Power Dynamics clearness and nice set up.

There is no way you could enjoy MUSIC !

When i tested this amplifier i was expected to listen a fine musical result in audio spectrum instead i was terrified !! The audio stage was blunt and dark without finess The only thing i could say is i could hear clearness and bass control Too expensive for such poor music.

Similar Products Used:

Accuphase 211 Magnum 200se Thule 160ia Nad 370 Musical Fidelity A3.2 etc.

Very simple,classy, egronomic design, stunning looks. Sonically the best of solid-state and tubes without the hassles of tubes. An incredible value in my book.

No enough dealers. Sonically, you would find weaknesses only when compared to double-the-price separates. As for integrateds, it is without real competition in it's class.

After owning Cary monoblocks (reliability problems but ok sound), Sim Audio (very fast but omnipresent bass and slight brightness in upper frequences ) , Musical Fidelity ( so much detail, somewhat thinner sound that I could not listen for extended periods) I finally found a perfect balance with this wonderfull product. the EC-3 is very tube-like, but not veiled, it has a harmonic richness to it, a plump yet clear and seductive midrange. How they can produce such a magnificent unit for so littel money is beyond me. I have owned mega-buck ( and I do mean mega-buck) amps and preamps in the past, but this combination of McIntosh-like classy glass/acrylic looks and seductive sound is an all around winner. A keeper for sure, at last.

Similar Products Used:

Sim Audio I-5, Musical Fidelity A-300, McCormack DNA-125 amp and McCormack preamp, Cary Audio monoblocks.

Classy, simple, very, very well balanced sound, with a magic midrange as a bonus.

Wish the standby button would be on the amp, not just the remote.

Well it's about time I contribute to this fine forum, after many years of "just looking in". Interesting comments about the EC-3, most of them on the money. Yes, it does sound tube-like, almost as tubey as Sonic Frontiers separates, know for sounding not tubey in the first place. This is where fine gear match. At the highest level of both solid-state and tubes, they converge toward each other, in my umble opinion. I have owned a Sim Audio MOON I-5, a Musical Fidelity A-300, a McCintosh 6850 integrated, plus a megabuck tube system (CARY) all in the last 4 years. Part of my switching between amps was for the sheer fun of it. The other part was because I was never satisfied - until now. The megabuck tube gear was great to listen to - when it worked. Great sound, but great hassle and uneven service. Pop a tube. Replace it. Bias it. Turn it on. Wait for the tubes to warm up. You know the drill. All this time I missed a certain tiny Naim Nait 1 integrated that I had from 1983 to 1993. I switched on this little wonder the day I bought it and turned it off the day I sold it ten years later. Always on. always ready. Back to the EC-3. What can I say. It's a keeper. It looks like a $ 5,000.00 McCintosh product with it's classy glass (acrylic?) faceplate. Actually it looks better than a Mac as it does not look like a christmas tree either. The Sim I-5 was a faster, probably more spectacular amplifier at first listen, until I found out that extra bass was ALWAYS present, and that the to end was kind of dry. A fine product nevertheless, but not for extended listening. The Musical Fidelity is also a fine product, not as powerfull subjectively as it's 150 watt/channel implies. I found it too lean and bright for my taste. The Mac integrated, what a deception. Uneven bass, too round and uneven, your typical MOFSET 1970's sound. Sorry for the Mac fan out there, but Im not into Harley Davidsons either. The EC-3 hits a tonal balance that is supremely musical and warm. I honestly think nothing touches it's sonic strength even at twice the price. That's how good it is. Listen to Patricia Barber on this amp if you can. You will not beleive the magic this amp creates for such a low price. I recommend this amp highly, a must audition. Too bad it's not easily available, you may have to search it to find it. Very funny line by a previous reviewer.....( on the YBA integrated)...thanks

Similar Products Used:

Moon I-1, Musical Fidelity A-300. Mac 6850, CARY monoblocks and preamp.

competes with the mega buck separates in so many ways, except for mabey that last ounce of extension and control.

the remote could have been more elaborate, but thats it.

i''''ve browsed this sight aplenty, and now its time to make a contribution. i own two integrateds and both are great for different reasons. my electro is a fantastic amp as far as comunicating the musical message, with a shimmering tube -like midrange and good dynamics to boot. i think that the midrange is as good as anything out there and usually better; this is what realy sets this int. apart from the others at the same or higher cost. [i''''ve owned a few] when i want to relax and sink into a nice warm sound then i turn on the electro, and when i want to rock out, then i crank up my exposure int.amp which is a more attacking sound, albiet not so refined. the electro does a nice job of reproducing all music types and seems to have enough grunt to drive my 84db powerpigs with a little room to spare; this is good news if you have a larger room. to summarize: the electro is a real class act that i highly recommend to all! you may want to give image audio a try in london ontario, for great knowledge and service.

Similar Products Used:

yba integre'''', exposure 2010, sonic frontiers origional int.amp, also pricey separates.

Tube smoothness, solid state bass tightness. Wonderfully musical. Great for true balanced gear.

70 WPC rating dupes you into thinking it''s less than it is. Also, no phono preamp, but at this level you should be using an outboard anyway.

So, after a couple of years fooling around buying audio equipment, gradually moving into more expensive stuff, I''ve found something that cures my technophile itch to "upgrade". I found this integrated amplifier at a local store, after getting frustrated over another amp I was using having hash issues in the remote stage. Wish I''d bought it earlier. This amplifier makes me want to listen to music. All the time. It has caused me to reconsider my investment in surround sound, which may well mean I liquidate that entire system to go back to strict two channel. Do keep in mind, as you read this, that I am talking in this price range, not the realm of, say, the EC Nemo monoblocks. I''m not familiar with anything too much beyond this, apart from the store demo equipment here in town. I hesitate to use too much "audio jargon", just because it starts to feel like an end in itself. I will say that with this amp, I noticed more nuances in the music. It felt more complete, full and present. Coupled with my digital source, this thing is just fantastic. It can easily drive a surprising load, like a pair of Maggie 1.6QRs. The key here is this thing pushes, oh, about 60 amps of current. Hello. This amp is fully balanced, not merely XLR jacks on it, and coupled with a likewise balanced CD player, it''s tough to beat, especially in this price range. I''m pleased that there are balanced preamp outs as well, if I ever(ha!) decide to use it as a preamp and get more juice. The only real thing to watch for is the jumpers in the XLR inputs- if they aren''t there when you have no balanced source, it''ll sound pretty bad. Make sure you keep those jumpers in ;D If there''s anything I have against this amplifier, it''s that because of its quality I wound up shelling out another $2300 for a used EMC-1 CD player, but is that really such a bad thing? My System: Electrocompaniet ECI-3 Integrated Amp Electrocompaniet EMC-1 CD Player Magnepan 1.6/QR Speakers PS Audio Ultimate Outlet Zu Cable Wax Speaker cable w/jumpers Zu Cable Birth Power cables Nordost Blue Heaven XLR Interconnects Sumiko Pro-ject Wood Classic(Grado Red cart)

Similar Products Used:

Roksan Kandy KA-1, NAD C350, Jolida JD-302B

Great detail and treble, punchy and fast floor-shaking bass, silk-smooth midrange, great overall balance, looks!

remote controller feels plasticky

I upgraded my system and replaced Yamaha AX-892 with Electrocompaniet ECI3 and I do not regret it! It's fine detail ,wide and open sound amazed me. Vocals are clear and vocalists are present in my room, bass is fast, deep and well controlled (I use TaraLabs RSC Prime1000 Biwire speaker cable and ESA Ostinato2000 speakers). For that money (999£) it truly is a bargain! Great job, Norse guys!

It turns sound into music

Smooth, detailed sound, you never get tired to listen. That machine can play very loud, much louder you think 70 Watts can do, and always sound fine. I,ve compared it with an Adcom PA (300 W) and the Adcom sounded louder but you can´t hear things you hear whith the ECI-3. Absolutely amazing. One friend of mine said " The gear disapears and only the musicians left". Really, if you are looking for an integrated amplifier about $1500 (in Spain) you have to listen to it.

My chain is:
CD: Arcam alpha 8 SE
Loudspeakers: Proac Studio 125

Similar Products Used:

NAD Integrated, Adcom, Rotel

Creates a very good soundstage at this price range.

The bass is too lightweight. This demands careful speaker matching.

Many people have before described the Electrocompaniet sound as warm and tubelike. This could discribe the sound of the ECI-1, but not the ECI-3 which is more neutral.
This amplifier needs careful speaker matching. On my Avalon Avatar speakers the whole bass region is very lightweight (under about 200Hz). It could also have more punch, especially in the mid-bass (80 to 150 Hz). The Audio Research CA-50 is a much better choice with a much more punch in the bass, more liquid and smooth midrange with more detail and with a wider and deeper soundstage. But the CA-50 is also more expensive.
I have also tried the ECI-3 on Totem Signature Model 1 speakers. Now the bass was much better, but the midrange was a little too bright.
What could be a good match is the Dynaudio Contour 1.1 which have a warmer midrange, together with a smooth sounding CD-player like Audio Aero Prima CD.
In Norway the Electrocompaniet ECI-3 comes cheap, only $1300. This makes it a good value for the money if you find the right speakers.
Before Electrocompaniet have had problems with a little edgy upper midrange. This is no problem any more.
The rest of my system:
Avalon Avatar speakers, Audio Aero Prima CD, Transparent Audio cables (Music Wave Plus, Music Link Plus, Powerlink Plus).

Similar Products Used:

Audio Research CA-50, Densen DM-10, Electrocompaniet ECI-1

High end Qualities at a reasonable price, LOOKS SEXY!

Cheap Tacky Remote (functional though). Can't put in stand-by mode without remote. Feet are on the piss (lop sided), not really what you'd expect for the $. Small problem though.

Tried the ME combo and found it to have a big fingerprint of being all balls. Not very delicate or polite. The M/F was nice but still not quite right in the fact that it didn't sound anywhere near as musical as the EC.

I auditioned the EC twice only before I knew that it was for me. It was being used with a Meridian 508 and a pair of Naut 804's that are next on my list.

This amp is just so musical. it sounds the least like an amplifier out of all the one's I've heard. There is truth in saying that the amp disappears leaving only the musicians in front of you.

MY SYSTEM:
Alchemist APD39A Kraken two-piece CD Player
ECI-3 (of course)
Orpheus Aurora 3 Speakers
Hand-made 6N silver interconnects
Tara-Labs Speaker cable - bi-wired

Similar Products Used:

ME 15 & ME 550 combo
Musical Fidelity A3

Wow! Wow! Wow!

Are you crazy?

I was just about to buy a Rega Mira amp, to replace my excellent but aged Pioneer A-400. I was very enthusiastic about the Rega's sonic strenghts, when I fell by accident to a direct comparison with ECI-3. I had heard some electro'w preams/power amps in the past, they sounded fantastic, but they were well outside my budget. This piece was almost out of my budget, too- almost 2,5 times more expensive than the Rega amp. But then , it was not so difficult ot understand that this was a Porsche against a VW beatle. Then, i tried the Electro amp against a Krell pre/power combo monster, and yes, it sounded at least as good as that. Yep. So, I went to a bank, pulled out my last savings, and now I'm the happy owner of one of the most explicit sounding amps in the universe. For the price, the ECI-3 is much, much more than a bargain. For the moment, it cooperates with Project 6.1/Ortofon Mc-30 supreme, Sony 930 CD player (another big wow!-but this is another story to tell you), and B&W P-4 speakers (I think I will NEVER give them up- at least as far as my playing hall is smaller than 50 m2). To sum up: this is real, ultimate high end- but not at the price.