A great new owner for World Designs - World-Designs-Forum

Dave Cawley · #1 1st February 2011, 07:46 PM

As most of you will know I took over World Designs within a couple of days of it ceasing to exist. World Designs was on Death Row with no reprieve. I did the deal over the phone whilst Peter Comeau was in the departure lounge of Heathrow airport waiting to get on a plane heading for China! Having spoken at length to Noel Keywood, the owner of Hi Fi World and originator of World Audio Designs, I knew it had to be saved, and I was the only one in the queue!

Some of you might remember when I sold 2Metre monitor radio kits in the amateur radio world, we sold over 1,000 kits in the early eighties. However World Designs was not the part time operation I had envisaged, very far from it. Stocks were so low that nothing could be built, or even 1/4 built. All the specialist parts were out of stock, and worse still, some of the manufacturers had gone out of business. After months, I finally got 10 phonostages and 10 PSU's together, repeatable and reliable.

But for me the progress has been painfully slow as I have more than one business here in Dartmouth. So I took a leap, a leap of faith and sold World Designs to my old friend Matthew Snell who has been a member of this forum for 5 years now. Matthew has built both WAD and WD kits and lives just down the road from me. He is young and has taken early retirement, so Matthew can put 100% of his effort into the project.

Many will know my involvement with the detailed modification of turntables and the manufacture of some A.N.T. products. I will be on a retainer to keep the technical side running properly from my lab that you can see here http://www.soundhifi.com/test.html, mind you, that is only one corner!

Many things will happen in the next month or so, probably one of the first will be a fantastic sale of all of the audiophile capacitors, the like of which you will never have seen before, or see again. The offer will be quantity and time limited, so be sure to watch out for it.

Matthew shares my philosophy and whilst we will never allow Google adverts on the forum, we may put a subtle small banner advert for World Design and Timestep products at the bottom of the page. And that will be it.

You can all see why I have kept my head down, but now Matthew has taken over you will see more of me. And why not come and meet us both on Saturday at the Bristol Hi Fi Show right next to the Hi Fi World stand?

Thanks

Dave

A Stuart · #2 1st February 2011, 11:49 PM

Thankyou for keeping us in the picture, and for having kept the WD heart ticking for the last year or so.
Alastair

BOONDI · #3 2nd February 2011, 01:14 AM

Thank you Dave. Best of luck.

If Matthew or yourself need any more info on anything to do with WDHD3 transformers, I can tell you Grandchain supplied me with the exact WD specific ones by Andy Groves. They also built me an uprated mains at a very moddest price as part of the package. If you guys or anyone else needs info please PM me. All I can say is that the WDHD3 sounds superb and my mains TX runs cool to the touch. What more do I need.....

Good luck to the both of you.

I may develop a cd-rom/Ebay Dac later, and will post full details and Pics in due course......

Now what was it you said about cheap caps? Might have a couple off of you. Can you be more specific about the date, as I don't want to miss a bargain. Times are tough....

All the best for the future.

Matthew Snell · #4 2nd February 2011, 06:26 PM

Thank you for the intro Dave!

What's to say? Firstly, I couldn't agree more with Dave Cawley when he said "it had to be saved". I'm privileged to be involved with World Designs and delighted to have Dave on board. There is much to be done, and my straightforward priority is going to be getting back to the position where I can fulfill an order!
Speakers will be dropped (for the time being at least) and I'll be concentrating on getting core products up and running. I'm not expecting to be very high profile for a bit (ever?), but I will keep in touch with the forum.

News on the capacitor "Sale of the Century" later.

Thanks

Matthew

Richard · #5 11th February 2011, 12:12 AM

Thanks for everything Dave, and welcome to Matthew

When I read this thread it was with dismay I confess and thought, oh, here we go again, so it's good to see you're still around and there will be some continuity.

Do I read the first post as saying you're at Bristol Marriott Hotel on Feb 25, 26, 27?

http://www.bristolshow.co.uk/next_show.lasso

Dave Cawley · #6 11th February 2011, 09:02 AM

Do I read the first post as saying you're at Bristol Marriott Hotel on Feb 25, 26, 27?

http://www.bristolshow.co.uk/next_show.lasso

Yes, next to the Hi Fi World stand. Matthew will be there Saturady, and I will be there all three days.

Regards

Dave

Rider · #7 11th February 2011, 06:17 PM

Congratulations to all involved in sustaining WD.

To Dave, did you ever resolve the WD Gold Archive CD issue. I believe you were trying to send CD's to those who lost online access, by the end of 2010. If not....

To Matthew, congratulations, will you be taking up the cause to get CDs to people that have lost online access to the WD Gold Archive. Please see under "Wish List" - "Looking to make contact" post for information.

Not about the money, but about the interesting history and te valuable information in the archives for the DIY community.

Looking forward to your reply,

Myles McDonald

Matthew Snell · #8 16th February 2011, 01:35 PM

Thanks for the good wishes all.

Just to update on the CD Archive - it's not high priority at the moment (sorry) but I won't forget about it and something will happen in the medium term. In the meantime, I don't think it's been lost!

Regards

Matthew

BOONDI · #9 17th February 2011, 10:27 PM

The great and wise one speaketh

Welcome to the forum BTW

best of luck

thankyou

bob orbell · #10 20th February 2011, 10:38 AM

Hello to our new owner of WD, first thanks to Dave for saving WD and welcome Matthew.
Matthew, over the past ten years or so, I have built many WAD kits and even more WD kits, I still have many in my collection in constant use.
This is a sugestion to make the kits (in my opinion) better and more professional, power amps, and integrated amps, lets have a power switch on the front, remove the volume control from the front panel on power amps and have a small hole in the top with a plastic bung and fit pot under the hole, adjust with small screw driver.
Pre Phono Psu, all need more fixings to back panel to stop the panel from flexing when connecting and disconnecting.
I did all these things to my kit at the assembly stage and fell it is worth it.
Best of luck BOB