Ken Ishiwata leaves Marantz

[Copperjacket]

https://zstereo.co.uk/2019/05/16/ken-ishiwata-leaves-marantz/

 

[Monitor Gold 10]

This is surprise news! Where will he appear next?

 

[alanbeeb]

Happy retirement maybe. Wonder what kit he listens to at home?

 

[Disbeliever]

https://zstereo.co.uk/2019/05/16/ken-ishiwata-leaves-marantz/

He must have reached retirement age by now,OTH perhaps his latest models have not sold enough.

 

[TheDecameron]

Was he the man who invented the Special Edition badge?

 

[Dougie2404]

Possibly unhappy with the new owners?

 

[deebster]

I have his signature somewhere

 

[TheDecameron]

He was certainly great for Marantz’s marketing but what is he known for most in circuit design?

 

[davidsrsb]

If he came to Europe in 1968 to Pioneer, his DOB may be ~1949, so 70 years old now.

 

[Tim Jones]

He was certainly great for Marantz’s marketing but what is he known for most in circuit design?

Even based on my sporadic reading of the nostalgia bits of the mags, that list feels like it could be quite long.

 

[RustyB]

Responsible for the Marantz CD7, that magnficent homage to the Philips TDA 1541A.

 

[GT]

Products personally tuned by Ken Ishiwata, and bearing his initials, have long been regarded as leaders in their class. These have included hi-fi icons such as the CD63mkII KI and PM66KI, and more recently the renowned KI Ruby series that commemorated Ken’s 40th anniversary at Marantz

Notice the CD7 was not mentioned in this press release. It might be the greatest CD player ever made. It was certainly the best that ever came out of Marantz.

 

[cj66]

Very appropriate OP handle for this thread! ( product and fashion )
Reading between the lines seems like a disagreement on the forward path of Marantz products?

 

[TheDecameron]

Products personally tuned by Ken Ishiwata, and bearing his initials, have long been regarded as leaders in their class. These have included hi-fi icons such as the CD63mkII KI and PM66KI, and more recently the renowned KI Ruby series that commemorated Ken’s 40th anniversary at Marantz

Notice the CD7 was not mentioned in this press releases. It might be the greatest CD player ever made. It was certainly the best that ever came out of Marantz.

I went to one if it’s launch dems at a show with KI spinning the discs. Marantz pre and monoblocs through Tannoy TD12s.

 

[Stunsworth]

If he came to Europe in 1968 to Pioneer, his DOB may be ~1949, so 70 years old now.

I think I read 72.

 

[Bjork67]

That age for Japanese people is equal to 35 in Europe, his a young pup.

 

[suzywong]

Possibly unhappy with the new owners?

Almost certainly.

The press release reads “.....by mutual consent.....”, the usual euphemism for “we fundamentally disagree, but we’re running the company, so you’re out, mate.

This should not be confused with “.....Ken is taking a well earned retirement...”.

 

[TheDecameron]

I can’t tell him apart from Jimmy Page theses days- it’s the pony tail.

 

[PerF]

That age for Japanese people is equal to 35 in Europe, his a young pup.

Yeah
He looked thinner or slimmer than me back in 2016- or 17, when I met him in Munich

 

[Woodface]

I don't think I have ever listened to a Marrantz product, always like the look though.