The most under recommended amp in the world...

[Sliced Bread]

Electrocompaniet Prelude PI-2

Seriously. Why is is this not recommended more often?

It sounds gorgeous!

 

[CnoEvil]

Totally agree. I've been recommending the PI-1 to anyone who'll listen. Haven't heard the PI-2, but I believe it's similar but with more power.

Cno

 

[altruistic.lemon]

Not just them amps, mate, but quite a lot of other gear:
Magnepan - easy the best speakers under 2000 Harbeth - easy the best if you can't afford the above
Densen - nearly as good as the Electrocompaniets
meridian - best CD players period
Benchmark - no DAC comes close
Turntable - nottingham analogue. Beats me why people waste money on the other stuff Cartridge
- Denon DL 103.
Mind you, not really budget gear it has to be said.

 

[Clare Newsome]

If we get the products and we like them, we'll recommend them - but we can't review what we haven't got, and in the case of many of these products they're either too pricey and/or niche to spend our limited funds on buying for test.

Would welcome reviewing any/all of the above, if the manufacturers/their PRs are reading!

 

[Sliced Bread]

Glad I'm not the only one then 😉

Hey Clare, definitely not a dig at the mag.

Just a general observation. Magazines, forums anything really. Just don't here enough people giving them the recommendations they deserve
😉

 

[Kevin Stephens]

HI Clare

I'm always a little bemused that the only way a magazine with circulation of around 45,000 can get it's hand on review samples is to get them loaned by the manufacturers? Is that how What Car etc operate? How about getting one on loan from a friendly hi fi shop? or even just covering the cost of post and insurance to borrow off enthusiasts on the forum? A wider range of manufacteres would certainly make the magazine more interesting to me at least.

Again not a dig but a (posibly back handed) compliment; great reviews and editorial but would be good to see a wider range

 

[Anonymous]

Not just them amps, mate, but quite a lot of other gear: Magnepan - easy the best speakers under 2000 Harbeth - easy the best if you can't afford the above Densen - nearly as good as the Electrocompaniets meridian - best CD players period Benchmark - no DAC comes close Turntable - nottingham analogue. Beats me why people waste money on the other stuff Cartridge - Denon DL 103. Mind you, not really budget gear it has to be said.

To add to that, the Musical Fidelity NU-Vista M3 integrated amp, by far the best 3d soundstaging I've ever heard, regardless of price.

 

[plastic penguin]

Not just them amps, mate, but quite a lot of other gear: Magnepan - easy the best speakers under 2000 Harbeth - easy the best if you can't afford the above Densen - nearly as good as the Electrocompaniets meridian - best CD players period Benchmark - no DAC comes close Turntable - nottingham analogue. Beats me why people waste money on the other stuff Cartridge - Denon DL 103. Mind you, not really budget gear it has to be said.

I think a lot of the brands mentioned have a lousey distribution network, so unless you're lucky enough to be located at the right place, some - including me - will go for the best local makes.

Anyway, you plug the Magnepan brand, which is brilliant, but not everyone has the same taste or ears. I plug brands which some give a lukewarm response to. Subjective, so subjective.

 

[Clare Newsome]

HI Clare

I'm always a little bemused that the only way a magazine with circulation of around 45,000 can get it's hand on review samples is to get them loaned by the manufacturers? Is that how What Car etc operate? How about getting one on loan from a friendly hi fi shop? or even just covering the cost of post and insurance to borrow off enthusiasts on the forum? A wider range of manufacteres would certainly make the magazine more interesting to me at least.

Again not a dig but a (posibly back handed) compliment; great reviews and editorial but would be good to see a wider range

UK mag circ is just the start: our reviews also run in all our overseas editions, and of course here on this website, which gets @1m visitors every month 🙂

And yes, we do borrow from dealers occasionally, too - though with retailers carrying such little stock even of popular items (and sometimes only one demo model of others) it's not as simple as you'd think.

Re borrowing from readers - we shouldn't need to go to those extremes! We review new brands all the time - at both budget and high-end areas of the product categories we cover - so we're certainly not adverse to exploring new options. We get emails every week from manufacturers and distritbutors offering us review samples of new products/brands.

As long as those products can be readily purchased, including an opportunity for potential customers to try before they buy (either at a dealer or via free home trial) we will test any that fit our home/portable entertainment brief. No other conditions apply than that (other than the review sample having to be a full production model - no prototypes).

(PS - yes, What Car? and the other car mags work the same way re getting review models from manufacturers)

 

[Sabby]

Not just them amps, mate, but quite a lot of other gear: Magnepan - easy the best speakers under 2000 Harbeth - easy the best if you can't afford the above Densen - nearly as good as the Electrocompaniets meridian - best CD players period Benchmark - no DAC comes close Turntable - nottingham analogue. Beats me why people waste money on the other stuff Cartridge - Denon DL 103. Mind you, not really budget gear it has to be said.

+1 for Magnepan. Certainly outperform box speakers in the same price range. Being panel speakers they don't exhibit any boxiness and have a hugh soundstage. The most natural sounding speakers I have ever heard. The only downside is that they don't go very low in the bass and need a quality amp with lots of high current to drive them.

 

[audioaffair]

I've always thought the GamuT Si100 Integrated Amplifier is a corker and underrated for how wonderfully smooth it is. Haven't heard the Electrocompaniet you mentioned but I'll keep a look out for a listen!

 

[Anonymous]

These: http://www.redesignsaudio.com/LNPA150.html

Sadly he's not making them anymore, our loss.

 

[Big Nads and Woofer]

Well this ones cheap and very good bang for your buck

http://www.templeaudio.net/bantamgold.html

It certainly sounds more than it's worth - Uk hand made and we know how WHF loves a british brand..

May be we can get a WHF review???? Please?

 

[SteveR750]

Well this ones cheap and very good bang for your buck

http://www.templeaudio.net/bantamgold.html

It certainly sounds more than it's worth - Uk hand made and we know how WHF loves a british brand..

May be we can get a WHF review???? Please?

Some big claims from the manufacturer, and many of the customer reviews seem to be those with old / mediocre looking systems.

 

[th0m]

Would be nice to see some reviews of Atoll Electronique equipment. Extremely popular in France apparently, especially the amps, but pretty much ignored everywhere else. I bought their DAC without ever hearing about the brand, just because I found it better than anything in the same price range (Rega DAC included).

Also Densen, as someone already mentioned, makes exceptional gear.

 

[jaxwired]

If we get the products and we like them, we'll recommend them - but we can't review what we haven't got, and in the case of many of these products they're either too pricey and/or niche to spend our limited funds on buying for test.

Would welcome reviewing any/all of the above, if the manufacturers/their PRs are reading!

Fast talking here. I've seen it time and again, an obvious bias against Norway.

 

[Clare Newsome]

Eh? :quest:

 

[Anonymous]

Yes, it's a great sounding amp. I purchased one of these yesterday but took it back today beause there is an audible scratchy/clicky noise whenever the volume is turned up or the input is changed - the retailer told me this is common on most amps with similar technology to this one (whatever that technology might be). They had another PI-2 in the store and it made the same noise as well, so did a $7000 amp from another well-respected manufacturer that he had in the store - I'm surprised listeners can be happy with this situation!

 

[tyranniux42]

Not just them amps, mate, but quite a lot of other gear: Magnepan - easy the best speakers under 2000 Harbeth - easy the best if you can't afford the above Densen - nearly as good as the Electrocompaniets meridian - best CD players period Benchmark - no DAC comes close Turntable - nottingham analogue. Beats me why people waste money on the other stuff Cartridge - Denon DL 103. Mind you, not really budget gear it has to be said.

you forgot to add "in my opinion".

Everything of this nature is incredibly subjective.

kind regards

 

[Electro]

Yes, it's a great sounding amp. I purchased one of these yesterday but took it back today beause there is an audible scratchy/clicky noise whenever the volume is turned up or the input is changed - the retailer told me this is common on most amps with similar technology to this one (whatever that technology might be). They had another PI-2 in the store and it made the same noise as well, so did a $7000 amp from another well-respected manufacturer that he had in the store - I'm surprised listeners can be happy with this situation!

The Electrocompaniet PI 1 and PI 2 both have digital volume controls as do many recently designed amps and it is indeed normal for this design to make a slight switching noise when altering volume levels but it is only very slight and hardly intrusive IMO .

It is a shame you could not live with it because the PI 2 is an exceptionally good amp !