This unit is drop dead gorgeous in both build and sound qualities. As far as CD's is concerned, this player has reached an exalted level of performance unsurpassed by many so called 'high-end' CD Players. Very natural Mid coupled with a silky smooth top end extension and a remarkable bass response. Give it a good recording and there's a naturalness to its sound that's absolutely intoxicating.

I've agreed with one of the reviewer here regarding 'balanced' and 'unbalanced' interconnects. I too found "balanced" to be more superior to "unbalanced" regardless of brands when using via EMC-1 unit.

System comprising:

Stax Omega II System (Electrostatic Earspeakers)
Interconnect: Granite Audio 470 XLR (balanced)

Build quality, design, appearance, sonics

Cheap plastic remote, display cannot be dimmed or brightened.

I'd like to give some background as a perspective toward the opinions I'm about to express. First, I have owned this product for 1.5 years - so this review is based on both initial impressions, but more importantly, living with the product in my system for quite some time. Secondly, I have heard this machine directly comparisoned to a couple of others players - and only for brief periods. These direct comparisons were performed outside my personal listening environment, in a system that was somewhat familiar to me. Overall, my two points are that I've spent a good deal of time with this machine to learn its characteristics (unlike some of the reviews written), and that any comparison I've done is not particularly scientific. But I don't believe that too many of the other reviews have been particularly objective, so......

The other components in my system:
Aronov LS960i Integrated Amp
Dantax Vision II speakers
Synergistic Research MK II Speaker Cable
Nordost Quatrofil Interconnect (RCA)
Bybee Ultra Speaker Filters
Bybee Interconnect Filter
Bybee Signature Line Conditioner
Electa Glide Fat Man Power Cords (2)
Electra Glide PT Glide
Premier Audio Stand

The PT Glide is set up on the EMC 1. One Fat Man runs from the wall to the line conditioner. One Fat Man runs from the integrated amp to the line conditioner. In my system, the integrated amp sounds better plugged into the line conditioner rather than directly to the wall. My room is 20' x 13", I have no room treatments (hmmm - maybe someday).

The first time I heard the EMC 1 was on a system that I was somewhat familiar. My very first impression was one of relaxation. It allowed to settle in and listen to the music. Prior to dealer inserting the EMC 1 in that system, I found the sound to be somewhat analytical, focussing more on the components and less on the music. Next, I noticed the size of the sound stage. It was wider, but especially deeper. Front to back layering of the instruments in the stage was much more apparent. Third, images had excellent definition, solidity, were well placed in the stage, and held their position - not floating about. Fourth was the weight and authority of the bass. I had not heard this level of quality in the bass from a digital component before. It was fast and taught. Fifth was the cohesive nature of the music throughout the entire frequency range. The sound was smooth, and extended without sounding harsh. Lastly, was the detail with which the player could provide without sounding analytical - oh, I said that first, oh well.

OK, so thats the way I would describe the sound after listening at the dealer. I probably spent 3-4 hours listening to the EMC 1 total during 3 separate visits (driving my dealer nuts) before making the purchase. This was a no-brainer (actually, it probably is a brainer) Anyway, the EMC 1 sounded better than the three other players the dealer carried, and I think much better than anything I had heard to date. For the first time, my ears felt no digital fatigue. So how does it sound at my home?

In a word....great! Very musical. I found myself hearing detail on my CDs I had not heard until buying the EMC 1. My system is a bit bright overall, and any hot recording accentuates that problem. I am going to disagree, to some extent, with some of the other reviewers when they so a bad recording sounds bad on this player. While those kinds of recordings don't sound particularly good on the EMC 1, but they sound far worse on other machines. I actually have some recordings that I thought sounded really bad on my system before, that are tolerable today...well if I sit in the next room. Seriously, it's much better than before.

Another plus, my wife actually like how this player looks. She is rather tolerant of the audiophile stuff as wives go. She puts up with the Fat Man "pipes" sticking out all over the place, but says they are extremely ugly, and reminds of the fact I have them every time she wants new jewelry. But seriously, the EMC 1 gets her thumbs up on cosmetic appeal. She also likes the sound. She is very sensitive to bright sounding systems, and usually begins to complain that her ears hurt after 30-45 minutes of listening.

This player is not cheap, but is extremely well constructed (probably bullet proof) and sounds fantastic. For that, it must be considered a good buy or even a bargain. I've enjoyed this player so much, I have not even considered entertaining the thought of replacing it with another. This is the ONLY product in my system that I can say this about.

Electrocompaniet has a new upgrade for this player to make it 24/192. I am interested. Does anyone know how this upgrade sounds or has improved this player? Thanks.

Similar Products Used:

Have used products: Marantz CD63 SE, Wadia 830
Have heard products from Meridian, Mark Levinson, Krell, Naim, Camelot, Oracle, Sony, Audio Analogue, California Audio, Rega, Metronome

Build Quality, extremely detailed in sound, big sound stage, warm vocals.

Too heavy to move around, cheap remote control

Got this player only for a few days but has been listened to
it a few times at different places. AB comparison to YBA CD3
Alpha shows that this player has bigger sound stage and more
smooth vocals. Detailwise both players are in the same quality. Jadis is a bit on the warm side but definitely losing out in terms of details and sound stage. Still in the preliminary stage of listening to this player. Will submit my suppliment later. This is probably the best 24/96 high end CD player you can get at this price range and you eon't go wrong definitely if you buy this. Brand new in my country (Singapore) around US$2,000; YBA CD3 Alpha around US$2,900; Jadis JD3 around US$2,100.

Similar Products Used:

YBA CD3 Alpha, Jadis JD3

wonderfully made, perfect sound, (in my case) excellent value for money

cheap remote

I got the oppportunity to buy this player at a very low price, 50% of its original, being only 9 months old, which makes it an uncomparable value for money performance. I really enjoy the rich and easy sound, you listen to it for hours and music remains music. Apart from that I LOVE the wonderful uncompromised construction, which says that some people in Norway really worked hard to create the best they could think of, bottom up, no easy solutions, similar to Leica cameras or a Steinway grand.

After a while I might invest the extra money to upgrade the player to the 24/192 mode and balanced (XLR)amplification and some real good interconnects. In my current set up (with Quad 66/606 Amp -its unique remote works on the EMC-1!!- and Mirage M1-si speakers) I enjoy my entire CD collection like new from the beginning to the end.

I never think the restraint in listening to music should be in the quality of the recording, you cannot ask Sviatoslav Richter anymore to re-record his music under ultimate technical recording conditions, nor would I want to replace my CD collection just because a later technique (SACD) arrived, too much honor for the marketing guys. Therefor, the EMC-1 does most justice to my entire CD-collection. Even CDR's of sold out CD's and for instance the poorly recorded Looney Tunes soundtracks by the wonderful Carl Stalling are treated with greatest respect, the same respect that the designers/builders must have had when creating this trustworthy musical companion.

Similar Products Used:

AH tjoeb 99, (long ago) Meridian 206, (even longer ago) Denon DCD 3520

Bass extention and control

Shrill highs, overpriced in USA, solid-state signature

Review is based on new Mk II unit. System is Quad ESL-63, Air Tight ATM-2, Audioquest Diamond Kimber Monocle etc.

After reading the mostly positive reviews on this unit I took the plunge. Yes I allowed sufficient run in. The EMC-1 has a rising upper frequency response that no amount of system matching can tame. To my ears it also has an unmistakable solid-state signature of grain. I am not saying all SS gear sounds like this because it doesn't. Just when I listen to the EMC-1 it has a recognizable signature, definitely not neutral. The rising high frequency response can be observed in the technical measurements in one of the foreign language reviews on the EC website. I am not a “measurement guy”, I prefer to listen for judgment but I think the measurements do support my finding in this case. In my opinion the inexpensive Jupiter 2000 actually walked all over the EMC-1 on direct comparison in my system. The Jupiter sounded much more organic and musical. Instruments had their real timbres as opposed to the slightly bleached presentation on the EC. The EC did have better bass.
Politically I dislike what EC and the US importer have done with this unit. It sells for about $2000 in Europe but they have jacked up the price to more than double to give it “high end status.” I guess the importer must be making a killing on these. In fact it is more like a $2500 player. The cosmetics that look so great in the brochures failed to impress me when the unit arrived. This is a fairly negative review so future posters will try to discount it but I am calling it like I heard it. I agree word for word with Lai Ming Khoo below and was so happy to sell mine.

Similar Products Used:

Resolution Audio CD-55 Rega Jupiter 2000

VERY undigital! smooth...black....Sounds like the finest analog....liquid...bigass soundstage....depth unbeliveable !

REMOTE SUCKS...lucky I had a Sonic Frontiers aluminum puck . That went to a Iris Transport 3.It is a phillips top load to.Works fine with it.

This is what I always wanted to finally heard from a CD.Blows eveything I have heard away.With a Electra Glide Fat-Man K on it it surpasses all my previous digial/analog tables.I shake my head settle in the big chair..and drift away.I hear things never heard in the recordings that were meant to be heard....Soundstage must be 15 ft deep 12 feet wide...Layering..macro/micro/weight/air/BASS...BASS..BASS this is the BEST BARGIN in audio.Do not Hesitate....get one today.It likes air isolation like the older Townshend cd/sink's...and being level..360 degrees.Good power cord.My hat's off to Electrocompaniet....WSH

Similar Products Used:

Audio Logic 2400 tube upsampling DAC,Assemblage 24/96 upsampler.Proccessor 3 Sonic Frontiers upgraded.Tranport 3.SF SFD 2 awile ago....Sony 777es....Sony DVD 9000es..Marantz SA-14 sacd....

Move to Go. Collect as many $ as you need.
Advance to decent hi fi shop. Buy EMC1.
Nuff said.

Very well Built(like a Tank),Sweet Airy Highs - Smooth Analogue Mids - Bass is some of the BEST out there, and Extremely Attractive. World Class!

Rather Cheap REMOTE - Not to the Quality of the EMC1.

People Differ in Opinions and in Audio Equipment, this Audiophile Stuff is quite Subjective. No CD Player will sound the Same in Every situation (different equipment).
No Matter what equipment used or whatever anyone says - this is a World Class CD Player with the Sound and Looks to Prove it!
As soon as I Heard and Saw this Unit I got my checkbook out.
One of the Best in Digital CD Players. Its also, upgradable to 24/192 Status.

Equipment :

Electrocompaniet EMC 1 (soon to upgrade to New DAC)
BAT VK5i
(2) Classe' CA-201
Avalon Acoustics Arcus
Synergistic Research Reference MKII (all Balanced) Interconnects
Alpha Core M1 Speaker Cables
Synergistic Research Reference and Master AC Power Cords
Chang LightSpeed 9600 Line Conditioner

Similar Products Used:

too many to Mention

Well built [sturdy]
Tracks CD's very well, specially lower frequencies.
Creates a good sound stage, also very good to use as a CD Transport.

Display is very small and not bright enough.
Very poorly transported [From Norway to India]
Over built, feels like a Soviet Tank from the 1960's.
Un-Balanced 'analog out' not as good as the 'Balanced'.
Remote control is very 'cheesy' needs to be greatly re-worked.
No HDCD [needed for Reference Recording CD's]
The 4 buttons for navigation on the front of the CD Player get 'jammed'

27th May, 2001.

ELECTROCOMPANIET EMC-1.

Serial Number :- 01334.

Price Paid :- US $ 3,000/- .

Purchased from :- Sound of Music [New Delhi] INDIA.

An 'over built' CD Player, reasonably good sounding, I do wish that it sounded as good as its size and weight ! Unfortunately that is not to be. All the same, it sounds very good at its price and its price to performance ratio is reasonably good.

The player came to me very poorly packed and was kind of damanged in transit / transport. The CD cover / slider was dismanteled and freely moving about in the box.

I used the player for about 1 month playing it about 3 to 4 hours daily prior to my critically examining its sound reproduction qualities.

The CD Player tracks and reads CD's very well, specially the lower frequencies. It also creates a wonderful sound stage. Although its representation of the 'highs' is not so 'lush' or 'silky'.

The CD player performs better as a transport than as a full CD player. If used as a transport along with a good tube output DAC the combination is superior. Please do use the ASEUB digital output, it is far better than the SPDIF co-axil digital out.

Over all in absolute terms the CD Player would score a 7 out of 10, where say a 9 out of 10 would be awarded to the Forsell Air Bearing Transport + dcS Elgar [combination] or a Wadia 27 + 27 ix [combination] or a Burmester etc.

Electrocompaniet should make an effort to improve the quality of its IR Remote Control. Very poor for a CD Player that retails @ US $ 4,000/-. An analog volume control incorporation in the CD Player too would go a long way in making the CD Player a more attractive buy [It would eliminate the need of a Pre-Amplifier & 1 set of Interconnect Cables].

Testing and review carried out with :-

A] Equipment

Simaudio Moon Eclipse CD Player
Electrocompaniet EMC-1 CD Player
Ultech Audio UCD-100 CD Player + Sonif Frontier SFD !! Mk 2
Simaudio P-5 Pre Amplifier
Bryston BP-25 Pre Amplifier
Lexicon DC2 Pre-Amp / DAC / Processor
Bryston 7B ST Power Amplifier
Dynaudio Confidence 5 Loudspeakers
vdH [Van den Hul] ‘The Second’ Balanced XLR Interconnect
vdH [Van Den Hul] ‘The Revelation’ Speaker Cable
B] Music

M.A. Recordings - Begona Olavide / Mudejar MA042A
Water Lily Acoustics - Tabula Rasa WLA-CS-44-CD
ECM Records – Making Music / Zakir Hussain ECM – 1349
Moment Records – Ustad Sultan Khan MRCD – 1006
Reference Recordings – TUTTI ! RR-906CD
Telarc – A tribute to Oscar Peterson CD – 83401
Chesky Records – The Raven / Rebecca Pidgeon JD 115
Mercury – Essential / Yello 512 390 – 2

Mazher Bashir JAFFAR

27th May, 2001.

Mumbai [Bombay] INDIA

e-mail :- schwinn@bol.net.in

www.schwinnwarehousing.com

Similar Products Used:

Simaudio Moon Eclipse CD Player
Meridian 508.24
Ultech Audio UCD 100 + Sonic Frontier SFDII
Meridian 500 + Lexicon DC2

Elegantly styled. Easy to use. Built to last for years but still upgradeable. Deadly quiet with HUGE soundstage.

Made the rest of my room look like crap. Have to buy new furniture.

This will be the last CD player I buy. It sounds as good as the Sony with SACD and kills it on standard discs. Build quality and sound make you feel good about your purchase long after you've owned it. And that's rare in high-end audio.

WAF is extremely high. My girlfriend actually cleans for me because she likes how it sounds and hows nice it makes the room look.

Sonically, well, let me put it this way. I had money budgeted to purchase a new VPI turntable but that money is now being spent on new CD's.

Similar Products Used:

Wadia6, Sony SCD1