John A. Westlake

John Alexander Westlake (born July 1970) is a British–Czech Hi Fi designer.

John A. Westlake
BornJuly 1970
OccupationHi Fi designer

Early life and education

John Westlake is a son of a Czech mother and a British father. He was born in London but spent his early years in Czechoslovakia. His father was a physicist at the Imperial College in London. He is a self taught Hi Fi designer who didn't received a formal university education and learnt electronics by observing his father's work.[1]

Career

John Westlake started his Hi Fi career in his early twenties while working for a Hi Fi company Pink Triangle. He designed the Pink Triangle DaCapo digital to analog converter in 1991. He then moved on to working for Cambridge Audio, designing many of their award winning products - Cambridge Audio DACMagic digital to analog converter, CD4, CD4SE, CD6, DAC 123, ISO Magic etc.[2]

He has also been working with semiconductor companies that patent some of his technologies: UK patent on Feedback controller for PWM amplifier, International patent on a signal processing circuit. John Westlake is known for his work on Class D amplifier technology.

In 2008, after years of research and working for semiconductor companies, he started his own company - Lakewest Audio & returned to designing Hi Fi products. He is the designer behind the Peachtree Audio Nova D / A integrated amplifier that was voted a Budget Product of the Year 2009 by Stereophile magazine.[3] Peachtree Audio Decco2 integrated amplifier & the Peachtree Audio iDAC – Tube Hybrid Integrated Amp with "Pure Digital" iPod Dock - voted Stereophile's Products of 2011.[4] His designs also include the Audiolab 8200 CD player – an award winning Best Product of the Year 2010 and Best Product of the Year 2011 by What HiFi Sound & Vision magazine.[5][6]

This was followed by the Audiolab 8200CDQ – an all in one CD player, DAC and pre-amplifier. His most successful addition to the Audiolab product line was the original M-DAC,[7] a standalone D/A converter. M-DAC held What HiFi Sound & Vision magazine award for 4 years consecutive years[8] and became a European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) European Product of the Year 2012-2013.[9]

His latest cooperation involved Pro-Ject PreBox S2 Digital - DAC/Headphone amplifier, European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) European Product of the Year 2017-2018,[10] Pro-Ject DAC Box S2+ and Pro-Ject StreamBox S2 Ultra.

He is currently semi-retired, avoiding completing a few crowd funded projects [11] and preparing his Doctorate PhD research based on insight and understanding into an acoustic and system phenomenon observed over his career as an audio designer.

Patents

Designs
BrandProduct nameAwards
Pink TriangleDacapo
Pink TriangleDC
Pink TriangleOrdinal
Pink TriangleCardinal
Pink TrianglePIPII Battery PSU
Pink TriangleAnniversy Battery PSU
Cambridge AudioDACMagic MK1,2 & 3
Cambridge AudioCD4
Cambridge AudioCD4SE
Cambridge AudioCD6
Cambridge AudioIsoMagic
Audio InovationsAlto CD player
Audio InovationsTubeTechnology Fusion
KV2DSD based Delaylines
Quad ElectroacousticsElite FM
Quad ElectroacousticsArtera (Streamer Section)
Quad ElectroacousticsSolo (Streamer Section)
Peachtree AudioNova
  • Stereophile's Products of 2009[12]
Peachtree AudioiDecco
  • Stereophile's Products of 2011[13]
Peachtree AudioiNova
Peachtree AudioiDac
  • Stereophile's Products of 2011 JOINT BUDGET COMPONENTS OF THE YEAR[14]
Warwick (company)BC20 Bass Amp designed with Jonas Hellborg
Warwick (company)BC40 Bass Amp designed with Jonas Hellborg
Warwick (company)BC80 Bass Amp designed with Jonas Hellborg
Warwick (company)BC150 Bass Amp designed with Jonas Hellborg
Audiolab8200CD
  • 2010: What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision - 5 Star Award[15]
  • 2010: What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision - Product of The Year - CD player[16]
  • 2010: What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision - Group Test Winner[17]
  • 2010: Hi Fi Choice - Recommended Award and 5 stars[18]
  • 2010: TechRadar[19]
  • 2011: Hi Fi Choice - 5-Star Award - Best CD Player up to £1,000[20]
  • 2012: BBC Music Magazine - 5 Star and product of year[21]
  • 2012: What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision - 5-Star Award[22]
  • 2013: Hi-Fi Choice Group test winner[23]
Audiolab8200CDQ
  • 2011: What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision - 5-Star Award(first tests)[24]
  • 2011: Hi-Fi World - 5-Globe Award[25][26]
  • 2011: Hi-Fi Choice - Recommended Award - Best CD Player up to £1,000[27]
  • 2012: Hi-Fi Choice 5 star Award[28]
Audiolab8200DQ
AudiolabMDAC
  • 2011: What Hi-Fi? Sound And Vision - Product Of The Year[29]
  • 2011: What Hi-Fi? Sound And Vision - 5 Star Award[30]
  • 2012: Hi-Fi Choice - 5 Star Award[31]
  • 2012: Hi-Fi Choice - Editors Choice[32]
  • 2012: What Hi-Fi? Sound And Vision - Best Digital Headphone Amp[33]
  • 2012: Hi-Fi News - Outstanding Product[34]
  • 2012: EISA Awards 2012-13 - European D/A Converter[35]
  • 2013: Hi-Fi Choice - Group Test Winner[36]
  • 2013: Hi-Fi Choice - 5 Globe Award[37]
  • 2013: What Hi-Fi? Sound And Vision - Product of they Year - Best DAC £500-£700.[38]
  • 2014: What Hi-Fi? Sound And Vision - - Product of they Year - Best DAC £500 - £700[39]
  • 2015: What Hi-Fi? Sound And Vision - 5* Recommended Laptop System (with Grado SR325E / Macbook Air)[40]
Creek AudioEVOLUTION 100CD (CD Servo, front panel, FM Tuner section)
Pro-JectPreBox S2 Digital
  • 2017: EISA Awards - Best Product - EISA DAC/HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER 2017-2018[42]
  • 2018: Stereoplay Test - Outstanding Performance[43]
Pro-JectHeadBox S2
Pro-JectDAC Box S2+
Pro-JectStreamBox S2 Ultra
  • 2018: EISA AWARDS - Best Product - EISA STREAMER 2018-2019[44]

References
  1. Price, David (November 2017). "Left to his own devices". Hi-Fi Choice (429): 64–66.
  2. "Cambridge Audio DACMagic". zStereo. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  3. "Stereophile's Products of 2009". Stereophile.com. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  4. "Stereophile's Products of 2011 JOINT BUDGET". Stereophile. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 18 October 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. http://www.whathifi.com/awards/2011/cd-players
  7. http://www.audiolab.co.uk/upload/files/brochure/20150824111226_3.pdf
  8. "MDAC". Audiolab. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  9. "Hi-Fi Awards 2012-13". EISA - European Imaging and Sound Association.
  10. "Product of The Year - EISA DAC/HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER 2017-2018". EISA - European Imaging and Sound Association. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  11. https://pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/the-john-westlake-lakewest-mdac-fdac-vfet-and-detox.233225/
  12. "Products of 2009 Budget Product of the Year". Stereophile. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  13. "Products of 2011 JOINT BUDGET COMPONENTS OF THE YEAR". Stereophile. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  14. "Stereophile's Products of 2011 JOINT BUDGET". Stereophile. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  15. "Audiolab Awards". Audiolab. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  16. "Audiolab 8200CD review". What Hi-Fi. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  17. "Audiolab Awards". Audiolab. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  18. "Audiolab Awards". Audiolab. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  19. "Audiolab Awards". Audiolab. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  20. "Best CD Player up to £1,000". Hi-Fi Choice. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  21. "Discontinued Audiolab 8200CD CD Player". Superfi. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  22. "Audiolab 8200CD review". What Hi-Fi. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  23. "Audiolab Awards". Audiolab. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  24. "Audiolab 8200CDQ review". What Hi-Fi. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  25. "Audiolab 8200CDQ" (PDF). Hi-Fi Studio. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  26. Price, David (August 2011). "Pre-Position Audiolab 8200CDQ" (PDF). Hi-Fi World. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  27. "Audiolab Awards". Audiolab. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  28. "Audiolab Awards". Audiolab. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  29. "M-DAC". Audiolab. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  30. "Audiolab Awards". Audiolab. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  31. "Audiolab M-DAC: Still reigns supreme class leading DAC". Audio Affair. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  32. "Audiolab M-DAC: Still reigns supreme class leading DAC". Audio Affair. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  33. "Audiolab Awards". Audiolab. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  34. "Audiolab Awards". Audiolab. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  35. "Hi-Fi Awards 2012-13". EISA - European Imaging and Sound Association.
  36. "Audiolab Awards". Audiolab. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  37. "Audiolab Awards". Audiolab. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  38. "2013 DACs - Product of the year". What Hi-Fi. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  39. "2014 DACs - Product of the year". What Hi-Fi. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  40. "Best desktop system for £2000". What Hi-Fi. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  41. "EVOLUTION 100CD". Creek Audio. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  42. "Product of The Year - EISA DAC/HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER 2017-2018". EISA - European Imaging and Sound Association. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  43. "Stereoplay reviews the Tube Box S2". Project Audio. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  44. "EISA STREAMER 2018-2019". EISA. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
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