I have read of the effects the ravings of this madman have had on otherwise seemingly intelligent people since the 80's.

The Stereophile crew first brought him to my attention with their praises for his “special” paper clips and such, and some of those guys actually worked as engineers.

I guess it shouldn't be too surprising how susceptible people can be to outrageous claims – look at how many career politicians and televangelists depend on it.