For quite a number of years now, the Los Angeles and Orange County (LAOC) Audio Society has been holding an end-of-the-year Board dinner and Gala banquet. These events have been the annual wrap-up of the monthly series of LAOC AS meetings, usually held in various high-end audio dealer locations, or via Zoom during particularly bad patches of COVID/Flu. (There was no Gala at all in December of 2020 due to the pandemic.)
I've been attending these gatherings every year for as far back as I can remember. What, 2006? Earlier? Way back, anyway.
What follows is a brief set of photographs from this year's trip. Portraits…photographic impressions…putting faces to names.
Part the First: LAOC Audio Society Board Dinner, Saturday night, 12/03/22
On the night before the Sunday LAOC Gala, the LAOC Board has a dinner for the leadership team and various of the winners of LAOC awards for the year. These include the Founders' Award, Counnas Innovation Award, and the President's Award.
The one, the only! Bob Levi, Chairman of the LAOC Audio Society Board.
The winner of the 2022 LAOC Audio Society Founders' Award is John Atkinson, former Editor of Stereophile.
Holger Stein, Stein Music CEO/Lead Designer, and winner of the 2022 LAOC Audio Society Counnas Innovation Award.
Gabriele and Holger Stein of Stein Music. Holger designs; Gabriele bakes! (You choose.)
Carolyn and George Counnas of Zesto Audio, a portrait in Ink Outline. Carolyn and George are leaders in the LAOC Audio Society and sponsors of the Counnas Innovation Award.
Ray Kimber of Kimber Kable, and Bob Levi's "most awarded person" at the LAOC Audio Society, is also a member of the executive leadership team, and was present at the board dinner.
A portrait of our audio friend Michael Fremer. No longer at Stereophile, and now Editor-at-Large at TAS, and Editor of his Web publication, The Tracking Angle, Michael was a key member of this year's LAOC AS events.
Bob Levi and John Atkinson enjoying the conversation during the board dinner. Also the wine. Definitely the wine. Bring more wine!
Michael hobnobbing with Bob, the bobnob.
John Atkinson auditing Mel Jay, the LAOC AS Treasurer and pro CPA. His checks generally don't bounce.
Note that Holger is keeping a wary eye on Mel...
Bob smiles: a portrait. (You can always tell when Bob is having a really good time.)
All photographs and image processing by David W. Robinson