*There’s an Audiophiliac/Steve Guttenberg imposter scamming my viewers, There’s no FREE gifts. DON’T respond! I don't do giveaways or ask for money (except for my Patreon)*
They (or just 1 troll) have been trolling hi-fi sites for a good while now. A comment I made on "Thomas & Stereo" site 2 or 3 months ago, got a genuine looking but not a genuine sounding reply, where my comment had apparently won an Apple note-book & a iPhone!! (i think it that time) I instantly knew it was rubbish... (any site owner will certainly mention giving away prizes if it was true) ...so i didnt reply to ask for my fictitious gifts as I'd already had 2 virtually identical trolled "prize givaway comments" with copied site-logo on top, before that one & both previous times for me, it was on well known hi-fi sites (i can't recall now) I reckon it's one troll going around the most popular sites. (I reckon it's a 'he' as males are the much larger %'age of hi-fi'ers) I see through this troll & his (not always detailled) fabulous prizes he want folk to make fools out of themselves by claiming (is all i can imagine his dumb motive is, if any) It's a pathetic, boring idiotic & pointless exercise & with luck, maybe he'll get a life & eff off for good
If any uh ... punter wants a reply from Steve, why not try his Patreon site. There's a number of graded pay as you earn ego trips available and on the top gold membership, a phone call ... but it costs a lot per minute as I recall. We might not even have a house and you know live in a hotel on welfare but we can pretend to be asking Steve's advice on sorts of stuff looked up on Google.
Well ... Electrocompaniet you know did offer 'marvelous looking' front panels but inside ... they were disappointing, and at best looked profitable for the manufacturer, nobody ever asking any awkward questions as to whether they were made for the very pricey, Norwegian Seas speakers responsible for giving SONY V-FET its celebrated impact on global markets. You know Steve doesn't even try a Seas design for size and all because back in the day Nelson Pass started a marketing concept that anything goes and if you like the way it sounds, buy it. Trouble is in the USA ... especially in LA ... getting to actually listen before buying isn't a reality.
@@kirlu50 Well, you know ... Electrocompaniet had a couple of monoblocks known as uh ... the AW 180 M, with 250 watts into 8 ohms and back in the mid-1990s had these marble fronts, the speakers hooked up being British Celestion A3 that shared British Lumley Reference 120, 120 watts, and the well known Denon POA 4400A - that Denon being the cheapest but proudly owned by very high management, like maybe Miguel Barrio on this thread, but at that not really so well known as him but you know, as happy with achievements. Electrocompaniet looked Japanese inside, not Norwegian and when you see the owner's manual and FTT, Floating Transformer Technology 'Ampliwire'. well you know these are not Norwegian type amplifiers - but suited to Japanese speaker systems. Celestion A3 or Seas aren't you know, going to be their best hooked up speakers. Seasonal greetings.
Well done yet again Steve! It wouldn't it be an Audiophiliac review if it wasn't careful, fair, thoughtful, balanced, colorful, and engaging. Happy Holidays to you and Mrs. Audiophiliac!
Just a small clarification Dead Combo did not just “brake up before covid”: In late 2021, they had to interrupt a tour, as Pedro Goncalves health got severely worse - he was fighting cancer for quite a while. Unfortunately, he passed away on December 4th, 2021. Huge loss for Portuguese music. Great review, as usual. I love your videos; and one of the things that gabs me, is your capacity of talking about so different genres of music - I’ve discovered many new (for me) things through your videos. Thx
I remember the first EC when it came out. It was the first transistor amp I heard that had the musicality of tubes. It didn’t sound like tubes but it was nice. It also produced a bit of dc at start up. Oh speakers that achieved 8 ohms ac, and a near short dc the EC promptly blew out the output transistors. New transistors were provided and I learned how to replace and bias them. It also had the bad habit of instantly blowing a set of LS35A mid/woofers if the amps were not running first. Protection circuitry was nonexistent but most people weren’t running old Quads or Rogers. Hope the newer ones are better protected.
Great review, thanks. Both Electrocompaniet (EC) and Hegel are designed in Norway, but only EC is proudly built in Norway, Hegel in China. For me, this puts the EC on a higher level of "desirability". Happy X-mas to Steve and all of you hifi-nuts🙂
Nice review again Steve. Electrocompaniet is a great company. I own several Hegel amps, but it could have been an EC product as well. Transparency of EC should indeed be very good. Hegel H190 would be a better comparison which drive and dynamics are bigger and better than the H95 (nothing wrong with made in China). Love your music tips too (Dead Combo is great, The Hifi Collective is available here in Qobuz). Happy holidays and keep on going in 2023!
Question for the Audiophiliac, and would love a video on this: How do I interpret reviews from Stereophile, Sound & Vision, etc.? These pieces are all long, descriptive, and usually include compliments - how do I know which parts of the reviews are actually telling of relative quality? How can I tell which reviews are influenced by vendor relationships with the writer and/or publication? Which products have a timeless appeal? Which compliments are performative and fluffy vs. authentic and meaningful? Thanks!
Hi Steve I have a Hegel H95 connected to KEF LS50 Meta and KC62 sub. I am pretty happy with the sound but after this review of yours I asked my Hi-Fi dealer to land me his store sample Electrocompaniet ECI 80D for few days. I experienced almost the same things you mentioned. It had more kick the bass was stronger but coming back to Hegel the piano sounded nicer more on your face and the his were more clean to me. So I decided it was not worth the upgrade for me since there was a large amount of upgrade difference fee which did not justify with what I got in return. I am happy that we are on the same page with you and that's why I trust your reviews
Hi Steve, We are the distributor here for Electrocompaniet (Pronounced Electro-Company in English) Regarding remote: Electrocompaniet is in the process of introducing and optional upgrade remote that's really nice. It should be available any time now. The pandemic was a frustrating time and slowed the process of introducing new products/models quite a bit. I think you did a good job of detailing the ECi-80's strengths. I must admit when I first saw it I didn't know what to think due to it's smaller stature but once I heard it I knew Electro-Company had come up with special, as is the case with all their equipment (my humble opinion). In fact I now use one in my personal recording studio to drive the main monitors. I'd be happy to arrange additional Electro-company equipment for you to play with if you were so inclined. Happy New Year to you and keep up the good work. David Jensen redleafaudio.com @Steve Guttenberg
i put on the 50th Anniversary of Harvest on tidal a few days ago and that is now my demo for digital music. If anyone wants to hear digital sounding as close to vinyl as I've ever heard listen to that album.
A wonderful Holiday Season to you Steve and The Mrs. Audiophiliac and I hope Santa delivers a nice new audio device in your “stockings hung by the Chimney with care”. Peace, Good Health, and great Audio Experiences this Holiday Season and in the New Year to come.
Saludos Steve, excelentes videos, gracias por compartirlos, muy acertados, equilibrados y coherentes tus apreciaciones, los valoro en gran medida, espero que toda esa experticia y conocimientos audiófilos no se pierdan, y queden plasmados en un gran libro, o en una serie de DVD's que podamos adquirir, para siempre apreciarte y aprender de la Verdadera Alta Fidelidad, abrazos desde Bogotá, Colombia....
People keep saying they're over priced. I don't think so. Factoring in Norwegian labor rates, exchange rates and the fact they have to retain working capital, it's a pretty normal price for high end gear. I just wish they would invest a little bit in a quality remote.
Hegel is usually considered to be highly neutral and dynamic, wheras Electrocompaniet was traditionaly seen as warmer sounding. Its really interesting that Electrocompaniet is the more detailed one in this comparison 🙂
Nice amp ! I'm saving up for some all new Atma-Sphere Class D Amps though... Many are Raving about these amps as the Best Class D Amps on the World Market right now !
Hi Steve, i would really like if you made a video of talking about each headphone you own in depth, i dont care if its the 2h video, i would watch it! I think its a great idea to connect to the audiophiles with lower budget or the ones that simply prefer the headphone experience. Thank you!
At that price you might expect the Electrocompaniet to include a good phono amp, especially considering the low cost of implementing one, and a nice remote, since it's so important to operating the unit. Great review!
Love your channel Steve! Would love to have seen a comparison with the Simaudio ACE. The ace even has a nice phono stage. Does MQA, streamer. It’s $300 more but a killer product. My wife uses it with her Ohm acoustics Walsh 2000
Hi Steve - this channel is amazing. I’ve just starting making baby steps into this wonderful world of hifi and been binging so many of your reviews as they’re always so informative and accessible for someone just getting started. Regarding this amp - do you think it would drive and pair well with the KEF R3s?
I’ve read about Electrocompaniet in foreign publications in the past and it looked the same as this new one. Nothing wrong with that..not big on built in DAC on any amp but nice to have.
Here is my pick for the best value by far for a TRUE HiFi Power Amplifier, JEFF ROWLAND - MODEL 125, only $3300 brand new, made in USA. Nothing wrong with Electrocompaniet made in Norway, but do they trying to cut the corners?
Electrocompaniet is pronounced as Elecro compa ne yah. The design has stayed the same for over 45 years. I live just a few Km from them and have visited the factory many time over the years. I have tried most of their amps and imo thier best amp is the AW220 mono block.
Never owned one but for reasons unknown to me, I'd always assumed they were a French company, till now. (Maybe just from the spelling style. or did they move?)
@@The-Spotlight-Kid They have always been built in Norway just north of Oslo. Per Abrahamsen sold his company to a larger more commercial firm in the early 2000s who I believe still run it today. They moved production about one km down the road.Right afterwards Per started up a new company called Abrahamsen Audio which makes much cheaper products that look and sound very similar. He also offers upgrades/service on many of the older Electrocompaniet products he designed in the past. The websites history is worth a visit.
Sounds like a great amp. The first thing I would do is get rid of the acrylic faceplate and replace it with polycarbonate. The acrylic will yellow with age and stress cracks can start within months.
Acrylic (methyl methacrylate) is resistant to yellowing which is why it's the polymer used for artists' quality acrylic paint. It's also resistant to cracking. This is why so many artists moved to acrylic media from oil-based 50 years ago. I've seen outdoor murals that were painted 25 years previous and showing no sign of deterioration!
I liked the way this sounded but, it is 6000 dollars in Canada and has enough short comings (needing a better dac and phono) that I just cannot see springing for this unless the price comes down. We use both a turntable AND want to stream at high quality. This isn't there.
Electrocompaniet gained quite a lot of fame because a Michael Jackson producer(?) used and loved their 250W power amplifier (Ampliwire DMB 250?). I thought they got recognition in the US as a result of that. This was a long time ago.
ATC makes an integrated amp with the headphone jack on the back too. Personally I wouldn't buy either because I use headphones a lot and need it on the front.
Great video! Though the integrated amp is not under consideration. Too pricey. I am however in the market for speakers. Your consistent praise of the zu audio dirty weekends makes them one of the finalists. Another is the sonus faber Sonetto threes. Totally different I assume! Both are not Chinese manufactured. Very important to me. I like the looks of both, but the unique style of the dirty weekends is very appealing. The dirty weekends are considerably less expensive. I could upgrade to the house cable at some point. I have auditioned the Sonettos and can get them locally. They are much more musical than the B and W 702 s3s to my ear. A smoother treble presentation for sure. More bass impact. I am thinking it may be worthwhile to audition the dirty weekends before buying the Sonettos. I listen to mostly indie pop and rock. A lot of female vocals. Some classical rock along with classic classical like Bach violin sonatas. Your thoughts would be appreciated.
Yeah larry uh ... Zu audio dirty weekends are 97dB SPL 1 watt but 12-ohm and uh ... Sonus faber Sonetto threes are 89dB at 4-ohms. So listen it depends on your amplifier and uh ... you didn't say what it was. Now 97dB at 12 ohms is for an amplifier with a higher supply voltage than we'd use with 8-ohms and a 4-ohm amplifier with 89dB needs a lot of power with uh you know the 2 ohm minimum capability. These totally different electrical loads and they won't suit the same amplifier. Basically you just ask Steve or your dealer to give you an amplifier and speaker that work well together. Anything, like QUAD II with Goodmans AXIOM-80 will be fine.
@@keplermission Goodman's M80? Are you talking about the Canadian brand? I have been looking at those speakers. I'm aware of the sensitivity and impedance differences of the speakers. I run the Yamaha s801 which is third party confirmed at the rated 100 watts per channel and 185 watts at 4 ohms. Enough for the sonetto's. I never heard of the quad II and just checked it out. Not recommended for larger rooms which is what I have. But the 45 watts per channel would be enough for the dirty weekends I imagine. I ordered the dirty weekends with the 60 day free trial so I will know soon one way or the other. Got the Superfly upgrade and the house cables. I have immediately liked the Yamaha but it may be an intermediate purchase. Get something better when budget allows. I liked what Jay said about the Vincent amp. Perhaps a tube system entirely as my brother-in-law strongly recommends. The problem with the sonetto's is the local dealer does not give a return window at all. He had them powered with top of the line Macintosh during my listening session. I won't be able to repeat that, but my listening room is probably a lot better than his. I like the rated 30 hertz bottom end of the dirty weekends which Steve seems to think is accurate. So we'll see. Or, more precisely, hear. Unfortunately, I won't be able to a/ b them. The sound of the Sonettos and the looks were similar: refined, elegant, subtle, very easy on the eyes and the ears. The dirty weekends are probably entirely different. I do like the looks of the dirty weekends and the high level of craftsmanship that goes into the cabinet. A more unique look and a more personal relationship with the company. I already received two emails immediately responding to my questions. The fact that It is made in Utah almost entirely of american-made products is a major plus for me
@@lsaideOK Well ... the QUAD II will work with the Zu Audio Dirty Weekends because it's a 15-ohm amplifier and they're 97dB but the Yamaha s801 is only for a Yamaha NS-F500 that is $800 in New York. Design Acoustic PS-1010 is a good speaker for the Yamaha s801 but you know it's cheap and best used with the NS-F500.
@@keplermission I have no idea what you mean by the Yamaha amp being only for that speaker. Which I never previously heard of and seems to pre-date the 801 significantly. I doubt that I am as particular about amp speaker matchings as you are. Maybe about sound in general. The fellow from zu said the Yamaha was fine for the dirty weekends. Maybe that's what he needs to say but I take him at his word. They are coming soon. And I will hear for myself. If I love the sound, then the speakers will be a keeper for a good long time to come. That doesn't mean I won't play with different amps on down the line
Electroacompaniet (sp?) was for a long while, quite a high profile name in the upper mid-fi range & upwards, they were very well known here in U.K. from the mid 1970's - 2000'ish (& +?) Always well reviewed, always hi--biased A/B jobs & always in black* (* whenever i saw them) & when I was buying my 'own' first hi-fi pieces in late'ish 1970's, the s/h prices of Electroacom' were waaay too high for my apprentiship waged job, so I grew up with vintage valve amps which were cheap as chips s/h back then (e.g. Radford, Quad, Rogers, Tannoy'(power-amps), a Ferrograph, Leak, etc) many folk sold to rush into hi' spec'd s/state amps, i presumed. P.S. The v.first s/state amp by Quad, the model 303, imo must have offended the ears of those who sold the slightly earlier Quad II mono valve amps. I had both & Quad's first s/s 303 poweramp remains the most boring amp in my personal history.
Crap, now I have I figure out what PCM means to my audio signal................................. PCM audio (Pulse Code Modulation) is a process that is utilized to convert analog audio signals that are represented by waveforms to digital audio signals. Above sounds like what a DAC does. But PCM is a different thing than a DAC, I think. How Is a PCM signal different from a digital signal from a CD? (and why do I care?) Lost in Digital again. 🔈🔉🔊
Hi Steve, enjoyed the review, as always. I did wonder why you chose to review something so obviously overpriced. I wish you both happy times at this festive time.
I had the first Electro in the seventies ..........still regret having sold it ! The build quality of this one ( and many others today ) does not equal that of the seventies ! Also way to expensive ........
I prefer plastic remotes!! Metal case remotes are heavy and cold to the touch, and cold if I set it down on my bare leg. If I drop it on a wood floor it will dent the floor. I see no upsides at all. On one metal remote that I had, the buttons started failing after a few years, so that was no measure of quality. Please just give me a well made, durable remote that makes sense. Also please no weird coatings. My Anthem remote turned gummy after many years.
Electrocompaniet is not giving one much for the price that they are asking. For what they are asking they have put in a mm magnet phono section that can be bested by a $ 150. Schiit Mani? Good Grief!!
Crappy plastic remotes everywhere and they often look similar; Companies started to get lazy. They began outsourcing the remotes vs designing them with units or a "series" and more generic remote manufacturers sprang up to provide basic controllers they can pump out quickly and cheaply and a company can just come to them get something branded for the system and call it a day. Would love things to be designed and built along with the actual units again. (things like metal remotes with metal button and solid "presses" oh when times were good....)
Steve I appreciate you trying to find some different gear to review but this one is a dud to me. $4,000, acrylic front instead of glass, cheap binding posts, a cheap remote, 80 watts. That's all I needed to know. Way better options out there for the money.
Electrocompaniet isn't some esoteric brand no one has heard of. They're the company that built the nemo amps for bowers and wilkins nautilus speakers. They've used the same design formula for years, which many of us love.
@@ryanschipp8513 remotes don't make music, the cover has been the same for years, posts are posts as long as the connection is solid snd any serious lp guy will run an outboard preamp. Go listen to one, not bag on it because it doesn't have all the new fangled garbage. My biggest gripe is it HAS bluetooth.
@@ryanschipp8513 if it gets you the best caps, resistors, power supply, etc., yes it does. My chronus magnum 3 is about that price, has basic posts and a 3 button remote, and is one of the best amps I've ever heard.
I love watching here but looking at a 3k amp is same as me watching a video about a 1/2million dollar sports car..I could never save long enough to ever own one.a 1k amp would take ne a year or more of extreme saving and scrimping
I spent some Time observing the internals, thank you for the photo. So, I'm guessing a non linear power supply, cause its tiny. Where are the bridge rectifiers? For almost 4 grand they should be built out of individual HEXFREDs, and filter Capacitance, miniscule. That heat sink looks awfully small to dissipate 80 Watts/channel. For the exalted price one doesn't get much more than a flimsy chassis. This Industry, for those of Us that build our own, is preying on the consumer and it is depressing. When retail is literally thousands of times the cost of circuit elements, regardless of Topology, its unethical.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
*There’s an Audiophiliac/Steve Guttenberg imposter scamming my viewers, There’s no FREE gifts. DON’T respond! I don't do giveaways or ask for money (except for my Patreon)*
They (or just 1 troll) have been trolling hi-fi sites for a good while now. A comment I made on "Thomas & Stereo" site 2 or 3 months ago, got a genuine looking but not a genuine sounding reply, where my comment had apparently won an Apple note-book & a iPhone!! (i think it that time) I instantly knew it was rubbish... (any site owner will certainly mention giving away prizes if it was true) ...so i didnt reply to ask for my fictitious gifts as I'd already had 2 virtually identical trolled "prize givaway comments" with copied site-logo on top, before that one & both previous times for me, it was on well known hi-fi sites (i can't recall now)
I reckon it's one troll going around the most popular sites. (I reckon it's a 'he' as males are the much larger %'age of hi-fi'ers) I see through this troll & his (not always detailled) fabulous prizes he want folk to make fools out of themselves by claiming (is all i can imagine his dumb motive is, if any) It's a pathetic, boring idiotic & pointless exercise & with luck, maybe he'll get a life & eff off for good
If any uh ... punter wants a reply from Steve, why not try his Patreon site. There's a number of graded pay as you earn ego trips available and on the top gold membership, a phone call ... but it costs a lot per minute as I recall. We might not even have a house and you know live in a hotel on welfare but we can pretend to be asking Steve's advice on sorts of stuff looked up on Google.
Ending the year with an Electrocompaniet, not too bad! They make some marvelous sounding amps!
Well ... Electrocompaniet you know did offer 'marvelous looking' front panels but inside ... they were disappointing, and at best looked profitable for the manufacturer, nobody ever asking any awkward questions as to whether they were made for the very pricey, Norwegian Seas speakers responsible for giving SONY V-FET its celebrated impact on global markets. You know Steve doesn't even try a Seas design for size and all because back in the day Nelson Pass started a marketing concept that anything goes and if you like the way it sounds, buy it. Trouble is in the USA ... especially in LA ... getting to actually listen before buying isn't a reality.
@@keplermission You seem to be grinding a quite a few axes here. Quite possibly well founded, but it does seem like a bit of a rant. Merry Christmas ✨
@@kirlu50 Well, you know ... Electrocompaniet had a couple of monoblocks known as uh ... the AW 180 M, with 250 watts into 8 ohms and back in the mid-1990s had these marble fronts, the speakers hooked up being British Celestion A3 that shared British Lumley Reference 120, 120 watts, and the well known Denon POA 4400A - that Denon being the cheapest but proudly owned by very high management, like maybe Miguel Barrio on this thread, but at that not really so well known as him but you know, as happy with achievements. Electrocompaniet looked Japanese inside, not Norwegian and when you see the owner's manual and FTT, Floating Transformer Technology 'Ampliwire'. well you know these are not Norwegian type amplifiers - but suited to Japanese speaker systems. Celestion A3 or Seas aren't you know, going to be their best hooked up speakers. Seasonal greetings.
Michael Jackson had one.
Well done yet again Steve! It wouldn't it be an Audiophiliac review if it wasn't careful, fair, thoughtful, balanced, colorful, and engaging. Happy Holidays to you and Mrs. Audiophiliac!
Merry Christmas! 🎄 Message me right away I've something for you 🎁🎊✅.
Always a wonderful review, Steve.
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Merry Christmas to you and Mrs.Audiophilliac
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Hey, your voice sounds much better, you’re obviously on the mend! I’m glad to see that 🤝
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Just a small clarification
Dead Combo did not just “brake up before covid”:
In late 2021, they had to interrupt a tour, as Pedro Goncalves health got severely worse - he was fighting cancer for quite a while.
Unfortunately, he passed away on December 4th, 2021. Huge loss for Portuguese music.
Great review, as usual. I love your videos; and one of the things that gabs me, is your capacity of talking about so different genres of music - I’ve discovered many new (for me) things through your videos. Thx
Thank you!
Another great review. I'd love to see you go up the Hegel line H190 / H390.
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EC is better...Hegel is mess inside.
Enjoy your channel Steve! Have a great holiday and the best in 2023!
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Have it. Paired with Audio Physic speakers...match made in heaven.
R.I.P. Per Abrahamsen. Always great products from his company and they look so cool too.
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I didn't know he past away. R.I.P.
I had for 20 years an ECI-2. Great amp and maybe I shouldn't sold it.
I remember the first EC when it came out. It was the first transistor amp I heard that had the musicality of tubes. It didn’t sound like tubes but it was nice. It also produced a bit of dc at start up. Oh speakers that achieved 8 ohms ac, and a near short dc the EC promptly blew out the output transistors. New transistors were provided and I learned how to replace and bias them. It also had the bad habit of instantly blowing a set of LS35A mid/woofers if the amps were not running first. Protection circuitry was nonexistent but most people weren’t running old Quads or Rogers. Hope the newer ones are better protected.
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Michael Jackson's producer for History was saying the same thing. The midrange presence he required was only available from the EC amps.
Great review, thanks. Both Electrocompaniet (EC) and Hegel are designed in Norway, but only EC is proudly built in Norway, Hegel in China. For me, this puts the EC on a higher level of "desirability". Happy X-mas to Steve and all of you hifi-nuts🙂
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Scam
Love that viewer system. Those Rogers look great.
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🎄Merry Christmas, Steven!🎄
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Merry Christmas Guttenberg! 🎅🏻
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Nice review again Steve. Electrocompaniet is a great company. I own several Hegel amps, but it could have been an EC product as well. Transparency of EC should indeed be very good. Hegel H190 would be a better comparison which drive and dynamics are bigger and better than the H95 (nothing wrong with made in China).
Love your music tips too (Dead Combo is great, The Hifi Collective is available here in Qobuz). Happy holidays and keep on going in 2023!
Merry Christmas! 🎄 Message me right away I've something for you 🎁🎊✅
Question for the Audiophiliac, and would love a video on this: How do I interpret reviews from Stereophile, Sound & Vision, etc.? These pieces are all long, descriptive, and usually include compliments - how do I know which parts of the reviews are actually telling of relative quality? How can I tell which reviews are influenced by vendor relationships with the writer and/or publication? Which products have a timeless appeal? Which compliments are performative and fluffy vs. authentic and meaningful? Thanks!
Thanks for your channel Steve....Merry Christmas
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Hi Steve I have a Hegel H95 connected to KEF LS50 Meta and KC62 sub. I am pretty happy with the sound but after this review of yours I asked my Hi-Fi dealer to land me his store sample Electrocompaniet ECI 80D for few days. I experienced almost the same things you mentioned. It had more kick the bass was stronger but coming back to Hegel the piano sounded nicer more on your face and the his were more clean to me. So I decided it was not worth the upgrade for me since there was a large amount of upgrade difference fee which did not justify with what I got in return. I am happy that we are on the same page with you and that's why I trust your reviews
Electrocompaniet AW180s are, and will always be my dream amps. One day....
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Hi Steve,
We are the distributor here for Electrocompaniet (Pronounced Electro-Company in English) Regarding remote: Electrocompaniet is in the process of introducing and optional upgrade remote that's really nice. It should be available any time now. The pandemic was a frustrating time and slowed the process of introducing new products/models quite a bit.
I think you did a good job of detailing the ECi-80's strengths. I must admit when I first saw it I didn't know what to think due to it's smaller stature but once I heard it I knew Electro-Company had come up with special, as is the case with all their equipment (my humble opinion). In fact I now use one in my personal recording studio to drive the main monitors. I'd be happy to arrange additional Electro-company equipment for you to play with if you were so inclined.
Happy New Year to you and keep up the good work.
David Jensen
redleafaudio.com
@Steve Guttenberg
Thank you David. Have a good new year!
i put on the 50th Anniversary of Harvest on tidal a few days ago and that is now my demo for digital music. If anyone wants to hear digital sounding as close to vinyl as I've ever heard listen to that album.
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Hurray for Dead Combo! Great taste & Great band.
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A wonderful Holiday Season to you Steve and The Mrs. Audiophiliac and I hope Santa delivers a nice new audio device in your “stockings hung by the Chimney with care”. Peace, Good Health, and great Audio Experiences this Holiday Season and in the New Year to come.
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Saludos Steve, excelentes videos, gracias por compartirlos, muy acertados, equilibrados y coherentes tus apreciaciones, los valoro en gran medida, espero que toda esa experticia y conocimientos audiófilos no se pierdan, y queden plasmados en un gran libro, o en una serie de DVD's que podamos adquirir, para siempre apreciarte y aprender de la Verdadera Alta Fidelidad, abrazos desde Bogotá, Colombia....
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Hola Albert, me da curiosidad saber de HiFi en Colombia. Me imagino que no es tan popular.
Saludos
Merry Christmas Steve G!
Great review as always Steve. Sadly, Electrocompaniet co-founder Per Abrahamsen passed away last week.
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Electrocompaniet is true high end. I use ECI3 with Virgo II, cool sound.
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People keep saying they're over priced. I don't think so. Factoring in Norwegian labor rates, exchange rates and the fact they have to retain working capital, it's a pretty normal price for high end gear. I just wish they would invest a little bit in a quality remote.
Hegel is usually considered to be highly neutral and dynamic, wheras Electrocompaniet was traditionaly seen as warmer sounding. Its really interesting that Electrocompaniet is the more detailed one in this comparison 🙂
Great video! Maybe we can see a review of a Devialet integrated soon?? Happy holidays!
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Nice amp !
I'm saving up for some all new Atma-Sphere Class D Amps though...
Many are Raving about these amps as the Best Class D Amps on the World Market right now !
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Hi Steve, i would really like if you made a video of talking about each headphone you own in depth, i dont care if its the 2h video, i would watch it!
I think its a great idea to connect to the audiophiles with lower budget or the ones that simply prefer the headphone experience. Thank you!
Steve! Could you please review the new Mission 778X Amp?
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Their equipment is beautiful
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At that price you might expect the Electrocompaniet to include a good phono amp, especially considering the low cost of implementing one, and a nice remote, since it's so important to operating the unit.
Great review!
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Love your channel Steve! Would love to have seen a comparison with the Simaudio ACE. The ace even has a nice phono stage. Does MQA, streamer. It’s $300 more but a killer product. My wife uses it with her Ohm acoustics Walsh 2000
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So what’s happens when that plastic remote croaks out and a replacement is no longer available?
That amp is very pretty.
You must not have watched the film "The Graduate" plastics are the future.
Hi Steve - this channel is amazing. I’ve just starting making baby steps into this wonderful world of hifi and been binging so many of your reviews as they’re always so informative and accessible for someone just getting started.
Regarding this amp - do you think it would drive and pair well with the KEF R3s?
Why no USB input at the rear ?
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Hey Steve what about the Gato integrated that you reviewed a few years ago. How does it compare
I’m sorry I don’t have that superpower to mentally compare product’s I’ve heard years apart! Then again, I doubt anyone could with any consistency
Do you hear any treble over 10000Hz?
I’ve read about Electrocompaniet in foreign publications in the past and it looked the same as this new one. Nothing wrong with that..not big on built in DAC on any amp but nice to have.
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Steve- have you compared Schiit Mani to the iFi Zen? Similar price points.
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Electrocompaniet is, for me, the most tube like solid state there is.
Here is my pick for the best value by far for a TRUE HiFi Power Amplifier, JEFF ROWLAND - MODEL 125, only $3300 brand new, made in USA. Nothing wrong with Electrocompaniet made in Norway, but do they trying to cut the corners?
Electrocompaniet is pronounced as Elecro compa ne yah. The design has stayed the same for over 45 years. I live just a few Km from them and have visited the factory many time over the years. I have tried most of their amps and imo thier best amp is the AW220 mono block.
Never owned one but for reasons unknown to me, I'd always assumed they were a French company, till now. (Maybe just from the spelling style. or did they move?)
We’re still waiting for Steve to pronounce “aluminium” correctly, good luck with Electrocompaniet! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@The-Spotlight-Kid They have always been built in Norway just north of Oslo. Per Abrahamsen sold his company to a larger more commercial firm in the early 2000s who I believe still run it today. They moved production about one km down the road.Right afterwards Per started up a new company called Abrahamsen Audio which makes much cheaper products that look and sound very similar. He also offers upgrades/service on many of the older Electrocompaniet products he designed in the past. The websites history is worth a visit.
@@stephens2r338Per died on 9 December. Dont know if Abrahamsen Audio will continue, but I rather doubt it.
No, not really. Elektro kompa-knee-ét
Hoping Santa brings you a clean, freshly pressed sheet. 😊
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Gut Yom Tov Steve . That Tyler Childers sounds very much like Larry Norman
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Econo-Schiit gives me metal remotes! 😊
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...wonderful review, Steve.
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The E used on the Electrocompanient logo is similar to the E from Epiphone.
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Finaly.. something GOOD from Norway and not the china Hegel stuff :)
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Hifi Collective is indeed on Qobuz. Love it. Steve, what steamer do you use?
Watch out for those Glendale drivers! The worst in California.
@@mikrophonie5633 Jus because you are paranoid doesn't mean they are not out to get you.
Come on, Steve! You know that preamp is Schiit.
Sounds like a great amp. The first thing I would do is get rid of the acrylic faceplate and replace it with polycarbonate. The acrylic will yellow with age and stress cracks can start within months.
Acrylic (methyl methacrylate) is resistant to yellowing which is why it's the polymer used for artists' quality acrylic paint. It's also resistant to cracking. This is why so many artists moved to acrylic media from oil-based 50 years ago. I've seen outdoor murals that were painted 25 years previous and showing no sign of deterioration!
Steve, did you change your mic/audio setup? That last couple of videos haven't sounded as good as the older ones.
Sorry about that, getting over covid.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac No worries, Steve! It thought maybe you had changed your mic. I hope you feel better soon!
I liked the way this sounded but, it is 6000 dollars in Canada and has enough short comings (needing a better dac and phono) that I just cannot see springing for this unless the price comes down. We use both a turntable AND want to stream at high quality. This isn't there.
I like it
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Your voice sounds different steve - new microphone?
Sorry, getting over covid
Electrocompaniet gained quite a lot of fame because a Michael Jackson producer(?) used and loved their 250W power amplifier (Ampliwire DMB 250?). I thought they got recognition in the US as a result of that. This was a long time ago.
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Listen to the whole tyler childers catalog, and when your done, check out colter wall and lucero(the alt country band, not the Latin American group)
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I had a predecessor to that amp in the late 90s. Sam Tellig raved about it. That one lacked transparency and was a bit rolled off.
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I want the DS E1 >:)
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The Tyler album is cool. I have a hunting hound so I relate
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ATC makes an integrated amp with the headphone jack on the back too. Personally I wouldn't buy either because I use headphones a lot and need it on the front.
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Great video! Though the integrated amp is not under consideration. Too pricey. I am however in the market for speakers. Your consistent praise of the zu audio dirty weekends makes them one of the finalists. Another is the sonus faber Sonetto threes. Totally different I assume! Both are not Chinese manufactured. Very important to me. I like the looks of both, but the unique style of the dirty weekends is very appealing. The dirty weekends are considerably less expensive. I could upgrade to the house cable at some point. I have auditioned the Sonettos and can get them locally. They are much more musical than the B and W 702 s3s to my ear. A smoother treble presentation for sure. More bass impact. I am thinking it may be worthwhile to audition the dirty weekends before buying the Sonettos. I listen to mostly indie pop and rock. A lot of female vocals. Some classical rock along with classic classical like Bach violin sonatas. Your thoughts would be appreciated.
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Yeah larry uh ... Zu audio dirty weekends are 97dB SPL 1 watt but 12-ohm and uh ... Sonus faber Sonetto threes are 89dB at 4-ohms. So listen it depends on your amplifier and uh ... you didn't say what it was. Now 97dB at 12 ohms is for an amplifier with a higher supply voltage than we'd use with 8-ohms and a 4-ohm amplifier with 89dB needs a lot of power with uh you know the 2 ohm minimum capability. These totally different electrical loads and they won't suit the same amplifier. Basically you just ask Steve or your dealer to give you an amplifier and speaker that work well together. Anything, like QUAD II with Goodmans AXIOM-80 will be fine.
@@keplermission Goodman's M80? Are you talking about the Canadian brand? I have been looking at those speakers. I'm aware of the sensitivity and impedance differences of the speakers. I run the Yamaha s801 which is third party confirmed at the rated 100 watts per channel and 185 watts at 4 ohms. Enough for the sonetto's. I never heard of the quad II and just checked it out. Not recommended for larger rooms which is what I have. But the 45 watts per channel would be enough for the dirty weekends I imagine. I ordered the dirty weekends with the 60 day free trial so I will know soon one way or the other. Got the Superfly upgrade and the house cables. I have immediately liked the Yamaha but it may be an intermediate purchase. Get something better when budget allows. I liked what Jay said about the Vincent amp. Perhaps a tube system entirely as my brother-in-law strongly recommends. The problem with the sonetto's is the local dealer does not give a return window at all. He had them powered with top of the line Macintosh during my listening session. I won't be able to repeat that, but my listening room is probably a lot better than his. I like the rated 30 hertz bottom end of the dirty weekends which Steve seems to think is accurate. So we'll see. Or, more precisely, hear. Unfortunately, I won't be able to a/ b them. The sound of the Sonettos and the looks were similar: refined, elegant, subtle, very easy on the eyes and the ears. The dirty weekends are probably entirely different. I do like the looks of the dirty weekends and the high level of craftsmanship that goes into the cabinet. A more unique look and a more personal relationship with the company. I already received two emails immediately responding to my questions. The fact that It is made in Utah almost entirely of american-made products is a major plus for me
@@lsaideOK Well ... the QUAD II will work with the Zu Audio Dirty Weekends because it's a 15-ohm amplifier and they're 97dB but the Yamaha s801 is only for a Yamaha NS-F500 that is $800 in New York. Design Acoustic PS-1010 is a good speaker for the Yamaha s801 but you know it's cheap and best used with the NS-F500.
@@keplermission I have no idea what you mean by the Yamaha amp being only for that speaker. Which I never previously heard of and seems to pre-date the 801 significantly. I doubt that I am as particular about amp speaker matchings as you are. Maybe about sound in general. The fellow from zu said the Yamaha was fine for the dirty weekends. Maybe that's what he needs to say but I take him at his word. They are coming soon. And I will hear for myself. If I love the sound, then the speakers will be a keeper for a good long time to come. That doesn't mean I won't play with different amps on down the line
Your videos is amazing. I really like your videos. Can i talk with you steve?
Electroacompaniet (sp?) was for a long while, quite a high profile name in the upper mid-fi range & upwards, they were very well known here in U.K. from the mid 1970's - 2000'ish (& +?) Always well reviewed, always hi--biased A/B jobs & always in black* (* whenever i saw them) & when I was buying my 'own' first hi-fi pieces in late'ish 1970's, the s/h prices of Electroacom' were waaay too high for my apprentiship waged job, so I grew up with vintage valve amps which were cheap as chips s/h back then (e.g. Radford, Quad, Rogers, Tannoy'(power-amps), a Ferrograph, Leak, etc) many folk sold to rush into hi' spec'd s/state amps, i presumed.
P.S. The v.first s/state amp by Quad, the model 303, imo must have offended the ears of those who sold the slightly earlier Quad II mono valve amps. I had both & Quad's first s/s 303 poweramp remains the most boring amp in my personal history.
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Hegel h190 would be a more fair camparsion same price. But hegel is more powerful and would in my opinion be the better choise
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At least if you fill your speaker stands with rice, you will have an emergency food supply.
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And a vintage Aluminum Christmas Tree.
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Crap, now I have I figure out what PCM means to my audio signal.................................
PCM audio (Pulse Code Modulation) is a process that is utilized to convert analog audio signals that are represented by waveforms to digital audio signals.
Above sounds like what a DAC does. But PCM is a different thing than a DAC, I think. How Is a PCM signal different from a digital signal from a CD? (and why do I care?)
Lost in Digital again. 🔈🔉🔊
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compare to atoll,,, exposure,,,
Have you changed your microphone Steve? You don't sound the same!
My post Covid voice
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac hope you're on the mend.
Not Electrocompanjet, but Electrocompanee-et,, please! It means The Electro Company.
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Hi Steve, enjoyed the review, as always. I did wonder why you chose to review something so obviously overpriced. I wish you both happy times at this festive time.
Thanks, I thought it sounded great!
Electrocompaniet A/S manufactures all its products in Norway and not in China.
Yes! I said that in the review!
Some scammer calling himself "@MrSteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac" is pretending to be Steve in replies to comments
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Ale jak to gra cały czas gada
Omg. $4k for an integrated with one input (after you use one in lieu of the substandard phono stage) and lackluster binding posts? Next please.
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That weighs less than 20 lbs even though it’s class AB. Ouch. Not much build for your $
You do not know what are you talking about. Did you heard this amp?
@@tomaskroupakkfoto4132 I know perfectly well what I am talking about.
@@tomaskroupakkfoto4132 I know exactly what I am talking about.
I had the first Electro in the seventies ..........still regret having sold it !
The build quality of this one ( and many others today ) does not equal that of the seventies !
Also way to expensive ........
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IMO - The 'average' Music Lover won't pay that price... So Called Audiophiles (me) don't want to pay for the so-so built in Phono & DAC
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I prefer plastic remotes!! Metal case remotes are heavy and cold to the touch, and cold if I set it down on my bare leg. If I drop it on a wood floor it will dent the floor. I see no upsides at all. On one metal remote that I had, the buttons started failing after a few years, so that was no measure of quality. Please just give me a well made, durable remote that makes sense. Also please no weird coatings. My Anthem remote turned gummy after many years.
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Electrocompaniet is not giving one much for the price that they are asking. For what they are asking they have put in a mm magnet phono section that can be bested by a $ 150. Schiit Mani? Good Grief!!
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Crappy plastic remotes everywhere and they often look similar; Companies started to get lazy.
They began outsourcing the remotes vs designing them with units or a "series" and more generic remote manufacturers sprang up to provide basic controllers they can pump out quickly and cheaply and a company can just come to them get something branded for the system and call it a day.
Would love things to be designed and built along with the actual units again.
(things like metal remotes with metal button and solid "presses" oh when times were good....)
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Steve I appreciate you trying to find some different gear to review but this one is a dud to me. $4,000, acrylic front instead of glass, cheap binding posts, a cheap remote, 80 watts. That's all I needed to know. Way better options out there for the money.
Electrocompaniet isn't some esoteric brand no one has heard of. They're the company that built the nemo amps for bowers and wilkins nautilus speakers. They've used the same design formula for years, which many of us love.
@@kylemayer8486 that's fine and dandy but it still doesn't change the aspects that I mentioned.
@@ryanschipp8513 remotes don't make music, the cover has been the same for years, posts are posts as long as the connection is solid snd any serious lp guy will run an outboard preamp. Go listen to one, not bag on it because it doesn't have all the new fangled garbage. My biggest gripe is it HAS bluetooth.
@@kylemayer8486 when it's at a $4,000 price point there's no reason to chince on the things that I mentioned.
@@ryanschipp8513 if it gets you the best caps, resistors, power supply, etc., yes it does. My chronus magnum 3 is about that price, has basic posts and a 3 button remote, and is one of the best amps I've ever heard.
Had to laugh at you listening to Tyler Childers.. I think he is great but did laugh at an "audiophile" from NYC digging it.
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Need tone control please , I like to have a little control
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For that amount of money they shouldn't be stingy with the number of inputs.
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Hmm… that sure doesn’t look class A/B under the hood
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I love watching here but looking at a 3k amp is same as me watching a video about a 1/2million dollar sports car..I could never save long enough to ever own one.a 1k amp would take ne a year or more of extreme saving and scrimping
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Anyone with two feet and two hands can buy one if they try.
I spent some Time observing the internals, thank you for the photo. So, I'm guessing a non linear power supply, cause its tiny. Where are the bridge rectifiers? For almost 4 grand they should be built out of individual HEXFREDs, and filter Capacitance, miniscule. That heat sink looks awfully small to dissipate 80 Watts/channel. For the exalted price one doesn't get much more than a flimsy chassis. This Industry, for those of Us that build our own, is preying on the consumer and it is depressing. When retail is literally thousands of times the cost of circuit elements, regardless of Topology, its unethical.
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No, the right pronunciation is : electrocompanEEt
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