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Electrocompaniet EC4.6 Preamplifier Electrocompaniet EC4.6 Preamplifier Posted On 6.05.2020
Last Update On 6.05.2020 Electrocompaniet EC4.6 Preamplifier
Electrocompaniet EC4.6 Preamplifier Electrocompaniet EC4.6 Preamplifier Electrocompaniet EC4.6 Preamplifier Electrocompaniet EC4.6 Preamplifier Electrocompaniet EC4.6 Preamplifier Electrocompaniet EC4.6 Preamplifier
Description Original Description is in English, other language texts are translations and can contain errors. EnglishDeutschTurkish

UPC:

Electrocompaniet EC4.6 Preamp

Condition:

Used

Weight:

12.00 KGS

Minimum Purchase:

1 unit

Maximum Purchase:

1 unit

Shipping:

Calculated at Checkout


Very good with remote control.


The 4.6 is a rich-sounding preamp that palpably presents the naturally occurring vibrato of violins, guitars, and vocals as sound emanating from the movement of air. In my system, music jelled into a corporeal excitation of my whole body. I connected my Classe CA100 amp to the EC 4.6 in balanced operation, using an Acrotec interconnect. Balanced mode was preferable, as there seemed to be less of a "hush" and perhaps less "speed" to music in single-ended operation, though the pairing still sounded good that way. Perhaps you know what I mean when I say the "hush" of a live event, where people wait somewhat breathlessly for music to start. It’s a non-musical part of music reproduction, a sense that anything is possible at the next moment.. The quiet of the EC 4.6, whether in balanced or unbalanced mode, allows images to be presented precisely, in a way which is initially a little unnerving but ultimately quite satisfying. While image outlines weren’t as deeply inscribed in the soundstage as they are with some other preamps, there was a weight to the images that made the presentation very enjoyable. What I like about my E.A.R. 802 preamp, and tubes in general, is that they present vocals with a liquidity, or fullness and continuousness of tone that solid state generally doesn’t have. When a female vocalist has an especially beautiful voice, like Johnatha Brown, Emmylou Harris, or Mary Black, vocals are just that much more bell-like in clarity and tone. In my system, the EC comes the closest to presenting the valued properties of tubes as any solid state preamp I’ve heard.

The tonal balance of the EC was satisfying as well. If I were in the market right now, and didn’t own the E.A.R. preamp, I could happily own the EC. The E.A.R. seemed ever so slightly better at sustained tone, though I confess that I had to switch back and forth between the two preamps four or five times to come up with a preference for the E.A.R. In fact, it was only in the comparison between the two that I noticed any graininess in the EC. It is possible that, over time, the graininess would rise more to the fore, but it didn’t present itself during my listening. Tonally, the 802 and 4.6s’ presentations were very similar, and both strike me as being quite right. Frequency extension was good with the EC—not awesome, but providing a listening experience that called for more late night listening than more strikingly extended products. In comparing the E.A.R. to the EC, both seemed equally, though somewhat differently extended. The EC seemed to have slightly better definition of bottom end transients, but at the cost of the E.A.R.’s slightly better pitch definition. With electric bass guitar you may not detect any difference; what I’m describing only showed up on recordings of acoustic bass. The overall presentation of the EC was of the laid back variety. Nothing was "in your face," which is nice in my estimation. Horns can sometimes be quite "blary" and a little forward sounding, but those qualities usually show up during transient peaks, as is appropriate. Except when called for, little about the EC would qualify as "forward." In short, the Electrocompaniet 4.6 preamp presented all the detail I wanted, without shoving it in my face or requiring extra effort to hear music. That works for me.

Soundstaging, that (to me) unimportant audiophile gauge of performance, was again a slightly mixed bag compared to the E.A.R., but was in the upper echelon. Images, as with other exceptional preamps, were rock solid, at least in the left/right plane, lending a heightened sense of realism to the presentation. Image depth was less exceptional, but to me that parameter is mostly baloney. Image outlines are more clearly delineated than with the E.A.R., but I’m not sure that this is musically significant to me. I include this "criticism" for the sake of completeness, not because the EC’s performance was lacking in my mind.

Electrocompaniet makes some of the most balanced, enjoyable music-making equipment under the sun. Isn’t it nice to think that someone delivers a product whose looks imply the craftsmanship of Cartier or Rolex, along with the equivalent sound quality?

here is an excerpt of the review The 4.6 is a rich-sounding preamp that palpably presents the naturally occurring vibrato of violins, guitars, and vocals as sound emanating from the movement of air. In my system, music jelled into a corporeal excitation of my whole body. I connected my Classe CA100 amp to the EC 4.6 in balanced operation, using an Acrotec interconnect. Balanced mode was preferable, as there seemed to be less of a "hush" and perhaps less "speed" to music in single-ended operation, though the pairing still sounded good that way. Perhaps you know what I mean when I say the "hush" of a live event, where people wait somewhat breathlessly for music to start. It’s a non-musical part of music reproduction, a sense that anything is possible at the next moment.. The quiet of the EC 4.6, whether in balanced or unbalanced mode, allows images to be presented precisely, in a way which is initially a little unnerving but ultimately quite satisfying. While image outlines weren’t as deeply inscribed in the soundstage as they are with some other preamps, there was a weight to the images that made the presentation very enjoyable. What I like about my E.A.R. 802 preamp, and tubes in general, is that they present vocals with a liquidity, or fullness and continuousness of tone that solid state generally doesn’t have. When a female vocalist has an especially beautiful voice, like Johnatha Brown, Emmylou Harris, or Mary Black, vocals are just that much more bell-like in clarity and tone. In my system, the EC comes the closest to presenting the valued properties of tubes as any solid state preamp I’ve heard. The tonal balance of the EC was satisfying as well. If I were in the market right now, and didn’t own the E.A.R. preamp, I could happily own the EC. The E.A.R. seemed ever so slightly better at sustained tone, though I confess that I had to switch back and forth between the two preamps four or five times to come up with a preference for the E.A.R. In fact, it was only in the comparison between the two that I noticed any graininess in the EC. It is possible that, over time, the graininess would rise more to the fore, but it didn’t present itself during my listening. Tonally, the 802 and 4.6s’ presentations were very similar, and both strike me as being quite right. Frequency extension was good with the EC—not awesome, but providing a listening experience that called for more late night listening than more strikingly extended products. In comparing the E.A.R. to the EC, both seemed equally, though somewhat differently extended. The EC seemed to have slightly better definition of bottom end transients, but at the cost of the E.A.R.’s slightly better pitch definition. With electric bass guitar you may not detect any difference; what I’m describing only showed up on recordings of acoustic bass. The overall presentation of the EC was of the laid back variety. Nothing was "in your face," which is nice in my estimation. Horns can sometimes be quite "blary" and a little forward sounding, but those qualities usually show up during transient peaks, as is appropriate. Except when called for, little about the EC would qualify as "forward." In short, the Electrocompaniet 4.6 preamp presented all the detail I wanted, without shoving it in my face or requiring extra effort to hear music. That works for me. Soundstaging, that (to me) unimportant audiophile gauge of performance, was again a slightly mixed bag compared to the E.A.R., but was in the upper echelon. Images, as with other exceptional preamps, were rock solid, at least in the left/right plane, lending a heightened sense of realism to the presentation. Image depth was less exceptional, but to me that parameter is mostly baloney. Image outlines are more clearly delineated than with the E.A.R., but I’m not sure that this is musically significant to me. I include this "criticism" for the sake of completeness, not because the EC’s performance was lacking in my mind. Electrocompaniet makes some of the most balanced, enjoyable music-making equipment under the sun. Isn’t it nice to think that someone delivers a product whose looks imply the craftsmanship of Cartier or Rolex, along with the equivalent sound quality?

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