Julian Vereker
Encyclopedia
Julian Charles Prendergast Vereker, MBE (7 May 1945 – 14 January 2000) was an English self taught designer of hi-fi audio equipment, and founder of Naim Audio Ltd.
of Salisbury
, Wiltshire.
Vereker was considered a specialist in high fidelity
audio equipment field and was a very influential figure in the manufacture and retail of British audio in the 1970s and 1980s.
He was appointed MBE
by HM Queen Elizabeth II
in 1995.
, England. He was the great-great grandson of the 3rd Viscount Gort
. His great-grandfather had been Consul at Cherbourg and his grandfather a naval commander; his father Charles became Professor of Political Theory at Durham University
. Vereker therefore grew up in a lively academic family, which did not prevent him from becoming a rebellious adolescent in the 1960s. Though requiring four attempts to pass O Level mathematics
, he developed a passion for engineering, left Bryanston School
at 16 to design and build his own car.
He then made improvements to a Mini
850 S, which he raced for several seasons, with two victories in 1967. This experience convinced him that reliability was the essential basis for all engineering achievement.
Vereker loved making recordings of his friends. Prevailing wisdom at the time was that all amplifiers sounded alike. However, he found results so poor with the equipment available that he could not distinguish different performers, or different kinds of guitar. After a year of studying audio transistor circuitry and some experimentation, he decided to make his own. The first Naim power amplifier was sold in December 1971, although at first it was only made on demand for friends and acquaintances.
In 1973 Vereker won a contract to supply Capital Radio, which was just starting up, with single cabinets containing the Naim amplifier and speaker drive units. That July, Naim Audio
was incorporated; and in 1974 the company moved from a basement in Salisbury to a 16th-century shop in the city.
That same year, Vereker met Ivor Tiefenbrun
, whose company, Linn Products
, had been developing turntables. Together, they challenged the perceived wisdom at the time within the Industry, proving by demonstration alone that indeed all products were not the same. The Linn turntable, partnered with Naim amplifiers, proved to be an unbeatable combination, with sales greatly assisted by Vereker's and Tiefenbrun's confident pitch to potential customers: "If you can't hear the difference, it's not worth talking to you".
In the 1990s and right up to his death, the Naim record label was Vereker's own personal project, devoting his time to coming up with improved techniques for CD mastering. The roster featured many of his friends from the music world.
He was appointed an MBE
in 1995 for services to British export.
Vereker enjoyed creative engineering in many different forms, be it cars, boats, computers or lighting systems.
In particular Vereker was an enthusiast for bicycle design. He generously assisted Brompton Bicycle
, a start-up company making folding bicycle
s, with a £40,000 guarantee for its overdraft. Also passionate about sailing, Vereker was probably at his happiest when designing boats. Working with boat manufacturer 'British Hunter
', he developed a boat which he called the Windex 49. This prototype of his last venture, with a triangulated mast and a computer-controlled system of active water ballast, was launched on the day he died.
Although Vereker didn't live to see his final version of the boat completed, the manufacturer went on to produce the Hunter 50.
Vereker died from cancer on 14 January 2000, aged 54. He was twice married, and had a son and two daughters.
Naim Audio
Naim Audio is a British manufacturer of high fidelity audio products for domestic use, based in Salisbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom.-History:...
of Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
, Wiltshire.
Vereker was considered a specialist in high fidelity
High fidelity
High fidelity—or hi-fi—reproduction is a term used by home stereo listeners and home audio enthusiasts to refer to high-quality reproduction of sound or images, to distinguish it from the poorer quality sound produced by inexpensive audio equipment...
audio equipment field and was a very influential figure in the manufacture and retail of British audio in the 1970s and 1980s.
He was appointed MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
by HM Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
in 1995.
Family and education
Julian Vereker was born in OxfordOxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, England. He was the great-great grandson of the 3rd Viscount Gort
Viscount Gort
Viscount Gort is the title of two peerages in British and Irish history. Gort is a small town in County Galway in the West of Ireland. The original title was in the Peerage of Ireland and is still extant....
. His great-grandfather had been Consul at Cherbourg and his grandfather a naval commander; his father Charles became Professor of Political Theory at Durham University
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
. Vereker therefore grew up in a lively academic family, which did not prevent him from becoming a rebellious adolescent in the 1960s. Though requiring four attempts to pass O Level mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, he developed a passion for engineering, left Bryanston School
Bryanston School
Bryanston School is a co-educational independent school for both day and boarding pupils in Blandford, north Dorset, England, near the village of Bryanston. It was founded in 1928...
at 16 to design and build his own car.
He then made improvements to a Mini
Mini
The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
850 S, which he raced for several seasons, with two victories in 1967. This experience convinced him that reliability was the essential basis for all engineering achievement.
Professional life
Although completely uneducated in electronics, Vereker founded Naim Audio Visual in 1969. Its first product being a unit capable of switching 30 kW of lighting on and off in time to music.Vereker loved making recordings of his friends. Prevailing wisdom at the time was that all amplifiers sounded alike. However, he found results so poor with the equipment available that he could not distinguish different performers, or different kinds of guitar. After a year of studying audio transistor circuitry and some experimentation, he decided to make his own. The first Naim power amplifier was sold in December 1971, although at first it was only made on demand for friends and acquaintances.
In 1973 Vereker won a contract to supply Capital Radio, which was just starting up, with single cabinets containing the Naim amplifier and speaker drive units. That July, Naim Audio
Naim Audio
Naim Audio is a British manufacturer of high fidelity audio products for domestic use, based in Salisbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom.-History:...
was incorporated; and in 1974 the company moved from a basement in Salisbury to a 16th-century shop in the city.
That same year, Vereker met Ivor Tiefenbrun
Ivor Tiefenbrun
Ivor Sigmund Tiefenbrun MBE is the founder and Chairman of Linn Products Ltd, Glasgow, Scotland-based manufacturers of Hi-fi and home entertainment equipment...
, whose company, Linn Products
Linn Products
Linn Products is a Scottish company, based in Glasgow, that manufactures hi-fi audio equipment, home theatre, and multi-room integrated audio systems...
, had been developing turntables. Together, they challenged the perceived wisdom at the time within the Industry, proving by demonstration alone that indeed all products were not the same. The Linn turntable, partnered with Naim amplifiers, proved to be an unbeatable combination, with sales greatly assisted by Vereker's and Tiefenbrun's confident pitch to potential customers: "If you can't hear the difference, it's not worth talking to you".
In the 1990s and right up to his death, the Naim record label was Vereker's own personal project, devoting his time to coming up with improved techniques for CD mastering. The roster featured many of his friends from the music world.
Other achievements
For some years Vereker was chairman of the Federation of British Audio.He was appointed an MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1995 for services to British export.
Interests and personal life
In addition to hifiHigh fidelity
High fidelity—or hi-fi—reproduction is a term used by home stereo listeners and home audio enthusiasts to refer to high-quality reproduction of sound or images, to distinguish it from the poorer quality sound produced by inexpensive audio equipment...
Vereker enjoyed creative engineering in many different forms, be it cars, boats, computers or lighting systems.
In particular Vereker was an enthusiast for bicycle design. He generously assisted Brompton Bicycle
Brompton Bicycle
Brompton Bicycle is a manufacturer of folding bicycles based in Brentford, London.The Brompton folding bicycle and accessories are the company's core product, noted for its self-supporting compact size when stored. All available models of the folding bicycle are based on the same hinged bicycle...
, a start-up company making folding bicycle
Folding bicycle
A folding bicycle is a bicycle designed to fold into a compact form, facilitating transport and storage. When folded, the bikes can be more easily carried into buildings and workplaces or onto public transportation or more easily stored in compact living quarters or aboard a car, boat or plane...
s, with a £40,000 guarantee for its overdraft. Also passionate about sailing, Vereker was probably at his happiest when designing boats. Working with boat manufacturer 'British Hunter
British Hunter
British Hunter is a manufacturer of sailing boats based in the Lauren Marines boat yard Southampton, England. It was formerly based in Essex, and was known as Hunter Boats Limited...
', he developed a boat which he called the Windex 49. This prototype of his last venture, with a triangulated mast and a computer-controlled system of active water ballast, was launched on the day he died.
Although Vereker didn't live to see his final version of the boat completed, the manufacturer went on to produce the Hunter 50.
Vereker died from cancer on 14 January 2000, aged 54. He was twice married, and had a son and two daughters.