serious small audio
We are a team who are dedicated to provide the best small audio products available. Below is some background information on some of our key members
Alan is the founding member of Vita Audio and also the co-founder of Ruark Acoustics.
A trained engineer, Alan inherited his love of audio from his Father Brian, also a gifted craftsman who spent his life working within the British Audio Industry producing and advising on the art of cabinet making, initially for TV’s and Radiograms in the 50’s and 60’s through to Hi-Fi speaker systems as the British audio scene boomed in 70’s and beyond. As a Father and Son with such entwined interests it seemed right that they should work together and so it was in 1986 they formed Ruark Acoustics. Since this time, Ruark speakers have become esteemed by many audio enthusiasts world-wide.
Alan’s experience as a musician and loudspeaker designer has given him a deep knowledge of how sound works and what makes a product sound ‘right’. To him most radios and other small audio devices offered poor sound quality and design. It was the belief that he could do something better that led to Alan and his business partner Neil Adams to form Vita Audio.
Neil was working in retail management when his Father-in-Law Brian started Ruark Acoustics with Alan. Having previously trained as an Electronic Engineer he joined the fledgling company and worked with Alan and Brian looking after production. The early years were spent attending Hi-Fi shows and spending many hours in new product listening sessions helping to hone and develop the Ruark sound. When Alan’s father retired from the business Neil became a director and is now responsible for the day to day running of the company.
Neil is a keen windsurfer and when not at work can usually be found down at the local beach with Alan trying to perfect their carve gybes.
A gifted designer with an eye for quality and detail Jan has worked with Vita Audio almost from the beginning. Initially he took our early design concepts and with the aid of advanced modeling software transformed them into photo realistic images which allowed each product to be fully visualised and refined prior to prototyping and production. Since this time Jan has become a vital member of our team and works closely with Alan and Paul on all new product designs.
Born in England in 1970, Jan is part industrial designer, part engineer and part graphic designer. Since setting up his own design consultancy INFORM in 2002 he has worked on an eclectic mix of projects ranging from audio equipment and domestic appliances through to marine navigation aids. Never shy of a challenge, he thrives in both technical and creative environments. Jan holds a first-class Master of Engineering degree from the University of Bristol and a Master of Arts degree from the Royal College of Art.
Paul’s love of audio and music started at an early age when he would spend hours reading electronic books and magazines gathering all the information he could on the latest developments and technologies. As a DJ in the 1970’s he proudly relates how he designed and built his own sound and light equipment from scratch and toured with it around the pubs and clubs of Essex. Soon after he designed and developed a powerful PA system for a well known local band who he toured with as their sound engineer. It was his enquiring mind and resourcefulness that led him to spend much of his formative years working within the professional music industry as a Sound and Electronics Engineer. This has given him a considerable knowledge of audio and electronic processes, but most of all Paul prides himself on his eye for detail and unwillingness to compromise when only the best will do.
Richard’s experience gives him the right credentials as the force behind our UK sales. Born in Northern Ireland in 1979, after finishing his college education Richard moved to England in 1999 to follow his dream, signing for Manchester City as a professional footballer. He later played for Swindon Town and Colchester United, before his career came to an unfortunate end through injury, whilst playing for Walsall.
With this unexpected change to his career, Richard moved down to Southend to be with his girlfriend Felicity (now his Wife) and found employment in London working for a leading marketing company. Here he gained a wealth of experience, dealing with varied blue chip clients. Early in 2006, Richard's ambition and search for a new challenge led him to apply for a sales position with Ruark where his ‘team player’ and easy going abilities have quickly made him a core part of our tightly knit operation.
Out of work, Richard is a keen sportsman and still enjoys playing football and is now rapidly improving his golf handicap.
Graham joined the famous British loudspeaker company Wharfedale, in 1973 and stayed with them for almost 20 years, apart from a two-year ‘vacation’ from 1982-84 when he moved to Vancouver, Canada, after accepting the position of Retail Operations Manager to one of the largest consumer electronic outlets. He thoroughly enjoyed this job, but family commitments brought him back to the UK where he again joined Wharfedale as Sales and Marketing Director.
In 1993, Graham and three colleagues felt the time was right to branch out on their own and so they purchased loudspeaker specialist ‘Castle Acoustics’ who were and remained a friendly competitor to Ruark. Taking the helm as Chief Executive, Graham and his colleagues quickly grew the business, which inevitably made the company attractive to acquisition hungry investors. Castle was sold to Chinese conglomerate International Audio Group (IAG) in 2006.
After selling Castle, Graham set up his own company offering his years of experience and contacts within the industry and in 2007 he joined Alan and Neil as Export Manager.
Not to be outdone by Richard, Graham in his younger days was also a pro-footballer, signing for Leeds United as a 16 year old. Unfortunately he never quite made it, but now, when not trying to open up the world to Vita Audio, he spends his spare time cycling along with playing the guitar and golf - both badly!