A History of Firsts

Purist Audio Design began over 35 years ago in Jim's garage. We've always been audiophiles and innovators. There are many products on the market you might recognize as originating with Purist Audio Design:

  • The first fluid-shielded audiophile-grade cable
  • The first Cryomag©-treated cables
  • The first system enhancer
  • The first cables with custom, netted sleeving

...and many others. Purist Audio Design means innovation, history, and dedication. Let us connect you to the music.

Our Story

I began Purist Audio Design out of love for high end audio, and a want to make things better. My interest in high end is a life-long ambition that started when I was serving in the US Air Force. I was an electronic technician, and many of the officers had Marantz, tube gear, Dynaco ST70s, and other units. They would bring them into our shop for repairs.

After a while, I realized not only could I build these components, I could improve them. So I offered to do that. For some extra cash, I worked part-time at Radio Shack. That one Radio Shack was the only repair shop within 150 miles or so, so anything that needed repaired, I got to work on, and audio was big at the time. Later on, they had me attend a 52 week electronics training in avionics, radar, computers, and other areas as part of my military training. They called me an "Avionics Sensor Systems Specialist, for Electro-Optical Sensors."

Since then, my education never stopped. From there, I earned my Electronics Engineering degree at Brescia University, and would later study Computer Science for almost two years up at Westinghouse. Then, I came to South Texas Nuclear, and studied what they'd call today nuclear physics. That's the tip of the iceberg; I've prioritized education in my life, because I believe it's important in order to have a fulfilling life.

I brought all of this together when I founded Purist Audio Design. I began in the garage, and expanded from there. People thought I was a little crazy at the time, but I began trends that today, are used across the industry. You can always make something better. I took Purist Audio Design full-time around 1986, and we moved out of that garage.

What led me to specialize in cables was that I was looking forward into the future. I realized back in 1986 that problems we'd be facing in high-end audio were RF, EMI, and vibration. Looking around at that time, I really did not see that anyone offered a solution for these problems. So, that's when I introduced the first cable, the Aqueous. The first Aqueous had a fluid base surrounding the conductor, and was quickly dubbed the "Texas Water Cable" by reviewers.

Today, if you call Purist, you'll still talk to a real person, a real voice. We still make our cables here in the USA. You're welcome to give me a call anytime. I'd love to hear about your system, and what Purist can do for you. In fact, we'll make it custom.

With a father like Jim, I was born into loving high end audio. He and I built my first system at an early age. It was always something we did together: in fact, the one in my current office is one he and I worked on.

I work as the CFO for Purist Audio Design, although when I started it wasn't Purist Audio Design yet. It was an idea in the family garage. I would work crafting and making cables by hand. I worked every stage of the process. When we developed our first major revision, RevA, I was part of that team. It was only later, with my education solidified, that I would move to managing finances and travel for Purist.

Working with an international business is something I'd known I wanted to do since I was 4. At the time, dad was furthering his education in computers. Through his program, I would meet interesting people from Spain, Australia, France, and other places. Meeting these fascinating people and speaking with them only deepened my interest. There was no doubt in my mind what I wanted to do. I think I was 12 at the time.

In college, it made sense to major in international business, with an emphasis in emerging markets. I studied in abroad in eastern and western Europe, and Southeast Asia. I took every opportunity I could to study abroad, even spending summers touring different countries. Every time I travelled, it became apparent to me just how much there was to learn, and how much diversity there was in musical tastes.

Today, I travel all over the world for Purist Audio Design. I was one of the first women to take a leadership role within high end audio. While I am less "hands on" in the construction end of things these days, I now work to make sure our products get where they need to go. When I can, I bring my daughters, ensuring the love of travel, and music, is passed on to a new generation.