Electrocompaniet, how does it sound?

[lumanauw]

Does anyone has a chance to hear the Electrocompaniet/Otala amplifier? How does it sound? And how does it performs compared to more "recently" designs?

 

[destroyer X]

Yes, good question.... how does it sounds?

I will be happy to hear someone answering that Lumanauw thread.

As i also want to know.

And also compared with something we all know...let's see..JLH..or other one known

regards,

Carlos

 

[jacco vermeulen]

Which Electrocompaniet model ?

 

[ashok]

Model numbers .................

How about any one that you have heard .
Especially the older ones. If they sound different...........

Older ones ( EC) against newer known amps.
Older ones ( EC ) against the newer ones(EC) .
Cheers.

 

[lumanauw]

Yes, comment on any amp. The products inself are rare, and the factory is closed now.

 

[john curl]

It sounds GREAT! I bought my first one, 30 years ago. I have another in my lab sound system.

 

[adason]

john,
can you comment the schematics? is there anything different? special?
thanks
http://home.online.no/~tsandstr/schematics_of_the_real_ec_25w_am.htm

 

[lumanauw]

There is a piece of scanned old "review" that says Electrocompaniet amp (25W) is "the best amplifier" but cannot be bought in USA (at that time).

JC, do you use it for benchmarking, or is it only for your collection?

 

[ashok]

Hi John (Curl),
Would it be possible for you to compare it against any other amp. Say a Bryston (3b!) or something else that is made more recently?

I know this might not mean too much without taking into account the rest of the system. However if you have an opinion I would like to hear about it.
Thanks.
Ashok.

 

[analog_sa]

Thanks to diyaudio member Tubenut i once spent an evening listening to the AW180 monoblocks. For solid state they are absolutely sublime. Natural, non-exagerated, well extended sound with good soundstage. If i had to live with SS this (or more likely a diy copy) would be my choice.

 

[john curl]

It beats one of my cheaper designs. This is pretty darn good. Of course, I make more expensive and equally, if not better designs. It HAS a very high open loop bandwidth, and high slew-rate. This is what makes it great, it should beat many commercial amps out there at moderate levels. I cannot compare it to other commercial units, as this is inappropriate.

 

[destroyer X]

The complete service was done, fast, clear and no doubts remains in my mind.

Thank you John Curl.

Good to have you here.

Carlos

 

[ashok]

Thank you John. Your comments were quite sufficient.

Quote :....I cannot compare it to other commercial units, as this is inappropriate......

Quite right. That would be inappropriate.

Thanks,
Ashok.

 

[lumanauw]

AW180 monoblocks

From what company is that?

 

[lumanauw]

JC said good thing about it, it must be goood.
It uses degenerated bipolar differential (while JC likes Jfet there).
I wonder how can this achieve large OL bandwith. The differential is 2 stages in series, the VAS is current mirrored. Usually, this design result in high OL gain with low OL bandwith

 

[jacco vermeulen]

The products inself are rare, and the factory is closed now.

I thought Per Abrahamsen sold the company a year ago and Electrocompaniet is still producing ?

I owned an AW250 for some time, in my view the design and the sound had no flaws.
I used the components and layout of the AW250 for my first diy amp, Per Abrahamsen made a very rational layout and put the money where it was needed.
The AW250 used economical heatsinks but 12 ring-emitter output devices per channel.
The same layout is still used for the AW250R, AW180 and the Nemo, with updated heatsinks
The last time i saw it the AW250R had a MSRP nearly the same as the AW250 had 15 years ago.
I also had the AW75 and the EC3, both very musical, around 1990 the EC3 preamp had the best value for money in my view.
(Though i wish i had the money for a ML/JC at the time )

Like Mark Levinson, Per Abrahamsen was a musician first, all Electrocompaniet components i heard sounded like it ; the AW65, 100, 120.
The word AmpliWire(AW) i think is very original.

The 25 watt design by Matti Otala is a major milestone in audio history, his work was a great influence to others, like Jean Hiraga and Akihiko Kaneda.
I think it is the only amplifier design that can be built with Philips components only, does over 100V/uS with a bandwidth of 1 MHz on 2 MHz output transistors .

I built the AthSam's version,Sam electronics circuits,
(mind the powerline voltages !)
Sam also has a link to an inverter circuit with a TL074, in my view the output stage of Otala's design is great for bridging.
Bridged it had ample power to drive ESL63's.

 

[Cobra2]

I have had the "2 channel amp"

And listened to other old ones.
Maybe better than an old NAD...but not much.
And the smaller models lacks power to drive a complex load.
They are known to sound smooth, almost "tube-sound", (maybe because one of the constructors is/used to be a guitar-player & jazz lover...?).

Collector items...IMHO

Arne K

 

[destroyer X]

That inapropriate meaning is what is moving me.

Because can be inapropriate (or unapropriate.... terrible my english) to plus side...or to minus side.

Maybe we cannot compare, because too much good to compare with those shops brands.

Maybe cannot be compared to hi tech, special audiophile expensive units, because will loose easy in that comparison.

But could be reasonable compared to one of the first Curl designs...this is a very strong reference...bad it is not... guaranteed... as he already started in a high level of quality.

Carlos

 

[analog_sa]

From what company is that?

From what company can it possibly be in a thread about Electrocompaniet?

 

[destroyer X]

Can be also some "series"...the electro partner series...do not need to be the brand

Of course, as we know Electrocompaniet is a company, a industry

But could also be some series...the partner...companiet.....of the
Karamazov, Iliyshin, Boskarewisky tovariche Company...why not?

regards,

Carlos