Amp/Preamp Asylum: REVIEW: Electrocompaniet ECI3 Integrated Amplifier (SS) by LucM

Model:	ECI3
Category:	Integrated Amplifier (SS)
Suggested Retail Price:	1800$
Description:	integrated amplifier
Manufacturer URL:	Electrocompaniet
Model Picture:	View

Review by LucM ( A ) on April 09, 2003 at 14:26:23
IP Address: 81.49.77.82

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This is a simple review. I am not a specialist. It is just to share my experience.. So you will keep your ears more open that I did
since more thant one year, I was thinking of replacing my old amplifier. It is a Sansui Aux911DG that was playing for me since 13 years. unfortunatly I was having the impress that something was going wrong, and that It was not as good as it use to be.
So I go to do some shopping. I had chance only to compare some product. The superb Classe cap 101, a Rotel ( did not remember type) and a Electrocompaniet ECI4 and then ECI3 ,a Vincent. I did not done the compare correctly, because I compare these amplifiers with loudspeakers very different from mine. I did prefer the Vincent but was not too confident to by a class A amplifier. I need an amplifier not a central eater. My second choice was the classe, but I found it a little "cold" so I change my mine for a amplifier who was sounding a little different, whith clearer medium, I did select the electrocompaniet, and as I am listening a low level , took the ECI3. Before bying It I did make a remark to the saleman about lack of bass, but he ensure me that it was due to the loudspeaker in use. So, after a big cheque I did come back home to install this new product.
First impress of the eci3 at home.
I did install the amplifier very fast and connect it to my old Celestion Ditton 88, and only to the cd Marantz 600 Ose Le as a start... with the Amplifier cold the first impress was rather positive, but I was not totaly convince.. Something was strange with the sound. Everything was realy clearer than with the sansui, but I was having a strange feeling.. I glance at the manual and read the advice for 2 hours warming up and 36 hours of burning.... so I go to bed letting the ECI3 working all night....
Impress after warming up......
Listening to big orchestra was a strange experience... Some instruments was rather perfect, other seems to have changed place... I was still having the strange feeling of something wrong but was not abble to clarify... The music was looking simplier
Left home for work with the ECI3 working and invite a good friend with It Nemo amplifier for a local listening.
Direct compare home between:
eci3 , sansui and Nemo , then a Quad 405 on the same equipement explain me my bad feeling. With the ECI3 all music was simple... because a lot of instruments was not reproduce at all... Something inimaginable for me. This Eci 3 was not amplifying, It was changing the music.. All the bass section of instrument was remove, exactly like a phase cancellation, probably under 150 hz, giving a different sound of all music. Not a bad sound, but not a real sounding. Worse that that, on some records some note were purely cancel, no big tube on a organ, remove bass key on piano keyboard give a totaly different sound.
More strange, the more this ECI3 was working, the more harsh was the tonality, with a erratic volume control that lets some sound into loudspeaker when set to zero.
So I bring back this amplifier to the shop for a checkup, and contact directly electrocompaniet using the service mail on they web page.
According to electrocompaniet service,contacted by my saleman, It is normal to get sound into speaker with volume set to zero. According to the saleman the sound of this amplifier was normal for an Electrocompaniet product and was a kind of sonore signature..
I would like to thanks Electrocompaniet for they very fast answer to my mail... they answer me 3 weeks later... I was no more the owner of this product..
I just hope this model was defective. But I will never know, because I found a realy better product and replace it after 5 days of sad use. If you select this product, be shure to test these points

Product Weakness: unstable tonality that change when warmup.
No bass at all.
Harsh treeble when warm up
Change music to make it simplier
Kill micro informations.

Product Strengths: Clear medium

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	ECI3
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	None
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	marantz cd 600 ose Le
Speakers:	Celestion Ditton 88
Cables/Interconnects:	monster cables
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	jazz, classic, R&B, pop ect
Room Size (LxWxH):	5m x 7m x 4.5m
Room Comments/Treatments:	normal living room
Time Period/Length of Audition:	5 full days as a owner
Type of Audition/Review:	Home Audition