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Max Townshend RIP

I recently wrote a piece on another forum about the Rock. Max made some fine products and was a credit to the industry.

He made an impression on me as an 18 year old at the Hallam Towers HiFi Show in 1983. He demonstrated The Rock and took time to explained the design. That was something I very much appreciated.

It led me to the Elite Rock II & the Rock Reference turntables.

Deepest condolences to his family and friends.

R.I.P. Max
 
I've been thinking of Max most of the day and it dawned on me that apart from his seismic platforms I actually own one of his creations. I remember servicing a few of his Elite Townshend 600C preamps back in the 1980s/90s and was always impressed by the extremely compact design. I came across one a few years back in mint condition and bought it on the spot. When you think this was a full function preamplifier with a MM/MC phono stage, a line level source input, plus a tape loop and all in an enclosure less than 2" wide, 4" high and 12" deep makes it all the more remarkable. It sounds sweet too. It is rare I buy used equipment these days, but when something as special as this pops up I didn't hesitate to add it to my small but very special and personal audio collection.

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Tonight I will definitely crack open a bottle of Leffe Blonde and raise a glass to Max...
 
I must have known Max for nearly 40 years. He was a great friend and I spoke to him nearly every week talking about projects, electronics, audio and life in general. Last time was xmas eve when we talked about possible future products which he always had lots of ideas for. He's recently had a bit of a heart problem but he didnt think it was that bad but he began to feel unwell just after xmas and went into hospital but unfortunately he got a lot worse and sadly died.

I hope it will be comforting for Sue and the family to see all the kind messages of condolences, he certainly made his mark. Im really going to miss him
 
Great shame, he told me recently there was a power amp in the works. I don't know what will happen to the company? Would be a shame if it couldn't continue.
 
kanwar said:
This is sad news. He was a charismatic Dude; he could sell snow to Eskimos. My condolences to his friends and family.

RIP.
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Max had real passion and really believed in what he was producing one thing for sure he never made a fortune out of what he did manufacturing is certainly not an easy game but for a great deal of us its the passion what keeps us going.
 
RIP. Like others have already mentioned, Max was always very approachable and moreover, welcoming in his hi-fi show rooms. His Glastonbury speakers were one of my all-time memorable hi-fi show sounds.
 
Thoughts to his family.

How amazing to have been so well known and accepted within his chosen field, it’s heart warming to read these anecdotes about peoples friendships with him. Rip and once again thoughts with his family.
 
This is such sad news. I met him and Sue at a few shows and he was always a gentleman and had time to chat to everyone and share his ideas.
We need more people like him.
 
G T Audio said:
I've been thinking of Max most of the day and it dawned on me that apart from his seismic platforms I actually own one of his creations. I remember servicing a few of his Elite Townshend 600C preamps back in the 1980s/90s and was always impressed by the extremely compact design. I came across one a few years back in mint condition and bought it on the spot. When you think this was a full function preamplifier with a MM/MC phono stage, a line level source input, plus a tape loop and all in an enclosure less than 2" wide, 4" high and 12" deep makes it all the more remarkable. It sounds sweet too. It is rare I buy used equipment these days, but when something as special as this pops up I didn't hesitate to add it to my small but very special and personal audio collection.

L1466511-e1641139810303.jpeg


Tonight I will definitely crack open a bottle of Leffe Blonde and raise a glass to Max...
Click to expand...

I well remember the pre amp and hearing it with huge speakers Max had designed and built all at Harrogate show back around 1980. Very good sound.

The Rock has always been pretty much my favourite TT and I've often scratched my head as to why it was not vastly more popular still as it was MUCH better than the likes of the LP12 or Pink Triangle.

I had the use of a set of Glastonbury speakers for a week ish at one time and remember them as one of the best speakers I've ever heard!
 
It was always a pleasure to have a short chat with Max T at the Bristol show, in fact the chance-of being one of the reasons to go.

None of the anecdotes above surprise me ...

For myself one memory among others that still makes me smile was - mid chat - Max pulling a spare supertweeter in a tesco bag out of pocket (it was the year of the launch) - and as a demonstration of how strong the magnets were in the ribbon driver, ducking into a stairwell and basically throwing it at the handrail expecting it to stick: it didn't every time!

Then Max invited us (self and my brother, @Mark Packer ) to try similar, test the force required to remove and so on: an utterly, hilariously-casual dem... and in the chat Max volunteered all sorts of technicalia, how the attenuation worked given the disparity of input and output impedance required - details forgotten. But not the generosity of astonishingly-candid answers on a new proprietary 'thing.'

A very special talent for applicable engineering insight, with engaging salesmanship; and a charming man.
 
During the early '00's, because there were no suitable dealers in the West Midlands, Max was gracious enough to invite me to his house, to demo the Isolda speaker cable & also Seismic Sink. "Shh, don't tell anyone" he said, "...they'll all want to come round". In his living room I remember the modded Pioneer DVD mentioned downstream in this thread, not to mention a ridiculously large pair of speakers he had built himself. He mentioned this system was used for all the parties his girls used to have.

Very fond memories of my little adventure that day. Condolences to Sue & the children.
 
I met Max many year ago when I was doing Magnum. I bumped into him lots of time and great chap and very clever, I loved his tremendous enthusiasm in all what he did.
I saw last about four year ago and Maximum Bubble was still there full of new ideas.
He will be missed my sincere condolence to all his family and friend, see you soon Max.
 
RIP.
Only Townshend product I’ve owned was a Rock II with the original plinth and Perspex lid, fabulous deck that I still regret selling to this day.
 
Very sad news. RIP.
I remember Max’ patience when he answered my numerous questions re setting up and optimizing my RockII/Excalibur (still in use) in the late eighties and later.
 
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