Enlightened Audio Designs EAD CD 1000 MK III

EAD Enlightened Audio Designs was founded by Alastair Roxburgh and John Hagelin of Fairfield, Iowa, in 1990, until its acquisition by Alpha Digital Technologies of Ashland, Oregon in 2001. Since then, Frank Boelen’s Boelen Electronics had been offering modifications and repair to EAD owners, until that portion of the business was taken over by Greg Palma’s Noble Electronics in late 2005. Though no longer providing modification and repair to EAD owners, Boelen Electronics continued to market the Boelen Digital-Precise digital cable that Dagogo reviewed in March 2005.

In the 25 years since the first market appearance of separate digital-to-analog converters in the late 80’s to the present day, most manufacturers have been designing their products to serve 2-channel audiophiles, except for EAD (Enlightened Audio Designs).

EAD proceeded to create its first stand-alone DAC in the ensuing months and coined it the DSP 7000. Fitted with a gold faceplate, this unit was shown to audiophiles in a show in June 1991, and generated a number of orders so significant, that its payroll leaped from that of 4 employees to 20 in a matter of weeks.

As pointed out by Greg, who had the double duty as the QC Manager in charge of training new employees, 1995 was the year when EAD employed 54+ employees, many of whom were musicians selected by Greg to be trained as assemblyman, for their ability to demonstrate “good skills with their hands”.

Between the interim of September 2001 and December 2004, Alpha Digital Technologies of Ashland Oregon took over and relabeled several products. The original, 6-channel, TheaterMaster Encore/Ovation/Signature became the TM 6000 series for their 6-channel application, and similarly, TM 8000.

It was during the same period that Frank Boelen founded Boelen Electronics to provide repair and augmentation services to EAD products, until the founding of Noble Electronics recently.

A rough history of EAD products:

1990 to 1991: Rotel 855 CD player

1991 to (no data): DSP 7000 DAC

1991 to 1992: T 7000 laser disc/CD player

1992 to (no data): DSP 1000 DAC (an economy version of the DSP 7000)

1992 to (no data): T8000 laserdisc/CD player

1992: Theatervision laser disc/CD player

1992: DSP 9000 pro DAC

1994 to 1997: TheaterMaster (classic)

1994 to 1997: Smart Cable RF demodulator T8000

199?: T1000 CD player

1996: DV1000 DVD player designed with Faroudja

1997: TheaterMaster Encore/0vation/Signature

1997: Ultradisc 2000 CD player

1997: Ultradisc 2000 T CD transport, PowerMaster 2000 (5-channel, 400 watts per channel), PowerMaster 500 (5-channel, 100 watts per channel), PowerMaster 1000 (5-channel, 200 watts per channel)

1999 to 2001: Theatervision P DVD player (with progressive scan output)

2000: Ultradisc Pro DVD player (which later became DVDmaster), PowerMaster (8-channel, which later became PowerMaster 8300 series of development), 8- channel Upgrade for the TheaterMaster E/O/S