anyone used with ELAC BS244?

Simply love it. Own this amp for over 12 years since it was bought new - holding on to it despite expanding over more expensive amps and tubes. This unit is utterly reliable and timeless. Same for sound quality: it holds its own through sheer musicality and authority. Would describe it a constant performer that was easily matched to a variety of speakers tried over the last decade - it for instance played succesfully with sonus faber as well as yamaha's 1000's.

MUSICAL and powerful. Don't be fooled by its 50W/pc rating. It is really powerful. 550VA transformer, large and small capacitor bank together with FTT technoloy make it a 45amp monster. Looks elegant, like a piece of art. The knobs are solid metal and the speaker terminals are heavy duty WBT's.

A little bit hot (but it is Class A)

Because of the audio bug I recently audition to different amplifiers, same grade as ECI-2 or a little bit higher grade (in terms of price). I audition to Musical Fidelity, Primare, Accuphase, ECI-3..and even some local made tube amps. Conclusion is I will keep my ECI-2. It is just MUSICAL. Tonality is a little bit tube-like, warm and not too analytical. I think I need to pay more than twice if I want to get noticeble improvement. Suprisingly it is better sound than ECI-3. I don't know why because ECI-3 is DC couple and balanced circuit. Maybe the components of ECI-2 is better???

Similar Products Used:

Not really own below but audition more than once with my familiar CDs....MF A3, A300; Primare A20, A30.1; Accuphase E-211, E407; Audio Space AS8i; ECI-3.....

Quality, smoothness, punch and price.

None worth bothering but do swap that power-cord.

Now superceeded by the EC1/3 this well made integrated is a bargain if you can pick one up on the second-hand market. Straight out of the box the overall impression I would say was only average - this unit as any Electro' owner will tell you needs to be left switched on all the time. Secondly, ditch the standard power-cord and upgrade this immediately...the result will give you a lovely smooth, powerful whiff of the high end for small change. Yes it does lend a warm tint to the music but that doesn't result in any particularly bad trade-offs, instead you can sit back and relax and let the music flow without fatigue. I have since traded up to an Electro' pre/power combo which simply adds to the strengths of this amp...thoroughly recommended.

Similar Products Used:

MF A3, Arcam, Roksan et al

A message to Wal and all or any lookers to this site:
1. Leave this baby switched on all day and night - believe me you will not harm it and you will get much, much better sound.

2. If you lose signal as Wal did, this is due to poor earthing on input sockets. A quick look inside will show why, the phono sockets are fixed hard onto the printed circuit board, the board flexes and breaks the connections, hard wire a piece of cable from the socket to a suitable place on the board and voila - sound is restored.

Overall a lovely amp for the money, changing hands at about £500 Uk second hand mint condition samples.

Warm detailed sound, wonderfully musical. Wery informative.

No remote

Used with Electorcompaniet RCI-2 integrated amplifier,
Kirksaether Prisma 250 speakers, Tara Labs Phase III speaker
cable and Audioquest Turquoise interconnects.

Solid build. Non obtrusive or too aggresive sound. General balance.

mid and high a bit conservative.

This amp sounds good (at the time I bought it and it faces serious competition now); but is not capable for all kind of music, due to its little bit mellow and conservative nature. As compared to the A3 its lacks rythms and openess and it does not have the neutrality of the Puccini SE.

I think it is a matter of taste.

Similar Products Used:

Musical Fidelity A3; Audio Analogue Puccini SE

I'd like to endorse Wal's view of the EC1-2, but I have a few further comments.
Rhythm - don't let the Naim comparison put you off. I had the usual multibox Naim setup which I jettisoned for the EC1-2. I don't miss it. The EC1-2's capabilities in this area are more than satisfactory, and for me it outscores my old Naim system in just about every other area.

Wal's comments on the sound signature of the EC1-2 are right on the button. Even though only £995, it is a very serious amp, capable of standing up to very high quality sources and speakers. Assume it can't drive American superspeakers like Egglestonworks? Think again. Eggleston Fontaines sounded so great with the EC1-2 I bought a pair (even at a coronary-inducing £4650.) The high current EC1-2 (>45A) took them in its stride.

All in all, a very fine amplifier that punches way above its weight. Five stars for fantastic value.

Depth and liquidity of sound. Although only rated at 50 watts, it could power a bus, never mind speakers!

None, now that the service backup has been sorted

Just a few words of thanks to Petter Hagen of Electrocompaniet themselves, for his willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty in sorting out my sick ECI-2. Unlike certain other companies, they showed great concern over my predicament and always returned my calls and E-Mails(I must add that the dealer I bought the amp from was entirely blameless as well).
Anyway, the company now have a new distributor in this country and I wish them every success with their products and as soon as i can afford it, I might chance a listen to their CD player!!

Similar Products Used:

Audio Analogue Puccini SE, Linn Majik, Cambridge Audio P70, Magnum Class A SE

Guess what, I have just bought a pair Silver plated copper
cable from QED to interconnect my CD player and the ECI-2.
I could not believe the improvement. The mid and high are so
articulate. The overall balance is smooth and sweet. I am
sorry to post an unfair review to this amp. Now I'd rather
keep it and will not trade it for anything.