LOS ANGELES AND ORANGE COUNTY AUDIO SOCIETY
THE FOUNDERS AWARD 2024
Dan D’Agostino, Founder of DMAS and Krell
THE LOS ANGELES AND ORANGE COUNTY AUDIO SOCIETY HAS SELECTED DAN D’AGOSTINO AS THE 2024 FOUNDERS AWARD RECIPIENT AND HE HAS GRACIOUSLY ACCEPTED.
THE SOCIETY’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS AWARDS THE FOUNDERS AWARD ANNUALLY TO THOSE PROFESSIONALS IN THE HIGH END WHO CONTINUE TO ADVANCE FINE MUSICAL REPRODUCTION IN THE HOME AND DISTINGUISH THEMSELVES AS THE BEST IN THEIR PROFESSION.
THE AWARD WILL BE PRESENTED IN PERSON AT THE DECEMBER 8TH LAOCAS GALA IN LOS ANGELES AND THE INCOMPRABLE MICHAEL FREMER, WINNER OF THE 2018 FOUNDERS AWARD, WILL BE THE MASTER OF CEREMONIES.
DAN D’AGOSTINO
PIONEER OF HIGH-END
HIGH-POWERED AUDIO AMPLIFICATION
No name is more associated with high-end audio amplifiers than that of Dan D’Agostino. During his career of more than 35 years, D’Agostino pioneered countless advances in the design of amplifiers, preamplifiers, CD players, and surround-sound processors. He is known as the audio industry’s most passionate promoter of high-quality, high-powered amplification. Makers of the world’s finest loudspeakers rely on D’Agostino-designed amplifiers for their most important demonstrations.
Dan D’Agostino was founder and chief engineer of Krell Industries through 2009. Since the inception of Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Systems (DDMAS) in 2011, energized with a new organization and new state-of-the-art designs, the products that bear his name not only achieve new levels of sound quality, but they also look like nothing else in the industry. The new designs combine an elegant aesthetic flair coupled to inventive circuit topologies and innovative materials.
PAST WINNERS
Recently honored by the City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society now celebrates its 31st year serving top audiophiles in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. The largest audio society in the world with over 2700 members, the non-profit organization provides up to 14 major events per year in Greater Los Angeles and showcases and promotes the very best in great gear and recordings worldwide. Though the majority of members hail from Southern California, the Society boasts members from 14 states and nine countries.
The Society’s Board of Directors awards the Founder’s Award annually to those professionals in the high end who continue to advance fine musical reproduction in the home and distinguish themselves as the best in their profession.
- The 2023 Founders Award went to Bill Low of AudioQuest.
- The 2022 Founders Award went to John Atkinson of Stereophile
- The 2021 Founders Award went to George Cardas, Founder of Cardas Audio
- The 2019 Founders Award went to Andrew Jones, VP and Chief Speaker Designer for ELAC
- The 2018 Founders Award went to Michael Fremer, editor of AnalogPlanet.com and a senior contributing editor at Stereophile Magazine.
- The 2017 Founders Award went to John Grado, President of Grado Labs.
- The 2016 Founder’s Award went to Bob Carver, President of Bob Carver Audio.
- The 2015 Founder’s Award went to Harry Weisfeld, founder of VPI Industries.
- The 2014 Founder’s Award went to Chad Kassem, President of Acoustic Sounds.
- The 2013 Founder’s Award went to Robert Harley, editor in chief, of The Absolute Sound.
- The 2012 Founder’s Award went to Tim de Paravicini, President of E.A.R. of Great Britain.
- The 2011 Founder’s Award went to Richard Vandersteen, President of Vandersteen Audio.
- The 2010 Founder’s Award went to Keith Johnson, Executive Producer of Reference Recordings,
- and the 2009 Founder’s Award went to EveAnna Manley, President of Manley Labs.
Other previous winners include Harry Pearson, Founder The Absolute Sound, Dave Clark, Editor Positive Feedback Online, Dennis Had, Founder Cary Audio, David Robinson, Editor in Chief Positive Feedback Online, and Ray Kimber, President of Kimber Kable and our most-honored member.
The trophy awarded is specially produced by the same company that created the Oscar for The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.