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Obituary for Rainer Vogel, Master of Radio and Television Technology The Audioklinik Germany - A Life Dedicated to Audio Technology with More Than 50 Years of Experience.
After a relatively short and intense illness, Rainer Vogel passed away on April, 30th. 2025 at the age of 76.
I met Rainer at the end of the 1970s as a workshop manager for the company Brandenburger Electronic and Audio Electronic based in Düsseldorf, Germany. He was a young, dynamic, and enthusiastic man in his early 30s, full of positivity. A friendship developed with my parents, which led to regular contact. At every visit there was a gift for me: sometimes a pickup, sometimes a tweeter for the loudspeaker project or a circuit diagram for the crossover. He gave me my first tape recorder, a Tandberg Series 12-21. A large sticker of the Tandberg Viking was stuck between the reels. But the most important thing was: every question I asked was answered plausibly, understandably, and in detail.
During this time, businessman and hi-fi enthusiast Giancarlo De Mario and Rainer Vogel developed a shared vision. They founded the company "SAD" (Sound And Dynamic) with headquarters in Bottrop, Germany and dedicated themselves to the development, import, and distribution of high-quality hi-fi electronics from Italy. At the time, all of the young companies like Hiletron, Slem Elettronica, Studio Hifi, Cabre, and Unilabs had no distribution in Germany. Rainer Vogel, with his own developments, was responsible for the "premium class." His first, hand-built prototype, a Class A power amplifier SAD 401 DC Power Amplifier, Handmade by R. Vogel, now performs as a reference in my listening rooms. It sounds smoothly and silkily, never intrusive, with outstanding three-dimensionality in the imaging. His masterpiece. I remember it as vividly as it was yesterday when Rainer presented the device to me in the late 1970s. It was immediately clear to me: I want to be able to do that too. That was the beginning of our shared story. The SAD import and development company unfortunately did not become a success. They worked on it for a few years, but lacked determination, necessity, and ultimately good marketing. However, I remember that it was a great pleasure to visit the companies and production facilities in Italy.
Rainer Vogel spent many years as workshop manager at Brandenburger Electronic in Düsseldorf. He was also responsible for technical service at Düsseldorf-based "Audio Electronic," Germany's importer of several well-known manufacturers, including Neal, Ferrograph, Crysler Living Audio, Vieta, and Stax. He participated the first digital music productions of the legendary Audio STAX binaural CDs (Neumann KU 81 & 100) and continually expanded his area of expertise with the latest technology, so that over the years a broad spectrum of knowledge emerged, from early tube devices to digital audio technology.
When the hi-fi market hit rock bottom at the end of the 1990s and many hi-fi specialist stores closed their doors, Rainer Vogel made a virtue of necessity. He took over the workshop he had created for Brandenburger Electronic and promptly went into business for himself. The Audioklinik Düsseldorf was born.
Since my company, audioScope, was also in the starting blocks, I became his first customer. Years of intensive and daily collaboration with Rainer Vogel followed. Friends became companions, and that was never to change. The Audioklinik was always the service partner for audioScope, and the collaboration was always excellent. During this time, I learned all basics about electronics, mechanics and hi-fi technology. I must have spent several years restoring hi-fi equipment alongside Rainer and absorbing his knowledge. Over the time, both the Audioklinik and audioScope developed into two independent and thriving businesses. The timing was perfect, and classic hi-fi technology was on the verge of a renaissance thanks to the possibilities of the internet. That was 25 years ago.
Rainer Vogel gained an increasing number of private and business customers. As the German service provider for the French high-end speaker manufacturer Cabasse, Rainer Vogel's Audio Clinic was also a contact for one of Europe's most renowned loudspeaker manufacturers. Here, in particular, he rescued countless classic active loudspeakers, for which he developed special repair methods. He quickly gained a nationwide reputation through his creative and imaginative solutions. Numerous hi-fi enthusiasts from across Germany and beyond entrusted Rainer Vogel with their hi-fi treasures. He consistently shared his knowledge and skills, thus overcoming many hi-fi fans' fears of technology and encouraging them to try their hand at it themselves. With a mischievous smile and humorous curses for particularly difficult cases among his clinic patients, he created a tangible space of possibilities for hi-fi enthusiasts and became a driving force for a widespread hi-fi collector community. He always treated his "patients" with great dedication and sportsmanship. There was no such thing as "can't be done." In doing so, he made many people happy, restoring their treasures from bygone times in his clinic. Through his work, he contributed significantly to the development of an appreciation for ancient techniques.
For me personally, Rainer Vogel was a man who defined himself not by his many words, but by his actions: his respectful interactions with others, both people and machines. His straightforwardness, his honesty, his reliability, and his camaraderie. A standard of integrity.
I bid farewell to my friend and mentor Rainer, who accompanied me throughout my life and had a significant influence on me. With deep affection and eternal gratitude.
The Best Die Too Young, Stefano
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