Sea Cliff Victorian with a good vibe

A Sea Cliff home central to the emergence of high-end stereo systems is on the market for $779,000.

The four-bedroom 1886 Victorian, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, had belonged to the late Harry Pearson, the Newsday journalist, founder of The Absolute Sound magazine and critic of audio technology.

"He created the high-end audio world of today from that house, and the house served as the focal point for the whole world of sound," says Joseph Weiss, executor of the estate.

Pearson, a Duke University graduate, published The Absolute Sound every other month from 1973 through 1998, when he sold it, and it had a large influence on those interested in high-end stereo systems. In the magazine, which is still published today, Pearson criticized CDs for their loss of nuance. Pearson died in November at the age of 77.

In its heyday, the four-story home played host to lavish parties, and the wraparound porch was especially popular because it is large enough to fit 100 people, Weiss says.

The house with two bathrooms and a half-bath has all the original flooring and molding, though Pearson extended the house so he could have more listening rooms and offices.

Weiss says his favorite room is the widow's peak, which could be used as a writing room.

"It's in the tower, like a Cinderella room," he says.

The house is listed with Eileen Heimer of Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty.