Last June, Jon Whitledge had the honor and privilege to exhibit the “Magic Bus" at T.H.E. Show in Newport Beach. Mr. Whitledge exhibited for all three days and was swamped by listeners of all types—home audiophiles, car stereo aficionados, audio component designers, and musicians—all of whom were impressed by the Magic Bus. Most of all, the show was relaxing and enjoyable, as Robert Harley, Editor-in-Chief of “the absolute sound" magazine, and renowned reviewer/writer remarked:
“Of the 70 or so hi-fi shows I've attended around the world, I'd have to say that T.H.E. Show held at the Newport Beach Hilton June 3-5 was by far the best. What made this show so exceptional? For starters, audio enthusiasts arrived in huge numbers— 6000 unique visitors to be specific—and they were obviously thrilled to have a show in their own backyard. Then there was room after room of good sound, along with a few exhibits delivering truly great sound. Add in a wonderful venue and location, great organization, and a highly upbeat 'vibe,' and you've got what was for me the most fun I can ever remember having at any audio event. The show was such a success that they've committed to doing it again next year."Mr. Harley heard the Magic Bus years earlier, at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show, even before it was finished, and proclaimed it to be “The World's Best Car Stereo" ("the abso!ute sound" magazine, December 2008, Issue 188, pp. 50-56). So it was a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate the completely finished Magic Bus to Mr. Harley at the show. In this month's issue of “the abso!ute sound" magazine (September 2011, Issue 215, p. 28), the Magic Bus was highlighted in Mr. Harley's show report:
“Jon Whitledge showed the latest incarnation of his 'Magic Bus,' a van that houses what I called 'The world's best car stereo' when I heard it five years ago. Since then, Whitledge has taken the system to an entirely new level of performance. The design, construction, passion, and dedication that went into the Magic Bus are unprecedented, and it showed in the sound quality. The system had effortless dynamics, very high resolution of low-level detail, tremendous timbral fidelity, and threw a soundstage that rivaled that of a well-set-up home system."
The sonic attributes Robert Harley recognized and appreciated were directly attributable to the audio system voicing performed by Steve McCormack, legendary audio component designer.
All who listened to the Magic Bus were enthralled by the playback of high-resolution (192kHz- 24bit) audio tracks provided by Jim Merod of BluePort Jazz. Listeners were astounded by the incredible dynamics and the realism of these recordings. Many stated they felt as if they were listening to the live performance presented before them. To a recording engineer and audio system designer, there is no greater compliment.
Jon would like to thank Richard Beers, President of T.H.E. Show, and Bob Levi, President of the Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society, for organizing such a great event, and Jim Merod for providing the live jazz. Because of the “buzz" the Magic Bus generated at the event, Mr. Whitledge and his Magic Bus have been invited to attend next year's show.
For those who have yet to see or hear the Magic Bus, or are unfamiliar with Jon's work, here's a little background information about the Magic Bus.
The Magic Bus is Mr. Whitledge's lifetime masterpiece and “rolling curriculum vitae," and considered by many to be a mobile audio system without rival. The Magic Bus' audio system, installed in a Mercedes Sprinter van, was designed purely for sound quality and comprises of nine loudspeaker transducers powered by 4,620 Watts! The audio system is fully active and entirely controlled by 96 kHz- 24 bit digital signal processing. As most audiophiles know, audio systems are only as good as the room in which they are installed. The scientifically designed and computer-optimized acoustics inside the Magic Bus takes mobile audio listening to a new height. It features 54 acoustically functional panels, suede-covered headliners, acoustically functional window valances and draperies, and custom carpeting. The total weight of the audio system, its infrastructure, and the acoustical treatments exceed 3,100 pounds!
Furthermore, the Magic Bus is the only audio system in the world (to anyone's knowledge) that is extensively autographed by Grammy award-winning, and otherwise famous and talented musicians. To date, Mr. Whitledge has acquired more than 200 musicians' autographs, and some with wild stories! Please check out these autographs on facebook to see if someone you know has autographed the Magic Bus.
Jim Merod, renowned writer/reviewer and recording engineer, and proud sponsor of the Magic Bus, proclaimed,
“Jon Whitledge has put together a Mobile Audio Concert Hall that surpasses any such car- or van-housed sonic enclave I've experienced previously. The interior architecture of Jon's design is gorgeous. His sound is unimaginably ferocious, detailed, and engaging. I suspect it takes a sort of genius of commitment to such work—or an absolute nut case obsessively devoted to mobile music fidelity—to craft such a peripatetic audiophile carnival. With Jon Whitledge's art, it makes no difference whatsoever, since once you step inside his hyper-emotional world (with its daring musical insulation from earth's madness) you, too, become an audio nut happily removed from anything that does not romp and sing or rock and roll."
“Of the 70 or so hi-fi shows I've attended around the world, I'd have to say that T.H.E. Show held at the Newport Beach Hilton June 3-5 was by far the best. What made this show so exceptional? For starters, audio enthusiasts arrived in huge numbers— 6000 unique visitors to be specific—and they were obviously thrilled to have a show in their own backyard. Then there was room after room of good sound, along with a few exhibits delivering truly great sound. Add in a wonderful venue and location, great organization, and a highly upbeat 'vibe,' and you've got what was for me the most fun I can ever remember having at any audio event. The show was such a success that they've committed to doing it again next year."Mr. Harley heard the Magic Bus years earlier, at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show, even before it was finished, and proclaimed it to be “The World's Best Car Stereo" ("the abso!ute sound" magazine, December 2008, Issue 188, pp. 50-56). So it was a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate the completely finished Magic Bus to Mr. Harley at the show. In this month's issue of “the abso!ute sound" magazine (September 2011, Issue 215, p. 28), the Magic Bus was highlighted in Mr. Harley's show report:
“Jon Whitledge showed the latest incarnation of his 'Magic Bus,' a van that houses what I called 'The world's best car stereo' when I heard it five years ago. Since then, Whitledge has taken the system to an entirely new level of performance. The design, construction, passion, and dedication that went into the Magic Bus are unprecedented, and it showed in the sound quality. The system had effortless dynamics, very high resolution of low-level detail, tremendous timbral fidelity, and threw a soundstage that rivaled that of a well-set-up home system."
The sonic attributes Robert Harley recognized and appreciated were directly attributable to the audio system voicing performed by Steve McCormack, legendary audio component designer.
All who listened to the Magic Bus were enthralled by the playback of high-resolution (192kHz- 24bit) audio tracks provided by Jim Merod of BluePort Jazz. Listeners were astounded by the incredible dynamics and the realism of these recordings. Many stated they felt as if they were listening to the live performance presented before them. To a recording engineer and audio system designer, there is no greater compliment.
Jon would like to thank Richard Beers, President of T.H.E. Show, and Bob Levi, President of the Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society, for organizing such a great event, and Jim Merod for providing the live jazz. Because of the “buzz" the Magic Bus generated at the event, Mr. Whitledge and his Magic Bus have been invited to attend next year's show.
For those who have yet to see or hear the Magic Bus, or are unfamiliar with Jon's work, here's a little background information about the Magic Bus.
The Magic Bus is Mr. Whitledge's lifetime masterpiece and “rolling curriculum vitae," and considered by many to be a mobile audio system without rival. The Magic Bus' audio system, installed in a Mercedes Sprinter van, was designed purely for sound quality and comprises of nine loudspeaker transducers powered by 4,620 Watts! The audio system is fully active and entirely controlled by 96 kHz- 24 bit digital signal processing. As most audiophiles know, audio systems are only as good as the room in which they are installed. The scientifically designed and computer-optimized acoustics inside the Magic Bus takes mobile audio listening to a new height. It features 54 acoustically functional panels, suede-covered headliners, acoustically functional window valances and draperies, and custom carpeting. The total weight of the audio system, its infrastructure, and the acoustical treatments exceed 3,100 pounds!
Furthermore, the Magic Bus is the only audio system in the world (to anyone's knowledge) that is extensively autographed by Grammy award-winning, and otherwise famous and talented musicians. To date, Mr. Whitledge has acquired more than 200 musicians' autographs, and some with wild stories! Please check out these autographs on facebook to see if someone you know has autographed the Magic Bus.
Jim Merod, renowned writer/reviewer and recording engineer, and proud sponsor of the Magic Bus, proclaimed,
“Jon Whitledge has put together a Mobile Audio Concert Hall that surpasses any such car- or van-housed sonic enclave I've experienced previously. The interior architecture of Jon's design is gorgeous. His sound is unimaginably ferocious, detailed, and engaging. I suspect it takes a sort of genius of commitment to such work—or an absolute nut case obsessively devoted to mobile music fidelity—to craft such a peripatetic audiophile carnival. With Jon Whitledge's art, it makes no difference whatsoever, since once you step inside his hyper-emotional world (with its daring musical insulation from earth's madness) you, too, become an audio nut happily removed from anything that does not romp and sing or rock and roll."
Not only has the Magic Bus acquired national and international recognition, it has also been featured in numerous San Diego publications:
San Diego Reader
San Diego City Beat
Del Mar Times
The Magic Bus is emerging as more than merely a mobile audio system. It is becoming a force that truly affirms the joy of music and it honors talented musicians who light up the world with melody and sound. Jon always looks forward to sharing the Magic Bus with those who have yet to see and hear the Magic Bus.
About Whitledge Designs
Whitledge Designs was founded in 1994 by Jon Whitledge, a polymer scientist and mechanical engineer with over 22 years of industrial experience contributing structure- property expertise to materials and biotechnology companies. In the field of audio, Mr. Whitledge has authored more than 40 pages of articles as a freelance writer for Source Interlink, Absolute Multimedia, Formation Media, and others, and has acquired more than $50k in sponsorships from major audio manufacturers. Jon is also a proud member of LAOCAS (Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society). When Jon is not designing and building audio systems for automobiles, yachts, and homes, he's frequently out listening to live music.
