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Howard Popeck RIP

Bought a LFD Zero LE3 by mail from Howard some years ago. Sounded exactly as he said it would. Lovely man to talk to. Sorry to hear of his passsing. My condolences to his family and friends. RIP
 
My first ever system bought from Howard in Subjective Audio in 1983. Pink Triangle, Syrinx PU-3, A&R P-77, Rotel RA820 and Heybrook HB1, he delivered it all to the family home in Surrey and set it up one evening shortly after. I’ll never forget looking wide-eyed at all the expensive jewelry audio on one visit to Mornington Crescent and he sagely said “never forget, they’re just tools” and that wisdom of not idolising things brands and products has stayed in my ear ever since.
 
he was one of those who got me into audio when i was really a young teenager, late 70s. i sent him a letter inquiring about some british speakers, he sent me back a nice hand written letter with a bunch of promo material for different brands. i've never managed to purchase anything (due to custom restrictions at the time) but i kept a nice memory of him as a kind gentleman.

may he rest in peace.
 
Howard and I met often these last few years at St Pauls London.
We would chat about all sorts of things and Hi-fi, have coffee and nice Lemon Cake.
Howard died this week he fell and bashed his head which after many a time on treatment for spinal cancel broke is neck. He did not die immediately but in hospital , holding his wife hand and not being able to move.

How we met.

In the late 1970's Howard had a lovely Hi-fi shop in Camden and was selling lovely kit with superb listing room.

I had just started Magnum (A.C.Magnum Ltd) named after myself and Anthony Relph of ex Relph and Gandy (REGA).
Howard was I am now aware had a fantastic subtle sense of humour and was Jack Blunt I love that about him.
So of I go for the first demo to a Hi-fi shop, there was also another company doing demos you may have heard of it NVA ( RIP Richard Dunn). Unfortunately Howard being blunt preferred the Magnum and Richard stormed of in a huff. My first meeting with Richard but not my last.

My next adventure was with Inca Tech and guess what the day I came to demo out poor Richard was there as soon as he saw me he went into a fit, but Howard calm the atmosphere down for a little while. We listen to the NVA kit and I thought it was nice but not to my bass freaked ears.
And I am sorry to Richard stormed out again after Howard preferred yet again my design.
designs. Whoops again in Richards bad book and it would no be the last. (TQ wars)

12yrs ago Dave (UM) Howard and Alan (ABC) and family's came to Maria and I,s wedding.
Aland being Alan had bright red shoes. (nutter) Dave and Sam were great company and Howard and his lovely new wife kept me under control and to stop panic making me leg it.
Howard by now owned and published Hi-fi Answers ( I hope you have seen it) a web based magazine (Shame that Dave does not do one).
He gave EWA some nice and frank reviews .

I will miss him a lot. RIP Mr Howard Popeck.
He will be cremated near his home at Burgeshill .
His wife has told me also that in his last requests he want to sale on his Hi-fi more later on that.

More funny stories later about a Rolls Royce and a 2CV6/Turbo
 
Howard Popeck.

I met him at an Audio Jumble in Tonbridge Wells, I had just bought a pair of Stax Sigma for £25:00.

He had a stall selling Stax headphones and accessories, energizers ect.

I showed him what I had just bought and asked him if I could plug them in to the energizer he was demonstrating, his reply was a vey curt NO.

RIP, Mr Popeck. :rolleyes:
 
Sad to see from Colin above that HP's departure was not at all as peaceful as previously reported.

RIP.
 
Bought my first Stax set up from him. He always kept in touch via newsletter or Emails. Would send Stax demo discs out the blue to his customers.

RIP Howard
 
Somebody in this thread posted a reference to a big tall guy who worked at subjective audio. That was me. My name is Vince.

I worked with Howard for three years at subjective audio. We had a tremendous time. My colleague, Steve Daniels, and I did most of the demos, Howard did perhaps 20% for his long-standing special customers.

The demos were always clean at least from a technical point of view. I have to admit, however, that Steve and I did use from time to time psychological tricks to promote one product over the other the simplest of those tricks was to put the turntable we wanted to sell, last in the demo, it was a 90% certain that the customer would always pick the last one they heard.

Like everyone on this subject I loved Howard however he could be a difficult employer. Sometimes he was rational, sometimes wrought with emotions.

My time at subjective audio was wonderful and I will cherish it always . My deepest condolences to Chrissy.
 
I have only just seen this very sad news. I first visited Howard at his Palmers Green home in the latter part of the 1970’s and my first purchase from him was a pair of Meridian M1 active speakers that were a revelation. Howard demoed these against much more expensive active Isobaricks and they were clearly better. Although I loved the M1’s I subsequent changed to M10’s that with Howard’s help I got some modifications made to by Meridian before purchase. Howard still preferred the the M1’s and they remained his personal speakers for many years even though he had many more expensive speakers through his store especially after opening the Mornington Crescent shop. I wanted to buy a pair of Apogee Sintilla’s from him and the appropriate Krell amps, but he persuaded me not too as he was convinced they would not work in my room. An example of his honesty rather than make a profitable sale. I always preferred to listen at his home than the shop where possible as I thought the sound he got there was better.

In the end I kept my Meridian M10’s till 4 years ago as I heard nothing either better I could afford that would fit in the rooms I have had since. I still have my Trio L-07D turntable and my Burmester 808 preamp (bought after Howard let me have just about every early 8O’s high end preamp to try at home over an extended period) that I bought from him in 1981 and they have proved utterly reliable with minimum service since then.

Sadly there are some still, but few dealers now with his combination of humour, intelligence, honest and friendliness. R.I.P Howard.

Here is a 1980 ad for his Shop/ Home:
1-D3-EECBF-FD49-458-F-962-F-BC800-AD3351-C.jpg
 
Last edited:
Vince jacobs said:
Somebody in this thread posted a reference to a big tall guy who worked at subjective audio. That was me. My name is Vince.

I worked with Howard for three years at subjective audio. We had a tremendous time. My colleague, Steve Daniels, and I did most of the demos, Howard did perhaps 20% for his long-standing special customers.

The demos were always clean at least from a technical point of view. I have to admit, however, that Steve and I did use from time to time psychological tricks to promote one product over the other the simplest of those tricks was to put the turntable we wanted to sell, last in the demo, it was a 90% certain that the customer would always pick the last one they heard.

Like everyone on this subject I loved Howard however he could be a difficult employer. Sometimes he was rational, sometimes wrought with emotions.

My time at subjective audio was wonderful and I will cherish it always . My deepest condolences to Chrissy.
Click to expand...

Vince, Howard and Chrissy divorced some time ago he re-married to a lovely lady, and she and Howard came to mine and Maria wedding 8 yrs ago. A few week/month before he passed on Howards favourite dog died and it destressed him a lot.
Oh and I recall you at the shop, and you if I recall was a devil and mischief was a game you played. Fun and good days,
 
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