James Bongiorno - RIP
 

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James Bongiorno passed away on 1/10/2013

Some of Mr.Bongiorno's achievements:

Hadley Laboratories 622C Power Amplifier, contributing engineer

Marantz Model 15 Power Amplifier, contributing engineer

Dynaco Stereo 400 Power Amplifier, Designer

Dynaco AF-6 AM/FM Tuner, contributing engineer

SAE (Scientific Audio Engineering)

XXXIB Power Amplifier, Designer

IIIC/CM Power Amplifier, Designer

IVD/DM Power Amplfier, Designer

VIB Stereo Tuner, contributing engineer

IC Stereo Preamplifier, contributing engineer

The following products continued to use my circuit topology:

2200, 2300, 2400, 2500, 2600, “A” series, “X” series

GAS (The Great American Sound Co.) Chief Designer

Ampzilla Power Amplifier

Ampzilla II (World’s first servo-controlled power amplifier)

Thaedra Preamplifier (World’s first (and only) servo controlled preamp

Thoebe Preamplifier

Son of Ampzilla Power Amplifier

Thalia Preamplifier

Grandson Power Amplfier

Sleeping Beauty Moving Coil Cartrdges

Sumo Electric Co. Ltd. Chief Designer

The Power, World’s first 450 watt/channel fully balanced Bridge Power Amp

The Gold, World’s first patented solid state Class A Power Amplifier

The Nine, World’s first low cost solid state class A power amplifier

The Nine+, Ruggedized version

Electra Preamplifier

“Charlie” the Tuner, world’s first premium low cost stereo tuner

The Half-power, stereo power amplifier

Andromeda, world’s first low cost solid state class AB Balanced Power Amp

The Sumo I, Magnetic Phono Cartridge

The Sumo II, Moving coil Phono Cartridge

Harmon-Kardon, Consultant, Completely redesigned the Citation 23 Tuner

Crown Radio, Japan, 4 luxurious Power amps, 2 Luxuious Preamps, a fully

Equalized (phase & amplitude) 3-way electronic crossover.

Spread Spectrum Technologies Inc.. Chief Designer

Ampzilla 2000, fully balanced monobloc power amplifier

Trinaural Processor

Consulting Analog Engineer- Constellation Audio

RIp Jim, wow what a list of stuff, a real developer...

One of the great audio designer/engineers of our time.

I still have fond memories of my Ampzilla power amp and my Sumo Andromeda III amp.

RIP James.

Once upon a time I was an SAE man....My first "real" rack system was all SAE...I loved that system back in the day. Condolence's to the family and friends of Mr. Bongiorno. A truly talented man who loved audio.

Add Phase Linear to the list.....

I always thought that was Bob Carver.....

You are correct.
Sorry for the confusion!

Quite sad,poor guy :(

This is quite sad. I was a GAS, then Sumo dealer back in the day and had the pleasure of meeting Jim several times. He really was a larger than life character.

RIP Jim...

I am sorry to hear this. I remember how influential the Ampzilla was back in the day, I had an early Dyna 400 for a while. He had a very good run and will be remembered in the community- in fact, he was part of that recent roundtable of influential amp designers published in the last year or so by one of the two big US mags (can't remember which, probably Absolute Sound).