always been my favorite Music Reference amp.
ndevamp
55 posts
 
Yes the RM1! A great design.
Re the nice comments about the RM10: That would have made him very proud. He told me he wanted the RM10 to be remembered as a gutsy little amp. Job done Roger. Job done.
cal3713's avatar
cal3713
1,421 posts
 
What a beautiful thread.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
10,487 posts
 
In the audience during Roger's hour-long talks at the 2015 and 2018 Burning Amp Festival are Ken Stevens of CAT (a designer he respected. Roger offered RAM tubes hand picked and matched for Ken's amps), Nelson Pass, Herb Reichert (now writing for Stereophile of course, but also a long-time DIYer), and lots of ambitious amateur engineers. Roger also collaborated with noted electric guitar pickup designer Seymour Duncan, a master at that art.  
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