"I GUESS A PRODUCT BECOMES TRULY SPECIAL WHEN IT'S THE FIRST THING YOU SWITCH ON WHEN YOU'RE HOME"

The man behind Sony's sound picks the product he is most proud of

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This brought back a lot of memories for me," says Eric Kingdon as he answers our question: What product are you most proud to have developed in your career?

The industry legend, the "ears of Sony" as he is often described, has a brimming memory bank that few others could boast, having been involved in developing, designing and tuning many of Sony's Award-winning hi-fi and home cinema products over the past 40 years... and counting.

"I'm working on some products right now and it made me realise how long I've been involved in hi-fi," says Kingdon whose love for music and movies was passed down at an early age by his filmfanatic mum. The interest in music was further encouraged when he began playing the piano at nine years old.

Not long after, Eric got the hi-fi bug, having heard his first stereo system at his dad's friend's house - a Garrard SP25 turntable, Armstrong 521 amplifier and Wharfedale Denton speakers.

Fast forward through his teenage years, where he worked in a music and hi-fi shop, nourishing his hobby and even trying his hand at building his own kit. Then he landed a job at Sony. It was the mid-'80s, and a new age of product and technology was dawning.

A prolific era