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Jim Fosgate (1937–2022), inventor of the first car stereo amplifier

by Kirk Fox

Jim Fosgate was an inventor and engineer who created the first car stereo amplifier.  

First Car Amplifier

Jim Fosgate learned about electronics from his father who was a radio and television repairman. When he was a teenager in Indianapolis, he built a portable radio and installed it on his bicycle to have music when he rode around town. In 1973, he invented the first car stereo amplifier called the Fosgate Punch EQ and started his own company, known today as Rockford Fosgate. He is credited with leading the group that created “surround sound” for home TV sets called Dolby Pro Logic. His last design was called Aries, it is a Headphone processor/amplifier that does not require a special sound room. He met his wife Norma when she knocked on his door because she always heard loud music playing and she was studying music therapy for autistic children. He is survived by Norma, four children and numerous grandchildren.  

Notable Quote 

“I love sound, and I just wanted to share it with other people.” – He told Park City Magazine in 2013 

Tributes to Jim Fosgate 

Full Obituary: legacy.com/deseret news 

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